France: what national law adds
The European regulation lays the base, but France adds a layer of its own on top: a lowered age, two registers instead of one, a security device Europe does not require, and a closing of public space in built-up areas that takes most recreational remote pilots by surprise.
Key points
- Age: 14 in France, against 16 in the European regulation. Between 14 and 16 the flight stays limited to national territory: the proof of completion travels, the age derogation does not.
- Two registrations not to be mixed up. The operator registers under European law from 250 g, 80 joules or a camera. The owner registers the aircraft under national law from 800 g, for five years, and receives a UAS-FR number.
- Electronic signalling: a national public security obligation from 800 g. The machine broadcasts over wifi a unique identifier, its position, the position of the take-off point, the ground speed and the track.
- Built-up areas: three doors, not two. Private space, with the occupier’s agreement. Public places where a prefectoral decision authorises the ‘open’ category irrespective of the operator: recreational flying is therefore admitted there. And professional activity, notified to the préfecture ten days in advance, or, where that deadline cannot be met, with the préfecture’s agreement.
- Night flying prohibited, aeronautical night being the reference: about thirty minutes after sunset in metropolitan France. The préfet can grant a derogation.
- Zones: the law sits in the aeronautical information published by the aeronautical information service; the interactive map from the DGAC and the IGN is only a reading of it, not dynamic and without the temporary zones.
- Strict liability for damage caused to persons and property on the surface: the victim has nothing to prove. Check that your third-party liability policy really covers the use of an aircraft.
- Examinations: A1/A3 online and free of charge on the DGAC training site, 40 questions and 75 %; A2 with 30 questions split into three blocks of ten, 75 % as well, for a certificate valid five years.
The trap. The classic trap is to think that 250 g and 800 g describe the same formality. They are two different registers, on two different legal bases, falling on two people who are not necessarily the same: the operator who operates, and the owner who owns. A rented 1 kg drone triggers both.
Source
Arrêté du 3 décembre 2020 relatif à l'utilisation de l'espace aérien par les aéronefs sans équipage à bord (Légifrance, JORFTEXT000042635803, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000042635803, consolidated version as at 01/01/2026, amended by the order of 23 December 2025 JORFTEXT000053166739), art. 3 to 5 and 9; Arrêté du 3 décembre 2020 relatif aux exigences applicables aux pilotes à distance dans le cadre d'opérations relevant de la catégorie “ouverte” (Légifrance, JORFTEXT000042635868, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000042635868), art. 1; Décret n° 2018-882 du 11 octobre 2018 relatif à l'enregistrement des aéronefs civils circulant sans personne à bord, et arrêté du 19 octobre 2018 pris pour son application (identified as the legal basis by the DSAC guide below, reference list p. 57); Loi n° 2016-1428 du 24 octobre 2016 relative au renforcement de la sécurité de l'usage des drones civils; décret n° 2019-1114 du 30 octobre 2019 et arrêté du 27 décembre 2019 définissant les caractéristiques techniques des dispositifs de signalement électronique et lumineux (identified as the legal basis by the DSAC guide below, reference list p. 57); Code des transports (Légifrance, LEGITEXT000023086525, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/id/LEGITEXT000023086525), art. L. 6131-1, L. 6131-2, L. 6232-4 and L. 6232-12; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (CELEX 02019R0947, consolidated on 01/05/2025), art. 14 and Annex Part A, points UAS.OPEN.020(4)(b) and UAS.OPEN.030(2)(c); commented by the Guide DSAC “Usages de loisir et professionnels simplifiés des aéronefs sans équipage à bord: catégorie Ouverte”, DGAC, edition 2 version 1.0 of 31/12/2025 (https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/documents/Guide_categorie_Ouverte.pdf), § 4.2, 4.4, 5.1 to 5.3, 6.1 to 6.3, 7 and 10