If your drone weighs less than 250 grams (known as a microdrone) no registration or certificate (license) is required to fly.  All pilots of drones weighing between 250 grams and 25 kilograms are required to have a drone pilot certificate and must ensure that any drone that takes flight is both marked and registered. Drone pilot certificates are issued directly by Transport Canada and are the only valid form of certification.

How to get certified

First you must decide which type of certification is right for you. The two most common types of drone pilot certificates are 1) Basic Drone Operations and 2) Advanced Drone Operations. Each has its own rules and procedures.

Pilot Certificate – Basic Drone Operations

As per Transport Canada guidelines, you require a basic operations certificate to fly your drone under all the following 5 conditions:

• In uncontrolled airspace
• More than 30 metres (100 feet) horizontally from bystanders
• Never fly it over bystanders
• More than 3 nautical miles from an airport or a military aerodrome
• More than 1 nautical mile from a certified heliport

If you do not meet any one of these conditions, you will need to follow the process to be certified to conduct advanced operations. If you determine a basic operation licence is suitable for your drone, you will be required to pass an online exam and pay a fee to be issued your certificate.

Pilot Certificate – Advanced Drone Operations

As per Transport Canada guidelines, you require an advanced operations certificate to fly your drone in any one of these conditions:

• In controlled airspace
• Over bystanders
• Fly within 30 metres (100 feet) of bystanders
• Fly less than 3 nautical miles from a airport or a military aerodrome
• Fly less than 1 nautical mile from a certified heliport
• Once you determine an advanced operations certificate is required, you will also need to pass an online exam, pass a flight review, pay a fee, and apply for an Advanced Operations Pilot Certificate.

If you hold a Pilot Certificate – either Basic or Advanced Operations, you must always conduct operations within visual line of site (VLOS). VLOS means maintaining continuous, unobstructed view of a drone while it’s flying, without using visual aids like binoculars and not fly into obstacles such as trees or into fog or clouds.

Pilot Certificate – Level 1 Complex Operations

A Pilot Certificate – Level 1 Complex Operations allows drone pilots to conduct basic and advanced operations but also includes more complex operations, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations under specific conditions. BVLOS refers to drone operations where the pilot cannot see the drone directly with their own eyes, but requires some sort of visual aid, such as binoculars or video feeds. The regulations for obtaining and operating a Pilot Certificate – Level 1 Complex Operations are complicated and changing. Visit Transport Canada’s Knowledge Requirements for Pilots of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems – Level 1 Complex Operations for the most current information. 

To operate their drone legally, a drone pilot must always carry a valid Transport Canada issued drone pilot certificate.

Visit Transport Canada for more information on the legal requirements for flying a drone.

Upcoming changes to operation rules

According to Transport Canada, Canada’s drone operation rules will change on November 4, 2025.  Pilot licensing and drone registration are now based on the new rules, but the current operating rules must be followed until then. View the 2025 Summary of changes to Canada’s drone regulations.

								
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