Training & Regulations
CAA consultation on UK drone regulations
UK CAA releases consultation on drone regulations for Open and Specific category, including Remote ID, class-marked drones, and GVC.
The UK CAA has published a consultation on proposals to make changes to Open and Specific Category operations - and the drone community is invited to have its say.
The CAP 3170 document, entitled: Proposed Amendments to AMC and GM for UK Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947, was released today (September 22, 2025), and the consultation is open until November 16, 2025.
Key proposals and topics include:
Remote ID.
The ability to use EU class-marked UAS in the UK until January 1, 2028.
Extention of Transitional period for 'legacy' (non-class-marked) drones in A2 sub-category.
Phasing out the General VLOS Certificate (GVC) over a 24-month period.
Removal of RPC Level 4 in favour of ICAO-Compliant RPL.
Inclusion of BVLOS Visual Mitigation (BVLOS VM) in RPC Level 1 Syllabus.
The consultation document is here, and responses can be provided via Citizen Space.
Proposals: Overview
Below is a summary of the key changes that are being proposed.
Updates to Open Category AMC and GM – Regulatory Review
The consultation includes a section called: Updates to Open Category AMC and GM – Regulatory Review.
These proposals - written into the draft AMC and GM - are due to come into force on January 1, 2026, and the community is encouraged to provide feedback.
This covers updates to operating conditions, remote ID, use of EU-class marked drones, the requirement for a Flyer ID for drones weighing 100g or more, and the renaming of the Open Category sub-categories.
Updates to operating conditions
Allow C1/UK1 UAS (class-marked UAS weighing 900g or less) to overfly uninvolved people in the A1 sub-category (for flying over people).
Enable the use of legacy UAS (non-class marked UAS placed on the market before January 1, 2026) in the A2 sub-category after January 1, 2026, under the same restrictions as today, if the remote pilot has A2 Certificate of Competency, the UAS weighs <2kg and is flown a minimum horizontal distance of 50m from uninvolved people.
UAS operating in the A3 sub-category to keep a minimum distance of 50 metres horizontally from uninvolved persons; and to keep a minimum distance of 150m to residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas; and individual buildings separated by at least 50m from other buildings that are not considered to be an area. The minimum horizontal distance to individual buildings shall be at least 50m.
Remote ID and Geo-awareness
Introduce a requirement that UAS must be remotely identifiable during flight, by requiring active and up-to-date Direct Remote ID functionality.
In the Specific Category, operators should have active and up-to-date direct Remote ID functionality, unless exempted under an Operational Authorisation issued by the CAA under Article 12 of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947.
From January 1, 2026, the Direct Remote ID requirement should be implemented by operators in respect of UK1, UK2, UK3, UK5 and UK6 UAS.
From January 1, 2028, the Direct Remote ID requirement should be implemented by operators in respect of UK0 UAS weighing 100g or more with a camera, model aircraft unless exempted through an Article 16 authorisation, privately built UAS weighing 100g or more with a camera, and legacy UAS weighing 100g or more with a camera.
This is what it would mean for drone pilots:
Class or type of aircraft | Open category | Specific category with Operational Authorisation issued before 1 January 2026 | Specific category with Operational Authorisation issued from 1 January 2026 onwards |
|---|---|---|---|
UK0 weighing 100g or more with a camera | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 |
UK1, UK2 and UK3 | 1 January 2026 | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2026 |
UK4 (e.g. model aircraft) | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 |
UK5 and UK6 | Not applicable | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2026 |
Legacy UAS (i.e. not UK class-marked) weighing 100g or more with a camera | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 |
Privately built weighing 100g or more with a camera | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 | 1 January 2028 |
Use of EU class-marked UAS in the UK
Enable UAS that have been class-marked under EU regulations to be used in the Open category, in the same sub-categories as UAS with equivalent class-marking under UK regulations until January 1, 2028.
From January 1, 2028, these UAS fall under the category of legacy UAS if not retrofitted with a UK class label and have to follow requirements and provisions of UK Regulation 2019/947 Article 20.
Completion of Open Category online training
Currently, pilots do not require a Flyer ID if the drone is less than 250g.
But, the consultation document states that, from the start of 2026, the Flyer ID online training course and test must be completed by remote pilots of drones with a mass of 100g or more operating in the Open category.
The UK CAA says that this training will help operators better understand and comply with the regulations.
From 2026, registration requirements would look like this:
Weight of model | Class | Flyer ID | Operator ID |
|---|---|---|---|
250g to less than 25kg | UK1, UK2, UK3, UK4 | Required | Required |
100g to less than 250g; with a camera | UK0 with a camera | Required | Required |
100g to less than 250g; without a camera | UK0 without a camera | Required | Optional |
Less than 100g | Not applicable | Recommended | Optional |
Rename operational sub-categories
Operational sub-categories will be renamed to reflect the key operational differences between each sub-category and help users better understand UAS regulations. The new sub-categories will be renamed to:
Over People (A1).
Near People (A2).
Far from People (A3).
Transition from GVC to RPC
A phased transition from the General VLOS Certificate (GVC) to the new Remote Pilot Competence (RPC) framework is proposed. Both qualifications would remain valid during a 24-month transition period to allow for a smooth changeover.
During this period, both the GVC and RPC frameworks will remain valid, enabling operators to transition at a pace that reflects their operational needs and readiness.
Inclusion of BVLOS Visual Mitigation (BVLOS VM) in RPC Level 1 Syllabus
To align the RPC framework with the SORA Air risk model, the CAA proposes to incorporate BVLOS visual mitigation training into the RPC Level 1 syllabus.
This addition reflects the increasing relevance of BVLOS operations within the Specific category and supports the development of pilot competence in managing air risk under the CAA’s airspace encounter models.
In conjunction with theoretical instruction, a practical assessment of BVLOS VM application would be introduced to ensure remote pilots can demonstrate operational proficiency in applying visual mitigation strategies.
Simplify UAS category training within the RPC framework
The CAA proposes consolidating rotorcraft and fixed-wing competencies into a single certificate per RPC level for RPC-L2 and RPC-L3.
The CAA says that, by aligning RPC-L2 and RPC-L3 with automation level rather than platform type, the framework ensures that training remains risk-based, scalable, and reflective of contemporary operational practices.
This approach is intended to reduce duplication in training and assessment and support remote pilot mobility across platforms, while maintaining the integrity of safety and competence standards.
Withdrawal of RPC Level 4
It is proposed that RPC Level 4 is removed from the Remote Pilot Competence framework.
The CAA intends to develop and implement a Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) framework in future, in accordance with ICAO Annex 1, to support operations requiring higher levels of competence and international recognition.
Minor policy adjustments
A number of smaller updates are also being considered.
These include expanding the scope of oral questioning during assessments, aligning theory content between GVC and RPC-L1, updating guidance for RAEs, and clarifying naming conventions to improve consistency.
UK SORA
The consultation also includes aspects in relation to UK SORA, including strategic and tactical mitigations, containment requirements, and minor improvements to conducting risk assessments.
