What Are Canada's Commercial Drone Regulations?

Commercial drone regulations in Canada are governed by Transport Canada under Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, which apply to any remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) between 250 grams and 25 kilograms. Operations fall into two tiers, Basic and Advanced, with the tier determining what certificate a pilot needs and where they're allowed to fly.

The Two Operating Tiers

Basic Operations cover flight in uncontrolled airspace, at least 30 metres horizontally from uninvolved bystanders, and away from airports and heliports (roughly 5.6 km from an airport, 1.9 km from a heliport). This tier requires a Pilot Certificate – Basic Operations, earned by passing Transport Canada's Small Basic Exam.

Advanced Operations permit flight in controlled airspace, closer to bystanders, and near airports, but require a Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations (a harder exam plus an in-person flight review), an RPAS with a manufacturer-declared safety assurance, and authorization from NAV CANADA for any flight in controlled airspace, obtained through their NAV Drone platform.

For anything outside either standard tier, flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), operating above 400 feet AGL, or flying an aircraft heavier than 25 kilograms, Transport Canada requires a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC), issued for the specific operation being proposed.

Why It Matters

Most commercial aerial intelligence work, infrastructure inspection, mapping, agricultural surveys, fits within Advanced Operations, since it often needs to happen closer to structures, people, or controlled airspace than Basic Operations permits. Understanding which tier a given project falls into affects scheduling and cost: controlled-airspace authorization through NAV CANADA takes lead time to arrange, and BVLOS or SFOC-level operations require even more advance planning.

Limitations

Regulatory requirements are also layered with site-specific and provincial considerations that this general framework doesn't cover, municipal bylaws, provincial privacy legislation, and site-specific safety protocols (near energized power lines, active industrial operations, or marine traffic, for example) can all add requirements beyond the baseline Transport Canada rules. This article is a general overview, not a substitute for confirming current requirements directly with Transport Canada before a specific flight, rules and thresholds can be updated, and operators are responsible for flying under whatever is currently in effect.