Do I need a licence to fly a drone in Canada?
It depends on one number: 250 grams. Below it, no pilot certificate and no registration — a DJI Mini and similar sub-250 g aircraft need neither. At 250 g and above, you need a pilot certificate and the aircraft must be registered. But "no licence" is not the same as "no rules", and the gap between those two things is where most people get into trouble.
The 250 gram line
Canada's drone rules in Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations apply to remotely piloted aircraft weighing 250 g up to and including 25 kg for small RPAS, with medium aircraft from 25 kg to 150 kg brought into the framework by the November 2025 amendments. Below 250 g, the certification and registration requirements simply don't bite.
That's why the sub-250 g category exists commercially at all. Manufacturers build to 249 g deliberately — the DJI Mini line being the obvious example — because it puts the aircraft on the permissive side of a regulatory cliff edge.
So if your aircraft weighs less than 250 g you do not need a pilot certificate, you do not need to register it, and you do not need a flight review. That's genuinely it, as far as certification goes.
The weight that counts is takeoff weight, not box weight. This catches people. If your 249 g aircraft is advertised at 249 g with its standard battery, then adding propeller guards, a larger flight battery, a filter, or anything else you bolt on can push it over 250 g — at which point you need a certificate and registration, and you almost certainly don't have either. Weigh the aircraft as you actually fly it.
What still applies below 250 g
This is the part that gets skipped, and it's the part that produces fines. Being under 250 g exempts you from certification and registration. It does not exempt you from:
- The reckless operation prohibition. No one may operate any remotely piloted aircraft in a way that is or is likely to be hazardous to aviation safety. This applies at any weight, and it is the provision most likely to be used against a sub-250 g pilot who flies somewhere stupid.
- Restrictions around aerodromes and aircraft. A 249 g aircraft ingested by a turbine engine does the same damage as a 251 g one. Flying near approach paths is a bad idea legally and a worse one practically.
- Forest fires and emergency scenes. Operating over or near a forest fire is prohibited, and grounding a water bomber because of a hobby drone is the fastest route to serious consequences.
- Municipal and provincial land rules. Entirely separate from aviation law and frequently stricter. Toronto prohibits operating powered model aircraft in any city park regardless of weight. Ontario Parks does not permit recreational drone use of any size. Parks Canada requires a permit within national park boundaries and can fine up to $25,000. The full picture is here.
- Privacy and Criminal Code provisions. Voyeurism, mischief, and provincial privacy torts don't have a weight threshold either.
The honest summary is that a sub-250 g aircraft removes your paperwork burden and leaves your judgement burden exactly where it was.
At 250 g and above
Now you need two things: a pilot certificate and a registered aircraft. Registration is per aircraft, costs a small fee, doesn't expire, and the number must be marked visibly on the airframe. Registering takes about ten minutes.
The certificate comes in two grades, and which you need is decided by where and how you fly, not by whether you're paid:
- Basic — uncontrolled airspace, at least 30 m horizontally from bystanders, never over them. Exam only: 35 questions, 90 minutes, 65% to pass, minimum age 14. No flight review.
- Advanced — controlled airspace, near or over bystanders, and closer to aerodromes. Exam of 50 questions in 60 minutes at 80%, minimum age 16, plus an in-person flight review.
There is no separate commercial licence in Canada. A wedding photographer flying in an empty field on a Basic certificate is complying; a hobbyist flying over a crowd on a Basic certificate is not. The four questions that decide which you need are here.
The honest recommendation
If you fly a sub-250 g aircraft casually and have no ambitions beyond that, you need no certificate and I'm not going to invent a reason for you to buy one. Read where you're allowed to fly and enjoy it.
If you're thinking about anything more — heavier aircraft, paid work, flying anywhere near people or a town of any size — get the Basic certificate. It's inexpensive, the exam is not difficult, and the entire course is free on this site with no email signup. Then test yourself for free before you pay the exam fee.
Questions
Do I need a licence for a DJI Mini?
If it weighs under 250 g as you fly it — which the DJI Mini line is designed to — then no pilot certificate and no registration are required. Weigh it with everything attached, because accessories can push a 249 g aircraft over the line.
Is the rule different for commercial use?
No. Canada's rules are risk-based, not purpose-based. There is no separate commercial drone licence. What determines your certificate is where you fly and how close you get to people, not whether money changes hands.
Does a sub-250 g drone have any rules at all?
Yes — just not certification rules. The prohibition on hazardous operation applies at any weight, as do restrictions near aerodromes, forest fires and emergency scenes, plus municipal park bylaws, provincial and national park rules, and privacy law.
What if my drone is exactly 250 g?
The threshold is 250 g and above, so a drone weighing exactly 250 g requires a certificate and registration. If you're within a gram or two, weigh it properly on a scale rather than trusting the specification sheet.
Can I get a certificate before I turn 14?
No. The minimum age is 14 for Basic and 16 for Advanced. A younger pilot can fly a sub-250 g aircraft, or fly a larger one under the direct supervision of a certificate holder who takes responsibility for the operation.
Written by Chris Jones, Transport Canada certified RPAS pilot and flight reviewer. Last reviewed 26 July 2026. Spot an error? Tell me and I'll fix it.