In short

• Under 250 grams: no certificate, no registration, safety rules still apply. At 250 grams and up: register the drone and hold a pilot certificate.
• Three certificates: Basic (online exam), Advanced (online exam plus an in-person flight review) and Level 1 Complex (beyond visual line of sight, open since 2025).
• Nearly all paid work is Advanced operations, and the flight review is the step people stall on.

Canada’s drone rules are not complicated. They are scattered. The weight limit is in one place, the certificate levels in another, the airspace rules in a third, and the changes that landed in 2025 in a fourth. New pilots do not fail because the rules are hard. They fail because nobody put them on one page.

This drone flying guide is that page. Every rule that governs flying a drone in Canada, in the order you will meet them, with a link to the detail where you need it.

Start here: the 250 gram line

One number decides almost everything else.

If your drone is under 250 grams, you can fly it without a certificate or registration. You still cannot endanger people or aircraft, and you should still know the airspace rules below, but there is no paperwork.

At 250 grams or more, everything in this guide applies to you. Over 25 kilograms is a different regime entirely and needs a Special Flight Operations Certificate.

Registration

Register the drone with Transport Canada before it flies, mark the registration number on the aircraft, and carry proof. It is a few minutes online and a small fee.

Step by step: How to Register Your Drone in Canada

The three pilot certificates

Transport Canada issues three levels of drone pilot certificate. Which one you need depends entirely on where and how you fly.

Basic is for flying well away from people, in uncontrolled airspace. It is the certificate most hobbyists need and the one almost no commercial pilot can work under.

Advanced is the working certificate. Real estate, inspections, construction, events, anything near people or in controlled airspace. It requires the online exam and an in-person flight review with a Transport Canada certified reviewer.

Level 1 Complex is the beyond visual line of sight certificate, open since 2025. It is the one that changes what work you can bid on.

Certificates do not expire, but you must stay current: within the previous 24 months you need to have passed an exam, passed a flight review, or completed a recognised recurrent training activity.

Choosing between Basic and Advanced: How to Get Your Basic or Advanced Drone License in Canada. The pathway pages: Basic · Advanced · Level 1 Complex.

Where you can fly: the airspace rules

For Basic operations, Transport Canada’s conditions are all of the following:

• Aircraft weighs no more than 25 kg
• You can always see the aircraft (visual line of sight)
• More than 30 metres horizontally from any person not part of your operation
• In uncontrolled airspace only
• More than 5.6 km from the centre of a certified airport
• More than 1.9 km from the centre of a heliport
• Below 122 metres (400 feet) above ground
• Away from emergency sites and advertised events
• Pilot certificate carried while flying

Break any one of those and you are in Advanced operations. Controlled airspace additionally needs authorisation from NAV CANADA through the NAV Drone app before you fly.

There are also permanent no-fly zones that override everything above.

New RPAS Restricted Zones in Canada covers the designated zones. Site Survey Guide for Compliant Drone Operations is how a certified pilot checks all of this before every flight.

The exams

Both exams are written online through the Transport Canada Drone Management Portal. They test aviation knowledge, not flying: air law, airspace, meteorology, navigation, human factors, radio procedure, theory of flight.

If you fail, you wait 24 hours and try again. There is no limit on attempts.

Study guides: Basic RPAS Exam · Advanced RPAS Exam. The knowledge standard itself changed recently; Understanding TP15530E explains what moved. Ground school for Basic and Advanced is free at RPAS Centre Academy.

The flight review

The step most guides bury. Passing the Advanced exam does not make you an Advanced pilot. You also need to pass an in-person flight review with a certified reviewer, who watches you plan an operation, survey the site, fly the aircraft, and reason through a problem out loud.

It is required once, not on a renewal cycle. Transport Canada does not run a central directory of reviewers, which is why finding one is the step people stall on.

What the day looks like: Drone Flight Review in Canada. Preparing and booking: Flight Reviews in Canada: How to Prepare and Book. Finding one in your region: Drone Flying Classes Near Me. We book candidates into 200+ certified reviewers, flat fee, $199: book here.

Beyond visual line of sight

The default rule is that you keep the aircraft in sight. Three routes take you past that line.

Level 1 Complex is the certificate route, open since 2025. Hold Advanced, complete 20 hours of declared ground school, pass the exam, pass an L1C flight review, and you can fly BVLOS in lower-risk environments without applying for a Special Flight Operations Certificate each time.

Extended visual line of sight (EVLOS) uses visual observers to extend what “in sight” means for Advanced pilots.

Sheltered operations let you fly close to a building or structure that shields the aircraft, under specific conditions.

Anything else beyond visual line of sight, and any operation above 25 kg, needs a Special Flight Operations Certificate from Transport Canada. Companies running these operations may also need an RPAS Operator Certificate.

Level 1 Complex: full flight review guide · ground school · Advanced vs L1C reviews compared. Also: EVLOS explained · Sheltered operations · What is an RPOC.

Weather

Wind, visibility, and precipitation ground more flights than regulations do. Certified pilots read aviation weather, not the phone forecast. The exam expects you to decode a METAR.

How to Read METARs for Drone Pilots

What has changed, and what is coming

The rules are not static. Three things worth knowing in 2026:

• Remote ID. Transport Canada has proposed requiring drones to broadcast identification. It is a multi-year transition, not a switch. Transport Canada Drone Remote ID Rules, Explained.
• Microdrones at advertised events now need an SFOC even under 250 grams. SFOC Now Required for Microdrones at Advertised Events.
• Ontario’s Chinese-made drone rules affect what public bodies in the province can operate. Ontario Chinese-Made Drone Ban: What It Means.

The drone flying guide by situation

You fly for fun, under 250 grams. No certificate, no registration. Learn the airspace rules anyway; they still apply to you. Learn How to Fly a Drone is the place to start.

You fly for fun, 250 grams or more, away from people. Register the drone, get the Basic certificate. Online course, online exam, done.

You want to earn money with it. Register, get Advanced. Online course, online exam, in-person flight review. Nearly all paid work is Advanced operations. Drone Flying Course Online in Canada lays out the whole path and what it costs.

You already work in a trade. Roofing, surveying, construction, agriculture, real estate. Advanced is the certificate. The Future of Construction: Drones for Monitoring, Surveying and Inspections and The Pros of Using Drones in Real Estate cover two of those industries.

You want to fly beyond line of sight. Advanced first, then Level 1 Complex. That is the certificate that opens pipeline, corridor, and large-area work.

You are not sure any of this is worth it. Why Get a Drone Certificate in 2026.

Not sure which certificate fits your plans? Our Basic and Advanced ground school is free, and at the free live sessions you can ask an instructor about your exact situation. Start your pathway.

Frequently asked questions

What are the drone laws in Canada? Drones 250 grams and over need a registered aircraft and a certified pilot (Basic or Advanced). All drones must stay clear of people, aircraft, airports, emergency sites, and restricted zones, and fly below 122 metres. Controlled airspace requires an Advanced certificate and NAV CANADA authorisation.

Do I need a licence to fly a drone in Canada? Yes, if the drone is 250 grams or more. Under 250 grams, no licence and no registration, but the safety rules apply.

How high can you fly a drone in Canada? 122 metres (400 feet) above the ground, unless specifically authorised higher.

How far from an airport can I fly a drone? For Basic operations, more than 5.6 km from the centre of a certified airport and more than 1.9 km from a heliport. Closer than that is controlled airspace, which needs Advanced certification and authorisation.

Can I fly a drone over people in Canada? Only under Advanced operations, with an aircraft that meets the manufacturer’s declaration for that, and only as the rules for the specific operation allow. Never under Basic.

Do drone certificates expire in Canada? No, but you must stay current. Within the previous 24 months you need to have passed an exam, passed a flight review, or completed a recognised recurrent training activity.

What is Level 1 Complex? The beyond visual line of sight certificate, open since 2025. It requires an Advanced certificate, 20 hours of declared ground school, an exam, and a flight review, and it lets you fly BVLOS in lower-risk environments without an SFOC for each job.

How old do you have to be to fly a drone in Canada? It depends on the certificate. The minimum age is 14 for Basic, 16 for Advanced and 18 for Level 1 Complex.

How much does it cost to get a drone certificate in Canada? The syllabus is set by Transport Canada, so the price differences are about the provider, not the content. Our Basic and Advanced ground school is free, and Level 1 Complex ground school is $99. Transport Canada charges its own fees for the exam and the certificate, so check the current amounts on its site. For Advanced, budget for the flight review as well; we book certified reviewers at a flat $199.

Do I need a flight review for the Basic certificate? No. Basic is an online exam only. The flight review is part of Advanced and Level 1 Complex, and it happens in person with a certified reviewer. If you plan to work near people or in controlled airspace, you will need it, so it is worth preparing from the start rather than treating Basic as the finish line.

How long does it take to get a drone certificate? Basic can be done in a week or two of part-time study, since it is an online exam with no flight review. Advanced typically takes four to eight weeks part time, most of it study, plus the time to book and pass the flight review. Level 1 Complex adds 20 hours of ground school, its own exam and its own review on top of Advanced.

Can I fly a drone at night in Canada? Yes, as long as the aircraft carries lights that keep it visible and they are turned on. Every other rule still applies, including visual line of sight, so a night flight needs more planning than the same flight in daylight: a surveyed site, known obstacles, and a clear picture of where the aircraft is at all times.

Can a drone under 250 grams fly beyond visual line of sight? This one surprises people. The visual line of sight rule and the Level 1 Complex framework are written for drones of 250 grams and up, so they do not apply to a microdrone. What does apply is the general rule that nobody may fly any aircraft recklessly or negligently in a way that endangers aviation safety or anyone’s life. Restricted zones still apply, and advertised events need an SFOC even for microdrones. In practice, a small drone flown out of sight in uncontrolled airspace, away from people, is legal. Flown carelessly, it is not.

Do I need a certificate to use a drone for work? The certificate is decided by where and how you fly, not by whether you are paid. That said, almost every paid job happens near people, near buildings or in controlled airspace, and that is Advanced operations. Real estate, roof inspections, construction progress, events: plan on Advanced.

What do I need before every drone flight? A certified pilot runs the same short routine every time: check the airspace and any restricted zones, look at the weather, survey the site for people, obstacles and hazards, confirm the drone is registered and airworthy, and carry the certificate. Apps like NAV CANADA’s NAV Drone and RPAS Wilco turn that routine into a checklist you can finish in the field.

What do I have to carry when I fly? Your pilot certificate and proof of drone registration. Transport Canada’s wording is that you must have both and be able to show them when you fly. The registration number also has to be marked on the drone itself. A certified pilot also keeps the site survey and the airspace check for the flight, the part people forget and exactly what a reviewer or an inspector will ask about.

Where can I find the official drone rules? The rules sit in Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, and Transport Canada publishes plain-language versions on its drone safety pages. This drone flying guide puts them in one order and links to the detail, but the regulator’s pages are the final word, and they change.

One page, then the right next step

That is the drone flying guide, every rule in order. If you are a hobbyist, you now know exactly what applies to you. If you want to work, you know the certificate you need and the one step, the flight review, that you cannot do from your kitchen table.

This is your moment.

Start your pathway · Book a flight review · Join a free live session

A note on accuracy

Information in RPAS Centre blog posts is provided for general guidance only and reflects our understanding at the time of writing. Regulations, procedures, and operational practices change, so always verify requirements directly with Transport Canada, NAV CANADA, the relevant airport operator, or air traffic control before flying. Nothing on this blog constitutes legal, regulatory, or operational advice, and RPAS Centre is not liable for actions taken based on this content.

Spotted an inaccuracy? Please contact us.