UK: Mandatory Drone Class Marking Enforcement from 1 January 2026

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that, from 1 January 2026, all new drones and model aircraft placed on the UK market must comply with the UK Drone Class Marking framework.

Under this framework, drones must carry a UK class mark (UK0 to UK6) demonstrating conformity with defined product safety and performance standards. This requirement applies to products intended for operation in the Open Category and directly impacts manufacturers, importers, and distributors supplying drones in the UK.

The CAA has been formally appointed as the Market Surveillance Authority (MSA) for drone class marking. In this role, the CAA is responsible for ensuring that only compliant products are placed on the UK market and may take enforcement action where drones fail to meet the required standards or marking obligations.

Key requirements

• Mandatory UK class marking (UK0–UK6) on all new drone models placed on the UK market

• Class mark assigned by the manufacturer following conformity assessment

• Compliance with technical and safety performance requirements, including:

  • Functional safety and operational limitations

  • Geo-awareness capability

  • Lighting requirements where applicable

• Direct Remote ID (RID) broadcast capability required for most class-marked drones from 2026

• Product labelling and documentation must accurately reflect the assigned class mark

Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring drones are correctly designed, tested, and assigned a valid UK class mark before being placed on the market, while importers and distributors must verify that products carry the required class marking and comply with applicable regulatory requirements; drones that do not meet these obligations may be subject to market surveillance action, withdrawal from the market, or enforcement measures by the competent authority.