Beijing to Prohibit Drone Ownership from November... Subsidies Offered for Disposal

Exceptions for Counter-Terrorism, Relief, and Research Purposes
Not Only Flights, but Also Storage and Entry Are Prohibited

The city of Beijing, the capital of China, will, in principle, ban not only the flight of drones but also their storage and entry starting from November this year.

On September 13, Yonhap News Agency, citing the local Chinese media outlet Beijing Daily, reported that on this day the city of Beijing approved the "Beijing Municipality Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) Management Regulations," which will take effect from November 15.

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The revised regulations designate the entire administrative area of Beijing as controlled airspace for drone management. Therefore, it is, in principle, prohibited to operate drones, or to own or store drones or related key components within this area. Bringing in drones—whether transported from outside the city or carried in person—and setting up storage facilities within Beijing’s administrative area are also prohibited.

However, according to the Beijing Public Security Bureau, exceptions apply for the use of drones for special purposes such as counter-terrorism, disaster relief, and major events. Sectors such as education, research and development, production, agriculture and forestry, and sports training or competitions are also included in the exception criteria. Relevant organizations must undergo safety assessments and other procedures as required by the authorities, and any necessary drone flights must be conducted in accordance with national regulations.

Since August last year, Beijing has banned drone flights without government approval. Then, from May of this year, the city further strengthened regulations by prohibiting new sales, rentals, and entry from outside, as well as imposing restrictions on drone storage.

With this revision, even existing drones can no longer be stored in Beijing. Ahead of the implementation of the new regulations, Beijing has prepared disposal channels for citizens who already own drones, such as on-site purchase and compensation, disposal or retrieval collection, as well as shipping drones out of the city by courier service.

If an individual sells a drone to a government-designated company, a subsidy of 30% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of 3,000 yuan (about 600,000 won) per drone, will be provided until October 31. From November 1 to 14, the city will support 15% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan (about 300,000 won) per drone. If an individual chooses not to sell but instead disposes of or returns the drone at a designated location, a payment of 200 yuan (about 40,000 won) per drone will be given until the end of October, and 100 yuan (about 20,000 won) per drone from November 1 to 14. These subsidies apply only to personally owned drones that have been verified by public security authorities. Owners can also directly take their drones outside of Beijing by air, train, or road transport.

Beijing explained that this revision is "in response to the new situation in drone management and to strengthen airspace safety management."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.