The Federal Communications Fee has up to date its Lined Listing to exempt sure uncrewed plane methods (UAS) and UAS important parts that the Division of Struggle (DoW) has decided don’t pose unacceptable nationwide safety dangers. The replace follows a brand new Nationwide Safety Dedication issued to the FCC on January 7, 2026, clarifying parts of the company’s December 2025 motion that added all foreign-produced UAS and UAS important parts to the Lined Listing.
The revision exempts two classes of UAS and parts till January 1, 2027:
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platforms and parts included on the Protection Contract Administration Company’s Blue UAS Cleared Listing, and
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UAS and UAS important parts that qualify as “home finish merchandise” below the Purchase American Commonplace.
In response to the FCC Public Security and Homeland Safety Bureau, the DoW Dedication constitutes a “particular dedication” below the Safe and Trusted Communications Networks Act, requiring the FCC to replace the Lined Listing to take away these exempted lessons of apparatus.
The FCC additionally printed a truth sheet and intensive Continuously Requested Questions (FAQs) to assist producers, public-safety companies, and trade stakeholders interpret the brand new steerage.
Exemptions Apply By way of January 1, 2027
Below the Dedication, the DoW concluded that UAS and UAS parts on the Blue UAS Cleared Listing have undergone rigorous cybersecurity, {hardware}, and supply-chain evaluation and “don’t presently current unacceptable dangers” to U.S. nationwide safety or the protection and safety of U.S. individuals. The Dedication additionally exempts methods assembly the Purchase American “home finish product” threshold, during which qualifying U.S.-manufactured content material exceeds 65 p.c of complete product price, by means of January 1, 2027
The FCC’s revised Lined Listing language now displays these exemptions, whereas persevering with to limit authorization of different foreign-produced UAS and UAS important parts. The exemption doesn’t have an effect on federal company procurement insurance policies, which stay ruled by separate statutory and company guidelines.
The FCC emphasised in its truth sheet that additions to the Lined Listing prohibit new tools authorizations however don’t prohibit continued use of beforehand approved gadgets, nor do they bar lawful operation of current fleets.
Pathway for Conditional Approvals and Clarification on Scope
The FCC has additionally outlined a course of for organizations to request particular person “Conditional Approvals” for methods or parts not in any other case exempt. Requests could also be submitted to drones@fcc.gov and shall be forwarded to the DoW and Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) for evaluate, in accordance with the FAQ steerage.
The FAQs additional make clear a number of questions raised throughout the drone ecosystem for the reason that December 2025 announcement, together with:
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UAS and UAS important parts are outlined based mostly on intent and first design use.
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Parts corresponding to generic batteries that don’t usually require FCC authorization will not be newly topic to authorization.
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Lined Listing restrictions apply to new tools authorizations, not the operation of beforehand approved methods.
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Experimental licensing and R&D actions should be eligible the place public-interest findings are met.
The FCC additionally famous that gadgets produced in the US with foreign-made parts will not be thought of “lined” in the event that they adjust to Blue UAS requirements or qualify below the Purchase American Commonplace.
Added Readability Follows Broad Preliminary Trade Affect
Trade stakeholders throughout public security, enterprise UAS providers, and manufacturing registered important concern relating to the broad scope of the December 2025 dedication, notably its remedy of “foreign-produced” parts and the potential impression on provide chains and product certification pathways.
The extra steerage and exemption framework are supposed to offer better readability for producers, check labs, and tools authorization candidates, in addition to for organizations counting on authorised authorities packages corresponding to Blue UAS. The FCC acknowledged that Fee employees will proceed to offer case-specific steerage to stakeholders as wanted.
The up to date Lined Listing, together with the revised UAS entry and Appendix supplies, is out there on the FCC’s Provide Chain web site right here.
Collectively, the Dedication, Lined Listing replace, and newly launched FAQs mark a major refinement of the FCC’s strategy to UAS-related nationwide safety danger administration, whereas preserving pathways for approved home manufacturing, Blue UAS-qualified platforms, and methods that may doc compliance below the Purchase American Commonplace.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone providers market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory atmosphere for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles centered on the industrial drone house and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand spanking new applied sciences.
For drone trade consulting or writing, E-mail Miriam.
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