Drone laws in Australia: CASA's standard rules
Updated
In Australia, drones are regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The same standard conditions apply to everyone: keep the drone in your line of sight, no higher than 120 m above the ground, and at least 30 m from other people. Flying for fun needs no registration or licence; flying for work does. On top of CASA's rules, the people who manage a park or a prison can set their own, and those are what GeoPilot's Australian map shows.
CASA's standard conditions
- Stay within your visual line of sight: you must be able to see the drone with your own eyes, not only through a screen or goggles.
- Fly no higher than 120 m above the ground.
- Keep at least 30 m away from other people, and never fly over them.
- If the drone weighs more than 250 g, do not fly within 5.5 km of a controlled airport (one with a control tower).
Flying for fun or for work
| Flying for fun | Flying for work | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Not needed, including for micro drones | Register the drone |
| Licence or accreditation | Not needed | A licence or operator accreditation (accreditation: 16 or older, valid for three years) |
Which requirements apply to a working flight depends on the drone's weight category. Check CASA's weight categories page for yours.
Rules beyond CASA's
Parks and other protected areas often have their own drone rules, set by whoever manages them, and so do correctional facilities. The Australian Government's Local Drone Rules map collects them. The Australia drone map shows its protected-area and correctional-facility layers, each with its source: select an area to read its rule for recreational and for commercial flying. Flying in a park can need the manager's authorisation even where CASA's rules allow the flight.
What the map does not show
The map does not show airports, controlled airspace or restricted, prohibited and danger areas, which are the airspace rules that matter most near an aerodrome. Before every flight, check CASA's Can I fly there? tool or a CASA-verified app. To check a spot on the map, click it.
This guide summarises the CASA pages listed below as they stood on the date at the top. Rules change: check casa.gov.au before you fly. GeoPilot is not an authorisation.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to register my drone in Australia?
- Not to fly for fun, whatever its weight. If you fly for work, you must register the drone and hold a licence or operator accreditation. See CASA's registration requirements.
- How high can I fly a drone in Australia?
- No higher than 120 m above the ground under CASA's standard conditions.
- Can I fly my drone in a national park in Australia?
- Often only with the manager's authorisation: each area sets its own rules. Select an area on the map to read its recreational and commercial rule and its policy link.
- Does this map show airports and controlled airspace in Australia?
- No. It shows the drone rules set by managers of protected areas and correctional facilities. Check CASA's Can I fly there? tool or a CASA-verified app for airspace.
Related guides
- Can I fly my drone here? How to check a spot on the mapCheck whether a drone zone covers the spot you want to fly from: click the map, read what the zone requires, its height limits and hours, and its source.
- How to check drone restrictions for a future date and timeSome drone zones apply only at set hours or for a few days. See the airspace as it will be at your flight time, up to 7 days ahead, NOTAM areas included.
- Drone no-fly zones explained: how UAS geographical zones workWhat UAS geographical zones are, who publishes them, and how to read one: prohibited, authorization, conditional zones, height limits and schedules.