Is DJI banned in the US? (2026)

What actually happened

The 2025 NDAA directed a national-security agency to audit DJI (and fellow Chinese maker Autel). The law included a trigger: if no agency completed that audit by the deadline in late December 2025, the companies would be added to the FCC Covered List automatically. No agency completed the audit in time, so on December 23, 2025, the FCC's action took effect and DJI landed on the Covered List.

The FCC went further than DJI alone, adopting a broad rule covering foreign-produced drones and certain critical components. In February 2026, DJI filed a petition for review asking a federal appeals court to overturn the listing. That challenge is still pending as of this update, and a reconsideration request is in play, so the status could change.

What the FCC Covered List actually does

Being on the Covered List means equipment can't receive new FCC equipment authorization. Without that authorization, a device can't legally be imported and sold in the U.S. In practice:

• •Drones already authorized keep flying. Existing DJI drones aren't bricked or grounded. Models that already had FCC authorization stay legal to own and operate.
• •New models can't be imported or sold. Without fresh FCC authorization, newly released DJI drones can't enter normal U.S. retail channels.
• •U.S. stock is depleting. Retailers are selling through existing inventory that isn't being replenished, so availability shrinks and prices drift up over time.

What it means if you want to buy a DJI

If you have your heart set on a specific DJI model, the practical advice is to buy sooner rather than later, and from a reputable authorized dealer rather than a sketchy gray-market reseller. Remaining legitimate stock is concentrated at authorized retailers such as B&H Photo and Adorama. Expect prices above old MSRP and thinning availability as inventory clears.

Be wary of listings well below market price or from unknown sellers, gray-market and counterfeit risk rises whenever legitimate supply tightens.

The alternative landscape (it's thinner than you'd hope)

“Just buy a non-DJI drone” is easier said than done in 2026, especially if you want an NDAA-compliant, U.S.-friendly option:

• •Skydio left the consumer market. Skydio shut down its consumer drone line years ago to focus entirely on enterprise, public safety, and defense; its drones aren't a consumer option.
• •Anzu Robotics' Raptor was discontinued. The U.S.-assembled, DJI-derived alternative that briefly looked promising is no longer a path forward.
• •Autel is also affected and winding down consumer lines. Autel faces the same NDAA scrutiny as DJI and has begun retiring its consumer EVO Nano and EVO Lite lines, so it's not a clean escape hatch.
• •Enterprise/NDAA-compliant options cost more. Drones built explicitly for federal compliance carry a real price premium over consumer hardware.

For most beginners, capable budget options like the Potensic Atom or a HOVERAir X1 still exist and aren't affected by the DJI import freeze. See our best beginner drones under $500 for picks across both camps.

Bottom line

You can still own and fly DJI drones in the U.S. New stock is on a clock, not a switch; the listing chokes off fresh supply rather than grounding existing aircraft. If you want a DJI, buy from an authorized dealer while stock lasts; if you'd rather avoid the uncertainty, the non-DJI field is workable for beginners but limited at the high end. And because the legal challenge is unresolved, re-check the current status before you commit.