As many of us now own and operate Drones in the UK we thought we would just put up some info we have learned / received regarding registration and licences as some of it was not clear and many either by choice, lack of research or following social media "truths" are currently breaking the rules with punishments from up to £1000 fine and or confiscation.
We, like many others were under the belief that as we were flying a drone weighing less than 250g we did not need a licence etc. This is only partially true we have since found out. You can find out some good information here
If your drone has a camera (unless it is a toy) then you need to register with the CAA for an Operator ID. You need to renew this registration every year. This is a registration of you as the operator (owner) rather than a registration of the drone itself although you do add the registration number to the Drone.
This costs £10.33 annually. Register Here
Anyone flying a drone weighing 250g or more needs to pass a test and get a flyer ID from the CAA. This is free and online and in our case we did it anyway even though we didn't need to but for our own comfort and peace of mind. Assessment Here . The online assessment is a multi-choice assessment covering rules and regulations for flying drones and different types of drones here in the UK.
An good example of how confusion can set in is the DJI Mavic Pro 3 with standard battery is below 250g requiring only an Operator ID however with the bigger capacity battery it puts it above the 250g and therefore you should have both an Operator and the pilot a Flyers ID. Don't get caught out.
It makes sense that we all follow the rules so we can all continue to enjoy flying our drones safely and with consideration to others and without further hindrance from the authorities.
Examples of the documents below:
