Canadian Drone Rules in 2026: What Changed
Transport Canada's Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (RPAS — Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight and Other Operations) came into force in two phases: 1 April 2025 and 4 November 2025. The November phase introduced the Level 1 Complex pilot certificate for lower-risk BVLOS, permitted medium drones of 25–150 kg to operate as advanced operations without a Special Flight Operations Certificate, and extended EVLOS privileges to Advanced certificate holders. Existing Basic and Advanced certificates remain valid.
Why this matters even if nothing you do changed
Most recreational and small-commercial operators carried on exactly as before through both phases. But if you are studying for a certificate, or buying study material, the date on your source matters enormously. Anything written before November 2025 describes a regulatory framework that has since been superseded in several meaningful respects — and exam questions are drawn from the current rules.
The three substantive changes
1. Level 1 Complex certification
The headline addition. Level 1 Complex is a new certification tier sitting above Advanced, authorising lower-risk beyond visual line-of-sight operations without needing a Special Flight Operations Certificate for each flight.
Getting it is a substantial undertaking. You must be 18, pass the Advanced online exam first, complete at least 20 hours of ground school through a flight school, pass a separate Level 1 Complex exam, pass a Level 1 Complex flight review, and then pay a CA$125 certificate issuance fee. Complex operations must additionally be flown under an RPAS Operator Certificate. The ground school requirement is notable — it is the first time Canadian RPAS certification has mandated formal instruction rather than allowing pure self-study.
2. Medium drones without an SFOC
Drones weighing between 25 and 150 kilograms — the "medium" category — may now be operated without a Special Flight Operations Certificate. Any operation involving a medium drone is automatically classified as an advanced operation or higher.
Practically, this opens up agricultural spraying, heavy-lift survey work, and larger fixed-wing platforms to operators who previously faced an SFOC application for every job.
3. EVLOS for Advanced certificate holders
Advanced holders may now conduct extended visual line-of-sight operations — flying beyond the pilot's own unaided visual range, with a trained visual observer maintaining sight of the aircraft. The constraints are tight: small drones only, uncontrolled airspace only, at least 30 m from any person, and everything must stay within 3.7 km (2 NM) of the pilot, the control station and the observer. The visual observer must themselves hold at least a Basic pilot certificate.
This is the change most likely to affect existing Advanced operators day to day. It meaningfully extends the working radius of a survey or inspection job without stepping up to full BVLOS.
The operator certificate (RPOC)
Individuals, businesses, and organisations conducting BVLOS operations must hold an RPAS Operator Certificate. Obtaining one requires documented policies and procedures proportionate to the size and complexity of the operation.
This is a shift in regulatory philosophy worth noting: Canada is moving RPAS oversight toward the organisational-approval model used in manned commercial aviation, where the operator as an entity is certified alongside the individual pilot.
Where each tier sits now
| Certificate | Permits | Requires |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Uncontrolled airspace, more than 30 m from any person, never overhead. | Online exam. |
| Advanced | Controlled airspace (with authorization), closer than 30 m to bystanders, over people, medium drones, and EVLOS. | Online exam (80% of 50 questions) plus an in-person flight review. |
| Level 1 Complex | Lower-risk BVLOS in uncontrolled airspace, at or below 400 ft AGL, more than 9.3 km (5 NM) from listed aerodromes. | Age 18, the Advanced exam, 20 hours ground school, the Level 1 Complex exam and flight review, a CA$125 issuance fee, and an RPOC. |
If you already hold a certificate: nothing was invalidated. The amendments added privileges and a new tier rather than resetting existing ones. You still need to meet the ongoing recency requirements to exercise your privileges — that part didn't change.
What this means for exam candidates
Check the publication date on anything you study from. A guide written in early 2025 will describe medium drone operations as requiring an SFOC and will not mention Level 1 Complex at all. Those are the kinds of details exam questions are built on.
The same applies to the free material circulating on forums and video platforms, much of which was produced before November 2025 and has not been revised.
Common questions
Do I need to redo my certificate?
No. Existing Basic and Advanced certificates remain valid. The amendments added new privileges and a new certification tier rather than invalidating what's already issued. Recency requirements still apply as before.
Can I fly BVLOS now with an Advanced certificate?
Not full BVLOS. Advanced holders gained EVLOS privileges — flying beyond your own unaided visual range using trained visual observers who maintain sight of the aircraft. Genuine BVLOS, where no crew member has visual contact, requires Level 1 Complex certification and, for organisations, an RPOC.
What counts as a medium drone?
An RPA with an operating weight between 25 and 150 kilograms. Operating weight includes batteries, cameras, and any payload at takeoff. Anything in this range is automatically an advanced operation or higher.
Where can I read the official text?
Transport Canada publishes a summary of the changes and the underlying regulatory text on its drone safety pages at tc.canada.ca. Always treat the official source as authoritative over any third-party summary, including this one.
Our Canadian RPAS Operations Guide is written to the current rules — Level 1 Complex, medium drones, and EVLOS included. It runs to 44 pages, costs CA$29, and includes free revisions for the 2026 rule year. See what's inside →