- An action adopted by Congress requires security review by December
- DJI says it’s willing to cooperate but no agency has started the process
- If the revision is not completed, a ban on DJI drones will come into force
DJI drones are the most popular flying cameras in the United States. Both its consumer and professional quadcopters sell in large numbers, and they also rank among the best drones you can buy. Still, a big question mark still draws over their immediate future. By the end of 2025, DJI drones could be banned in the United States – and that causes the Chinese giant to raise the alarm bells about the obstacles it flies into.
We have reached the relevant agencies to fulfill this obligation described by Congress. However, more than six months have passed and this process has still not begun.
DJI spokesman
Talk about a ban on DJI drones has been circulating for more than years as it counteracted CCP Drones ACT went its way through the halls of the US Congress. It is motivated by national security concerns and targets targeted at drones made by Chinese companies, including DJI.
The risk of a ban came closer to reality late last year when Congress adopted an act that was legally mandated for a review of DJI drones. If this does not happen in December 2025, customers in the US may no longer be able to buy the best DJI drones. How likely is it? We have unpacked DJI’s latest statement on the subject and all the details below.
What the law says
At the center of the question is the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), adopted by Congress in December 2024. Section 1709 requires an “appropriate national security agency” to assess whether drones made in China – which include drones made by DJI – pose an “unacceptable risk” for US national security. This must be completed within a year.
Of crucial importance, the legislation does not specify which agency is to implement the required assessment. If no agency takes up the mantle and ends this revision by the end of 2025, DJI drones could be added to FCC’s “Covered List”. This would automatically limit future DJI product approvals in the United States.
In practical terms it can mean:
- No new DJI drones sold in the US
- No FCC Certification for Updated Models
- Potential disruption of support to existing customers.
And so far, more than six months since the law was passed, no agency has started the review.
What DJI says
DJI has become more and more vocal in the question and warns that the clock is ticking to avoid an American ban on DJI drones.
In an official statement shared with Techradar, the company said: “DJI has repeatedly said in public that we welcome and embrace the opportunity to demonstrate our privacy control and security functions. We are ready to collaborate with any regulatory processes or studies.”
The statement continues, “We have also reached the relevant agencies to fulfill this obligation stated by Congress. However, more than six months have passed and this process has still not begun.”
On June 13, 2025, six months, until the NDAA period, DJI published a blog post called for action on “Due security Review”. The post says “America’s Drone Community deserves proper process” and urged DJI operators to speak up.
It issued a rally shout to “thousands of businesses, public security officials, farmers, entrepreneurs and others” who “use DJI technology to serve your community, protect life, grow your business or provide important services.”
The post repeated a previous article, shared in December 2024, when NDA was first approved, emphasizing the risk that “DJI would be prevented from launching new products in the US market without any own mistakes, but simply because no agency chose to take on the work of studying our products.”
Assessment: No ban yet – but the countdown is on
Currently, DJI drones are still legal to buy and fly in the United States. But if no National Security Agency begins and ends the audit required by law, you can expect to see a ban on new models by the end of 2025. Existing owners may still be able to use their drones, but support and future updates could be cut off.
The effect of it would be huge, both for DJI and its customers. In a speech to the rest of the world, Elsa Kania, a researcher at the Center for A New American Security, said, “Among the disadvantages of a ban, the short -term effects on a number of users and consumers considering DJI’s comparative advantage over most competitors in price and performance.”
So the threat is not imaginary. Whether it happens depends entirely on bureaucratic follow -up. Without a guarantee that this will happen, US drone users may have to go in for action if they want to continue to buy and fly DJI drones.
This is precisely why DJI asks its users to set out their elected representatives via coalitions such as the Drone Advocacy Alliance. But Clock’s ticking is now getting louder and time is running out in front of DJI’s potential American ban.
