Happy New Year, pilots.
If you found a fresh drone under the Christmas tree last month, I bet you’re itching to get out to the local park this weekend. The weather might even hold up for it.
But hold your horses for just a second.
While most of us were nursing a hangover on New Year's Day, the UK drone laws shifted quietly under our feet. Effective 1 January 2026, the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) changed the rules for beginner drones.
If you missed this news between the mince pies, don't panic. We aren't here to scaremonger. But as a responsible retailer, we need to make sure you aren't accidentally breaking the law on your very first flight.
The Big Change: The "Toy" Rule Has Shrunk
For years, the golden rule for beginners in the UK was simple: "Stay under 250g, and it's basically a toy with few rules." It's why drones like the Mini series became wildly popular.
As of last week, that rule is dead for camera drones.
The CAA has officially dropped the registration threshold for any drone equipped with a camera from 250g down to just 100g.
What does this mean in plain English? It means thousands of budget camera drones weighing 150g or 200g—which were sold right up until Christmas as "no registration needed"—overnight became legally classified aircraft that need paperwork.
The Simple Check Before You Fly This Weekend
It's actually pretty straightforward. Look at your new drone and ask two questions:
- Does it weigh more than a tiny 100g?
- Does it have a camera stuck to the front?
If the answer to both is YES (which covers about 99% of starter drones worth flying), then as of January 2026, you legally need two things before take-off:
- An Operator ID: This is like the registration plate for your drone. It costs £11.13 a year from the CAA.
- A Flyer ID: Proof that you know the rules. It’s a free online multiple-choice test.
To make this crystal clear, here is the new legal landscape at a glance:
Figure 1: Your new 2026 legal cheat sheet. Save this image.
The Market is Messy, But We Choose Honesty
We need to be level with you here. The online drone market right now is absolute chaos.
Loads of overseas suppliers and dropship platforms haven't caught up with the UK's 2026 rules. Their listings still aggressively claim "Under 250g! No Registration!" because they either don't know the UK law changed, or they just don't care.
At ProDrone, we are online retailers. We don't manufacture the drones, so we can't change what's printed on the factory box. But we can change how we talk to you.
Our promise is simple: **No misleading waffle.**
We won't hide the new regulations just to make an easy sale. We're using this news alert (and updating our product notes) to ensure you know the score. When you browse beginner drones now, you must look at that weight spec with the new 100g limit in mind.
We'd much rather you spent 15 minutes getting legal now, than getting a nasty surprise fine later. We want you to enjoy this hobby, not get stung by it.
Final Thoughts
The laws have tightened up, yes. But flying is still brilliant fun. Just get the admin sorted out first, stay away from airports, keep it in sight, and enjoy the skies safely.
Cheers,
The Team at ProDrone