Drone Rules and Regulations Australia

To make drone flying simple and safe, we’ve included an official CASA video at the start of this guide. It explains the key rules and regulations every pilot in Australia must follow. At Skytronics, we believe safety and compliance come first, which is why we rely on CASA’s guidelines to give you accurate, up-to-date information before you buy or fly a drone.

Note: Drone safety rules cover every types of drone and remote-controlled aircraft.

Dos and Don’ts of Flying a Drone in Australia

What you must do

Fly only one drone at a time.
Keep your drone within visual line of sight. This means:
• Fly during daylight.
• Avoid flying through clouds, fog or smoke.
• Always see the drone with your own eyes (not via goggles, binoculars, or through obstacles).
Don’t let anything block your view (trees, buildings, other structures).

What you must not do

Do not fly higher than 120 metres (400 ft) above ground level.
Keep at least 30 metres distance from other people (unless they’re helping with the flight).
Never fly over or above people, including in crowds, beaches, roads, concert events or any populated area.
Don’t fly in a way that endangers people, property or other aircraft.
Avoid flying during emergency operations (e.g. fire, rescue).
Don’t fly in prohibited or restricted airspace — always check using a CASA-verified drone safety app.
Always respect rules around airports and helicopter landing zones.

Note: Alongside drone safety rules, each state may have its own regulations on drone use. Always check your state or territory laws before flying.

The Regulations

Drones, also referred to as model aircraft or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), are classified by size and type.

The drone safety rules are a simplified version of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 101.

The Part 101 Plain English guide for Micro and Excluded Category RPA outlines the core drone safety rules. While designed mainly for micro and excluded operators, it is useful for all drone users.

Additional guidance can be found in the latest Advisory Circulars:

AC 101-03 Flying a model aircraft or drone for recreation or education (PDF, 1.3 MB).

You can apply for extra flight authorisations if you are:

Application fees and processing times apply.

Flying for Sport or Recreation

When flying for sport or recreation, you do not need:

Licensing or accreditation.
Drone registration.

If your drone or model aircraft weighs over 25 kg, you must apply for an approval to operate.

Flying for Work

If you are operating for work or your employer, you must have one of the following:

Operator accreditation to fly a drone:
- 2 kg or less (micro or excluded RPA category).
- More than 2 kg but no more than 25 kg, only over your own property (landowner excluded RPA category).
Remote pilot licence (RePL) to fly a drone:
- Under your own or another person’s ReOC.
- More than 25 kg but no more than 150 kg, only over your own property (landowner excluded RPA category).w

Age Limits

There is no minimum age to fly a drone for sport or recreation.

To fly for work or as part of employment, you must be at least 16 years old to:

Register a drone.
Obtain operator accreditation.

Note: All the information presented above has been sourced from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the primary authority for aviation safety in Australia.

For any further assistance or guidance, feel free to reach out to us.

About Us

Skytronics makes DroneMate — Australia’s autonomous bird deterrent drone protecting farms, vineyards, orchards andgrain storage from bird damage. Based in Brookvale NSW 2100.

Skytronics is a trusted supplier of high-performance aerospace and electronics components, specialising in UAV systems, avionics, RTK modules, and industrial IoT solutions. We focus on reliability, precision engineering, and non-Chinese supply alternatives for global customers.