dronetravel.guideBriefings checked 8 Oct 2026

Countries · Western Europe · EASA rules

France

A visiting EU-registered pilot flies on the home registration and carries the certificate, but night flight is banned, flight over public space in any agglomeration is banned, and all outdoor flight in Paris is prohibited; UK and US pilots must register on AlphaTango and sit the French A1/A3 exam.

Open after a step for this profile · checked 8 October 2026

34 rules · 37 sources, 27 of them official · 19 fields unconfirmed · Direction generale de l'Aviation civile (DGAC), through its safety directorate DSAC · AlphaTango, administered by the DSAC. Reached from the ministry's AlphaTango page; the portal and every help sheet are French only.

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Your answer

Every engine field and the workflow rest on official pages.

What decides it

  • An operator registered in another European state must be able to present the registration certificate when flying in France, and declares the foreign registration in AlphaTango only for an STS-01 or STS-02 flight notification.confirmed on the cited page
  • The remote pilot must be at least 14 years old, unless the drone is a class C0 aircraft classed as a toy, or the pilot is accompanied by a remote pilot aged at least 16.confirmed on the cited page
  • People around the drone must be informed if it carries a camera or any other sensor able to record data about them. Images allowing a person to be recognised or identified may not be recorded or published without their consent, and any publication over a private space needs the owner's authorisation.confirmed on the cited page

Permits tied to a place or a time

These do not change the country's colour; they decide whether a particular flight is legal where and when you want it.

  • Night flight is prohibited in the open category, even with lighting devices, except on certain aeromodelling sites published in the aeronautical information. Night is aeronautical night: in metropolitan France it begins 30 minutes after sunset and ends 30 minutes before sunrise.
  • A derogation from the night ban may be requested from the territorially competent prefect, with at least 30 days' notice. It is obtained separately; AlphaTango does not deliver it.
  • Outside a professional activity, flight over public space inside an agglomeration is prohibited, as is flight within 50 m of any agglomeration. Public space means public roads and places open to the public, including paid-entry ones such as beaches, public gardens and promenades.
  • A flight near an aerodrome, or inside controlled or regulated airspace, needs the zone manager's authorisation, obtained separately. AlphaTango does not deliver the complementary authorisations a flight may need.
  • Near an aerodrome, flight is prohibited inside a volume whose shape depends on the runway and the traffic: 5 km lobes around a runway of 1200 m or less with no instrument procedures; inside a civil control zone, flight above 50 m; inside a military control zone, all flight. Minimum separation distances can reach 10 km for the most important aerodromes.
  • Absent a special authorisation, aerial photography is prohibited in the zones defined for public order, defence, national security or the prison service, whose list is set by regulation under article L. 6224-1 of the code des transports.

Before you fly, in order

  1. The exemption from operator registration is cumulative: open category, and maximum mass under 250 g, and impact energy under 80 joules, and no sensor able to collect personal data, unless the aircraft is a toy conforming to Directive 2009/48/EC.
  2. An operator resident or established in an EU member state registers in that state, not in France, and no UAS operator may be registered in more than one member state at a time.
  3. An operator registered in another European state must be able to present the registration certificate when flying in France, and declares the foreign registration in AlphaTango only for an STS-01 or STS-02 flight notification.
  4. Liability insurance is not mandatory for recreational flight. The remote pilot is strictly liable for damage caused to people and property on the ground under articles L. 6131-1 and L. 6131-2 of the code des transports, and is told to check the clauses of a civil liability policy.
  5. The maximum flight height is 120 m. It is lower near aerodromes and in military low-flying training zones, where during activation hours it drops below 50 m.
  6. Within 50 m of an artificial obstacle more than 105 m high, and with the agreement of whoever is responsible for the obstacle, flight may go up to 15 m above it, exceeding the 120 m limit.
  7. A gathering of people is never overflown. The recreational separation stated by the DGAC is 150 m from gatherings. A gathering is one whose density prevents people moving away: spectators, sports events, public parks, beaches or tourist sites in high season, parades.
  8. The drone must remain visible to the naked eye and inside the remote pilot's field of view. Out-of-sight flight is prohibited in the open category.
  9. Night flight is prohibited in the open category, even with lighting devices, except on certain aeromodelling sites published in the aeronautical information. Night is aeronautical night: in metropolitan France it begins 30 minutes after sunset and ends 30 minutes before sunrise.
  10. A derogation from the night ban may be requested from the territorially competent prefect, with at least 30 days' notice. It is obtained separately; AlphaTango does not deliver it.
  11. The official restrictions map must be consulted before every flight, using the Restrictions UAS filter, and the SIA aeronautical information site must be consulted for temporary restrictions and for the activation hours of regulated zones, which the map does not carry.
  12. A flight near an aerodrome, or inside controlled or regulated airspace, needs the zone manager's authorisation, obtained separately. AlphaTango does not deliver the complementary authorisations a flight may need.
  13. Near an aerodrome, flight is prohibited inside a volume whose shape depends on the runway and the traffic: 5 km lobes around a runway of 1200 m or less with no instrument procedures; inside a civil control zone, flight above 50 m; inside a military control zone, all flight. Minimum separation distances can reach 10 km for the most important aerodromes.
  14. Absent a special authorisation, aerial photography is prohibited in the zones defined for public order, defence, national security or the prison service, whose list is set by regulation under article L. 6224-1 of the code des transports.
  15. Outside those national parks and nature reserves, flight over other protected areas such as Espaces Naturels Sensibles and Natura 2000 sites is not usually prohibited, though a prefectural order may close one temporarily. The DGAC discourages flight near wildlife and during the nesting and hatching season.
  16. Outside a professional activity, flight over public space inside an agglomeration is prohibited, as is flight within 50 m of any agglomeration. Public space means public roads and places open to the public, including paid-entry ones such as beaches, public gardens and promenades.
  17. Inside an agglomeration a private space may be flown with the occupant's agreement, at a speed and height suited to the immediate surroundings. The stated good practice is the 1 for 1 rule: do not exceed a height equal to the horizontal distance to the property boundary, so a loss of control keeps the aircraft inside the property.
  18. Immersion (FPV) flights and follow-me drones are possible provided a second person is present to assure safety. The FPV pilot remains the responsible remote pilot, the observer need not be qualified, and the remote pilot may not be aboard a moving vehicle.
  19. People around the drone must be informed if it carries a camera or any other sensor able to record data about them. Images allowing a person to be recognised or identified may not be recorded or published without their consent, and any publication over a private space needs the owner's authorisation.
  20. The remote pilot must be at least 14 years old, unless the drone is a class C0 aircraft classed as a toy, or the pilot is accompanied by a remote pilot aged at least 16.
  21. Spare lithium batteries in cabin baggage only: up to 100 Wh without approval, 100 to 160 Wh with airline approval and two spares, over 160 Wh not allowed (IATA passenger guidance; airlines may be stricter).

Spare lithium batteries in cabin baggage only: up to 100 Wh without approval, 100 to 160 Wh with airline approval and two spares, over 160 Wh not allowed (IATA passenger guidance; airlines may be stricter).

How a visitor gets legal

Each step as the authority describes it, with who may apply, what it costs and how long it takes.

  1. Step 1

    Classify the operation

    Establish the take-off mass with battery and equipment, the class mark or legacy status, whether the drone carries a sensor able to record personal data, the subcategory and the location.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Drone data

    Open the official page

  2. Step 2

    EU residents: register at home, not in France

    Register as a UAS operator in your country of residence. You may not hold a second registration, and AlphaTango blocks the French form unless you declare you hold none elsewhere. Carry the registration certificate: you must be able to present it when flying in France. There is no AlphaTango step at all for open-category flights.

    Visitors eligible · Home state fee · Home state procedure

    • Home state operator registration certificate

    Open the official page

  3. Step 3

    UK, US and other third-country residents: register on AlphaTango if France is first

    If France is the first European country you will operate in, create an AlphaTango account, fill the address in the Contact block, then register as a UAS operator, declaring that you are not registered in another European country. If another European state comes first, you register there instead.

    Visitors eligible · No fee is published on any official page · Online; no official processing time is published

    • Address
    • Country of registration
    • Declaration of no other European registration
    • Insurance policy number only where Union or national law requires one

    Open the official page

  4. Step 4

    Affix the operator number

    Display the operator number, FRA plus 13 characters, legibly on the drone at every flight; it must be readable with the drone on the ground. Keep the final secret trigram private: the number plus trigram is the code entered in the drone to activate remote identification.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Operator number

    Open the official page

  5. Step 5

    Register the airframe if it is 800 g or more

    The owner registers the aircraft on AlphaTango if its mass with equipment and battery is 800 g or more, or if it carries an electronic signalling device at any mass. The number UAS-FR- plus digits is valid 5 years and is affixed to the airframe, and the declared mass band must cover the heaviest configuration flown.

    Eligibility not stated · No fee is published on any official page · Online; no official processing time is published

    • Aircraft data
    • Owner data
    • Address

    Open the official page

  6. Step 6

    Pass the A1/A3 exam

    Take the free online A1/A3 training and exam, required for class C1 to C4 aircraft and privately built aircraft, and in any case above 250 g. The pass mark is 75 percent and the attestation is valid 5 years. A third-country pilot sits the same exam: no home pilot certificate is recognised.

    Visitors eligible · Free · Online, immediate result; attempts are unlimited

    • AlphaTango account

    Open the official page

  7. Step 7

    For subcategory A2, add the BAPD

    For subcategory A2 with a class C2 drone, pass the additional BAPD exam and complete practical self-training. The exam is 30 questions, 75 percent to pass, valid 5 years, taken in a CodeN'Go room or online under audio and video recording.

    Visitors eligible · 30 EUR, paid online by bank card · Online verification can take up to 72 working hours

    • AlphaTango account
    • Payment card

    Open the official page

  8. Step 8

    Check the map and the aeronautical information before every flight

    Consult the official restrictions map with the Restrictions UAS filter, then the SIA site for temporary restrictions and the activation hours of regulated zones, which the map does not carry. Apply the lowest height shown.

    Visitors eligible · None · Immediate

    • Location
    • Date

    Open the official page

  9. Step 9

    To exceed a mapped height while staying under 120 m, ask the airspace manager

    Contact the air traffic manager responsible for that airspace, failing that the flight information service, failing that the platform operator, and ask for the authorisation.

    Eligibility not stated · Not stated on any official page · Set by the authority; none is published

    • Operation details

    Open the official page

  10. Step 10

    Near an aerodrome or in controlled airspace, get the zone manager's authorisation

    Obtain the authorisation of the manager of the zone separately. AlphaTango does not deliver the complementary authorisations a flight may need.

    Eligibility not stated · Not stated on any official page · Set by the zone manager; none is published

    • Operation details

    Open the official page

  11. Step 11

    To fly at night, apply to the prefect at least 30 days ahead

    Request a derogation from the night ban from the territorially competent prefect, with at least 30 days' notice. It is obtained separately from AlphaTango, and it does not open controlled airspace, an agglomeration's public space, a park, or Paris.

    Eligibility not stated · Not stated on any official page · 30 days minimum notice

    • Application-specific; the forms are French only

    Open the official page

  12. Step 12

    Accept that agglomerations and Paris are closed to a recreational flight

    Do not fly over public space in any agglomeration, or within 50 m of one. In Paris do not fly outdoors at all, even on private ground. A private garden inside an agglomeration is flyable with the occupant's agreement under the 1 for 1 rule. The professional declaration route is not open to a recreational flight, and the DSAC adds that such authorisations are almost never granted for leisure activities.

    Visitors not eligible · Not applicable · Not applicable

    Open the official page

  13. Step 13

    Notify a flight over 900 g inside an active military training zone

    A flight in sight of the remote pilot with a UAS over 900 g inside a military training or manoeuvre zone, during its activity hours, is notified to the Ministry of the Armed Forces through AlphaTango. Nothing else in the open category is notified.

    Visitors eligible · None · Per the notice rules enforced in AlphaTango

    • Aircraft data
    • Flight data

    Open the official page

  14. Step 14

    Carry the paperwork

    Carry the operator registration certificate, home-state or French, the A1/A3 attestation, and the aircraft registration extract where the airframe is 800 g or more. Being unable to produce the attestation or the registration extract on the spot is itself an offence.

    Visitors eligible · None · Before flight

    • Operator registration certificate
    • A1/A3 attestation
    • Aircraft registration extract for 800 g or more

    Open the official page

The numbers

The engine's inputs, each with the verdict our verification pass gave it and the sources it rests on.

FieldWhat the pages sayVerdictSources
May a visiting pilot fly at allYes, after a registration or a notification.Open-category operation as such needs neither a declaration nor a prior authorisation. What bites first is operator registration, the A1/A3 exam above 250 g, the pre-flight geozone check, the night ban and the agglomeration ban.confirmed on the cited pageS4S5S6
EU or EEA registration recognisedYesThe operative wording is an operator resident or established in an EU MEMBER STATE, who registers in that state and may not hold a second registration. The country-of-registration block adds an unnamed set of associated states. The wider EEA and Switzerland appear only in the certificate-recognition answers, and those two official lists disagree with each other, so do not widen the registration set. A foreign-registered operator must be able to present the registration certificate when flying in France.partly confirmedS8S9S11
UK registration recognisedNoA UK resident is a third-country operator and registers with the European state of the first operation in Europe, which is France only if France is first. The UK pilot certificate is not recognised either.confirmed on the cited pageS3S8S11S16
US registration recognisedNoAn FAA registration counts for nothing. A non-European operator must apply the European rules in full as soon as it operates inside a member state.confirmed on the cited pageS3S12S16
Local registrationRequired from 250 g. Non-residents: An AlphaTango account with an address filled in the Contact block, a country of registration, and the declaration that you are not already registered as a UAS operator in another European country. An insurance policy number is required only where Union or national law demands one. No official page requires a French address or a French telephone number, and none lists a passport or identity-document upload..The exemption is cumulative and has four limbs: open category, maximum mass under 250 g, impact energy under 80 joules, and no sensor able to collect personal data, unless the aircraft is a toy conforming to Directive 2009/48/EC. The 80 joule limb appears in neither research pass. Registration is valid 5 years and renewable. No official page states a fee or a processing time.confirmed on the cited pageS3S4S8S9
Remote IDTwo separate systems. EU direct remote identification applies to CE-marked C1, C2 and C3 aircraft in the open category: C1 in subcategory A1, C2 in A2 and A3, C3 in A3; the operator number plus an error-correcting code is loaded into the aircraft. The French electronic signalling device is a national public-security requirement for every drone and model aircraft over 800 g, and the DGAC states that an EU remote-identification system is not assured to meet its technical criteria.confirmed on the cited pageS9S12
InsuranceNot mandatory for you · Not mandatory for recreational flight. Liability for damage to people and property on the ground is strict under articles L. 6131-1 and L. 6131-2 of the code des transports, and the DGAC tells pilots to check their civil liability policy.The DGAC FAQ answers the question directly: it is not an obligation, but check that a home civil liability policy covers drone damage. No official page states a minimum cover for recreational use.confirmed on the cited pageS12S6S1
Altitude ceiling120 mLower near aerodromes and in military low-flying training zones, where during activation hours it drops below 50 m. Near an aerodrome the heights are measured against the reference altitude of the infrastructure. Within 50 m of an artificial obstacle over 105 m high, and with the obstacle manager's agreement, flight may go 15 m above the obstacle past the 120 m limit.confirmed on the cited pageS4S1S6
Distance from peopleA gathering of people is never overflown, with a stated recreational separation of 150 m. Subcategory A1 (class C0 and C1, or under 250 g): flight near people is allowed and overflight of a C0 or sub-250 g aircraft is tolerated but should be avoided. Subcategory A2 (class C2 with the A2 certificate): more than 50 m from any uninvolved person, or 5 m in low-speed mode. Subcategory A3 (class C2, C3, C4 and legacy): more than 150 m from any residential, industrial, commercial or recreational area, and no approach to uninvolved people.confirmed on the cited pageS5S6S13
Line of sightRequired: the drone must stay visible to the naked eye and in the remote pilot's field of view, and out-of-sight flight is prohibited in the open category. FPV and follow-me flights are the exception and need a second person present.confirmed on the cited pageS1S7S21
NightProhibited in the open category, including with lighting devices, except on certain aeromodelling sites published in the aeronautical information. Night means aeronautical night: in metropolitan France it starts 30 minutes after sunset and ends 30 minutes before sunrise. A derogation may be requested from the territorially competent prefect with at least 30 days' notice, and is obtained separately from AlphaTango.confirmed on the cited pageS1S6S5S7
Class marksC0 under 250 g; C1 between 250 and 900 g with direct remote identification; C2 between 900 g and 4 kg with direct remote identification and a low-speed mode; C3 between 4 and 25 kg with direct remote identification; C4 between 4 and 25 kg without it. A drone with no class mark placed on the market before 1 January 2024 is legacy and flies under A3, or under A1 if it is under 250 g. A privately built aircraft under 25 kg flies A3, or A1 under 250 g at under 19 m/s.confirmed on the cited pageS1S5S12
FPVPermitted. Immersion flights and follow-me drones are possible provided a second person is present to assure safety. The FPV pilot remains the responsible remote pilot and the observer need not be a qualified remote pilot. The remote pilot may not be aboard a moving vehicle.confirmed on the cited pageS1S7S12
Commercial useThe European rules draw no recreational and professional distinction. The one asymmetry that remains is urban: flight over public space inside an agglomeration is allowed only for a professional activity, declared to the prefecture with 10 working days' notice through AlphaTango or CERFA 15476, and shorter notice needs the prefecture's prior agreement. Beyond open-category limits the flight is specific category, by STS declaration or by an operational authorisation applied for through METEOR; a third-country operator faces a stated 3-month lead time for a first authorisation.confirmed on the cited pageS12S6S15S16

Every rule we could confirm

Grouped by what they govern. A general rule decides the country's colour for a profile; a situational one applies in a place, a zone or a season.

Registration

Remote ID

Insurance

Minimum age

Airspace zones

Parks and protected areas

Towns and cities

Altitude

Distance from people

Line of sight

Night

FPV

Commercial use

Privacy

Parks and protected areas

Who decides, what they decided, and whether there is a way in.

Where the no-fly zones are published

The authority's own map is the one that counts on the day; an app is a convenience, not a source.

No single nationwide radius. Flight is prohibited in a volume whose shape depends on the runway and the traffic: 5 km lobes around a runway of 1200 m or less with no instrument procedures; inside a civil control zone, above 50 m; inside a military control zone, entirely. Minimum separation distances can reach 10 km for the most important aerodromes. The agreement of the air traffic service on the aerodrome, failing that the flight information service provider, failing that the aerodrome operator, is what lifts it.

Official map
www.geoportail.gouv.fr
Dataset
www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr · EUROCAE ED-269, published by the DSNA through the SIA for France and the overseas territories, at 0,00 EUR through the SIA shop, which requires an account. The map URL every DGAC page prints now returns HTTP 301 to cartes.gouv.fr, layer TRANSPORTS.DRONES.RESTRICTIONS served over OGC WMTS; no DGAC page mentions the migration.
Licence
Not stated. The SIA product page prints a price of 0,00 EUR and links its general conditions of sale; it publishes no reuse licence for the data.
Updated
The AIRAC cycle. The edition live at the check date was labelled in force from 01/10/2026 to 28/10/2026 inclusive, about 1.2 MB.

Customs and the border

Declaration
Not established
Import authorisation
Not established
Radio conformity
Not established

On the ground

What pilots, police and the press report actually happening. This is evidence about behaviour, not law: it never changes the status above, and it is dated and linked so you can judge it yourself.

Patchy enforcement6 confirmed cases, 1 we could not open · 2014-02 to 2026-09-11 · practice pass 8 October 2026

Every penalty that could be opened came from a prohibited or temporarily restricted place: a Paris landmark, a protected monument, an Olympic zone, an erupting volcano, an aerodrome. Six confirmed press reports, February 2014 to September 2026.

How people fly
French community spot databases publish per-spot sheets with pilot briefing notes that name what is prohibited at that spot; the Piton de la Fournaise sheet warns of helicopter traffic below 150 m and that flight is prohibited while the volcano erupts. The Verdon regional park says drone flights over its territory are increasingly frequent. No dated report was located of an ordinary recreational flight in open countryside being checked, and no usable report at all for Etretat, Chamonix, Corsica or the Calanques.
Police and rangers
The air transport gendarmerie (BGTA) appears in both 2026 cases: the Strasbourg-Entzheim brigade identified the Colmar pilot from the videos he posted to TikTok himself, and the Reunion brigade recorded two offences near the lava flow at Sainte-Rose. Local gendarmes fined three pilots in the Piton de la Fournaise sector over one weekend and the nautical brigade had sanctioned another the day before. At the Paris 2024 Olympic village the air force's Parade and the British Orcus counter-drone systems detected and jammed two drones. National parks state that their gardes-moniteurs are sworn environmental inspectors who can penalise an offence, but no report says one did.
At the border
No usable report.
Fines actually reported
1,000 EUR with 500 EUR suspended, plus confiscation of the drone, for the 2014 flight under the Eiffel Tower. Two pilots fined for the 2021 Mont-Saint-Michel flights, printed by DroneDJ as 4,695 USD and 2,348 USD with all but 352 USD of each suspended. Eight months' firm imprisonment, served under electronic monitoring, for the repeated 2026 flights at Colmar-Houssen aerodrome. Six pilots fined or recorded for an offence at the March 2026 Piton de la Fournaise eruption with no amount published. No amount published in the Olympic village case, where the pilot had a free hearing and was not placed in custody.

The law's own penalty schedule is separate: Not established, 11 published fine ranges below.

Where reports cluster

  • Paris intra-muros

    The only located conviction at a Paris landmark is the 2014 flight under the Eiffel Tower: a 22-year-old legionnaire fined 1,000 EUR with 500 EUR suspended, drone confiscated. During the 2024 Games 53 drones were intercepted near Olympic sites and two near the athletes' village were jammed by counter-drone systems.

  • Mont-Saint-Michel

    Restricted zone R 12. Flights on 27 February and 1 March 2021 filming climbers on the abbey spire led to a prosecution at the tribunal de Coutances and fines for two pilots. This is the only located prosecution at a monument outside Paris.

  • Major events and temporary prohibition zones

    Where detection and penalties cluster: 53 interceptions around the 2024 Olympic Games, and six pilots caught over a single weekend inside the March 2026 prohibition zone at the Piton de la Fournaise. The interior minister said most of the Olympic cases were pilots breaking a zone or altitude rule rather than anyone with bad intent.

  • Piton de la Fournaise, La Reunion

    Six pilots fined or recorded for an offence in one weekend during the March 2026 eruption, by three different units, and summoned later for questioning. A community spot sheet posted in 2018 already warned that flight is prohibited while the volcano erupts and that helicopters pass below 150 m.

  • Aerodrome surroundings, Colmar-Houssen

    Repeated unauthorised flights over the approaches to the aerodrome, published to TikTok, were traced back to the pilot by the air transport gendarmerie and drew eight months' firm imprisonment under electronic monitoring in September 2026.

  • Gorges du Verdon and the Verdon regional park

    The park says drone flights over its territory are increasingly frequent and affect residents' quiet, visitors' experience of the sites and wildlife, and names the gorges, the air above villages and the surroundings of protected species' nests as particularly sensitive. Its answer is a guide and a sensitive-zone map; no penalty is reported.

  • National park cores, Vanoise, Ecrins and Mercantour

    Drone use is prohibited in the park cores and the gardes-moniteurs are sworn environmental inspectors who can penalise an offence, but no dated report of a pilot being stopped or fined in a French national park was located.

Dated reports

  • 2014-02 · Paris, below the Eiffel Tower · press

    A 22-year-old legionnaire on leave flew a drone about 50 cm across at around 23:00, at the level of the monument's first floor.

    Convicted of operating an aircraft contrary to the safety rules under article L. 6232-4 of the code des transports: 1,000 EUR fine with 500 EUR suspended, and the drone was confiscated. report

  • 2021-09-22 · Mont-Saint-Michel (Manche), the abbey, restricted zone R 12 · press

    A pilot in his twenties filmed friends free-climbing the abbey spire on 27 February and 1 March 2021; five young people were apprehended. He was prosecuted for an offence under aviation law before the tribunal de Coutances.

    Both pilots were fined, with almost all of each fine suspended. No page that could be opened states what became of the drones. report

  • 2024-07-21 · Saint-Ouen, near the Paris 2024 Olympic village · press

    Two drones flown without authorisation entered a temporary prohibition zone activated days before the Games; one was seen over the village at 15:30 and then over rue Albert-Dhalenne at 16:10.

    Both were detected and jammed by the French Parade and British Orcus counter-drone systems. One pilot, the Brazilian delegation's head of communications, was taken to the Saint-Ouen central police station for a free hearing and was not placed in custody. report

  • 2024-08-01 · Olympic sites across France · press

    The interior minister gave a running count of drones intercepted near Paris 2024 venues.

    53 intercepted, and he said they were not all flown with malicious intent: many were people breaking the rules on where or how high they could fly, or flying in rough weather, some hoping for a better view, including during the opening ceremony. report

  • 2026-03-22 · Piton de la Fournaise and Sainte-Rose, La Reunion · press

    During the March 2026 eruption, pilots flew inside the temporary prohibition zone over the volcano and the lava flow.

    Three pilots were fined in the Piton de la Fournaise sector over the weekend, the air transport gendarmerie recorded two more offences near the flow at Sainte-Rose, and the nautical brigade had sanctioned another pilot the day before. Six in all, summoned later for questioning. report

  • 2026-09-11 · Colmar-Houssen aerodrome (Haut-Rhin) · press

    A 27-year-old from Colmar had repeatedly filmed the approaches to the aerodrome without authorisation since the start of the year and published the footage on his TikTok account; the air transport gendarmerie brigade at Strasbourg-Entzheim identified him from the videos.

    Eight months' firm imprisonment, served under electronic monitoring, for endangering the lives of others and prohibited drone use near a sensitive area, under the CRPC procedure at Colmar. No confiscation is mentioned. report

  • 2026-05-21 · France, locations not specified · community

    [unverified] Forum thread claiming several pilots were fined and had drones seized in areas the official map showed as permitted.

    [unverified] No named case, amount or authority. reddit.com returns HTTP 403 to every client on this machine, so the thread could not be opened. report

What the law says it costs

Published penalty ranges. What has actually been charged, where anyone reported it, is in the section above.

OffenceRangeSources
Operating a drone in conditions that do not comply with the safety rulesOne year's imprisonment and 75,000 EUR, under article L. 6232-4 of the code des transports.S6S7
Causing a drone to overfly a prohibited area by clumsiness or negligenceSix months' imprisonment and 15,000 EUR, under article L. 6232-12 of the code des transports.S6S7
Deliberate overflight of a prohibited area, or refusal to comply with an order of the administrative authorityOne year's imprisonment and 45,000 EUR, under article L. 6232-12.S6S7
Flying without having obtained the required training attestation450 EUR. A third-class contravention.S1S2S6
Being unable to produce the training attestation or the aircraft registration extract immediately on a check38 EUR for each. A first-class contravention.S1S2S6
Flying an aircraft of 800 g or more that has not been registered750 EUR. A fourth-class contravention.S1S2S6
Flying without the registration number affixed to the aircraft750 EUR.S1S6
Failing to register again after modifying the aircraft750 EUR.S1
Letting an aircraft of 800 g or more fly without a working electronic or digital signalling device, from the applicable date750 EUR. A fourth-class contravention.S1S2S6
Giving inaccurate information at registrationA fourth-class contravention. No euro amount is printed in the DSAC schedule.S6
Deliberately invading privacy by capturing, recording or transmitting private words or the image of a person in a private place without consentOne year's imprisonment and 45,000 EUR, under articles 226-1 to 226-7 of the code penal.S1S6

Confiscation: Confiscation of the aircraft may be imposed as a complementary penalty where a prohibited area is overflown, whether negligently or deliberately, and where life is endangered, under article L. 6232-13 of the code des transports and article 223-1 of the code penal.

Criminal liability: Unsafe operation is a criminal offence carrying one year and 75,000 EUR. Overflying a prohibited area carries six months and 15,000 EUR by negligence, rising to one year and 45,000 EUR if deliberate or on refusal to comply, with confiscation available. Privacy offences carry one year and 45,000 EUR. The DSAC notes that the contravention decree is being updated to incorporate the European requirements, so the schedule is not final.

What we could not confirm

Printed rather than hidden. A brief that answers everything has usually guessed somewhere, and a gap here is a real gap in the official pages or a page we could not reach.

Sources that disagree

  1. The AlphaTango registration fee. No official page states one, and none states that registration is free.
  2. The AlphaTango processing time. The help sheets show an immediate online flow but no page states a commitment.
  3. The complete identity-document list for a non-resident. Only the address requirement, the country of registration and the no-other-registration declaration are published.
  4. Whether a non-resident needs a French address or a French telephone number. No official page requires one, and none states that none is required.
  5. How a visiting foreign owner registers an airframe of 800 g or more. The duty reads as territorial, but no page describes the foreign-owner workflow.
  6. The reuse licence for the ED-269 geozone dataset. The SIA product page prints a price of 0,00 EUR and links conditions of sale, but publishes no licence.
  7. Any French customs declaration duty or import authorisation for a recreational drone. No customs page was reached by either research pass.
  8. ANFR radio-conformity requirements for a drone bought abroad. No ANFR page was reached by either pass.
  9. Any French lithium battery carriage rule. Airline and dangerous-goods rules apply by default, but no fetched French page says so.
  10. The enforcement level. The high to severe rating in the research brief is an analyst assessment with no page behind it.
  11. The permit path, fee, form and processing time for any national park or nature reserve. None is published; the parks are airspace prohibitions rather than park-service permits.
  12. Whether the Parc national des Calanques is a named drone ban. It appears on no page either research pass cited; both parks-network pages name the Vanoise, the Ecrins and the Mercantour only.
  13. Site-specific rules at Mont-Saint-Michel, Etretat, the Verdon, Chamonix and in Corsica. No municipal or site-authority page was reached.
  14. Apps the authority recommends. None is named on any fetched page, and the DJI GEO note in the research brief is editorial with no source.
  15. The exact date in 2023 on which the annual aerial-photography declaration requirement was removed. The DGAC FAQ says only that the requirement disappeared in 2023.
  16. A complete effective-date change log for every rule since 2024, and any announced future change. Neither is published.
  17. Any dated community pilot report. Neither research pass retrieved one, so the reality section is empty rather than reassuring.
  18. Two research-brief rows were dropped because they assert an absence rather than a rule: a France-specific import requirement, and a complete ANFR rule for an imported drone.
  19. The 2017 English leaflet rules_proper_use_recreational_drone.pdf is still served from the ministry's file store and still states a 150 m ceiling. It is not current law and is not used here.

What changed, and when

Dated changes to the rules, newest first.

  1. 31 December 2025

    Last date on which an operation can run under the French national standard scenarios S1, S2 and S3. No new national-scenario declaration has been accepted since 31 December 2023, and existing declarations stop being valid after this date. Specific category only.

    S11

  2. 1 July 2024

    AlphaTango is updated for the European regulation: operator registration is valid 5 years and renewable, the operator number takes the form FRA plus 13 characters with a secret trigram for remote identification, and a foreign European registration is declared in AlphaTango only for an STS-01 or STS-02 notification.

    S11

  3. 1 January 2024

    Class-mark cut-off. A drone with no class mark placed on the market before this date is a legacy aircraft and flies under subcategory A3, or under A1 if it is under 250 g.

    S5S12

  4. 31 December 2020

    Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 enters into force: every UAS user must register as a UAS operator in the member state of residence or principal establishment, with a cumulative exemption below 250 g, below 80 joules and with no personal-data sensor.

    S8S9

  5. 26 December 2018

    Aircraft registration becomes compulsory for airframes of 800 g or more, and for any aircraft carrying an electronic signalling device, under the national loi drones measures. This duty is separate from European operator registration and it still applies.

    S25S6

Checked 8 October 2026. Newer than that? Look here:

Rules move between our checks. The official pages publish the change; the community pages are where someone notices it first.

Official pages

Where pilots report

Sources

Every page this brief rests on, with the date we opened it and, where the page carries one, the date printed on the document itself.

  1. S1official

    Drone : regles de pilotage a respecter, Drone marque CE

    Service Public / Direction de l'information legale et administrative · document dated 2025-09-23 · opened 2026-10-08

    L'utilisation de drones est interdite la nuit, meme lorsqu'ils sont equipes de dispositifs lumineux. Sauf exception sur certains sites d'association d'aeromodelisme.

    Rule page, French. Brief id V1. The page prints 'Verifie le 23 septembre 2025'. The research brief's service-public.fr URL 301-redirects here; tabs /F35675/0_1 and /F35675/0_2 serve the SAME page, so the brief's sources 1 and 3 are one source, not two.

  2. S2official

    Drone: Pilotage rules to be respected, CE marked drone

    Service Public / Direction de l'information legale et administrative · document dated 2024-01-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    You may be fined 450 EUR if you fly your drone without obtaining the certificate of success. / You may be fined 750 EUR if you fly your drone without recording it.

    English translation of S1. Brief id V2. Its own stamp reads 'Verified 01 janvier 2024' while the French original reads 23 September 2025, so the translation lags by about twenty months. Use it for wording, not for currency.

  3. S3official

    AlphaTango

    Ministere de la Transition ecologique / DGAC · document dated 2026-07-13 · opened 2026-10-08

    L'enregistrement dans AlphaTango ne concerne que les exploitants d'UAS residant ou etablis en France, ou les exploitants residant ou etablis dans un pays non europeen dont le premier vol en Europe aura lieu en France.

    Portal description page, French. Brief id V3. Published 7 January 2019, updated 13 July 2026; the research pass's 2 October 2026 was a crawl stamp. The page lists no fee and no document requirements, and links the AlphaTango help sheets used as S8 to S11 and S21 to S23.

  4. S4official

    Exploitation de drones en categorie ouverte

    Ministere de la Transition ecologique / DGAC · document dated 2026-09-03 · opened 2026-10-08

    La hauteur de vol maximale ne peut depasser 120 m / l'exploitation a proprement parler en categorie ouverte ne necessite ni declaration, ni autorisation prealable

    Rule page, French. Brief id V4. Published 1 April 2025, updated 3 September 2026; the research pass's 2 October 2026 was a crawl stamp. It carries the 250 g and sensor registration test, the 14-year minimum age, the night ban and the map link.

  5. S5official

    Fiche categorie ouverte

    Ministere de la Transition ecologique / DGAC · document dated 2026-03-03 · opened 2026-10-08

    Hors activite professionnelle, je ne vole jamais en espace public en agglomeration ou a moins de 50m de toute agglomeration. / Je peux toutefois demander une derogation a cette interdiction (avec un preavis de 30 jours minimum).

    Two-page summary sheet, French. Brief id V5. No date is printed on the sheet; the date here is the PDF's creation timestamp. It carries the A1, A2 and A3 separations, the free A1/A3 exam, the 10 km airport note, the 105 m obstacle exception, the 1 for 1 garden rule and the map filter path.

  6. S6official

    GUIDE DSAC, CATEGORIE OUVERTE

    DSAC / DGAC · document dated 2026-07-26 · opened 2026-10-08

    Tous les vols en exterieur sont interdits dans Paris, meme dans les espaces prives. En effet, non seulement Paris constitue une agglomeration mais, en plus, l'espace aerien au-dessus de Paris est un espace aerien « interdit » (zone P 23).

    Authority guide, 66 pages, French. Brief id V6. 'Version 1.1 du 26/07/2026' is printed on every page. It is the source for Paris, the national-parks and nature-reserves prohibition, the position of other protected areas, the aerodrome geometry, the contravention schedule, the aeronautical-night definition and the map's stated limits.

  7. S7official

    ASSURER LA SECURITE DES PERSONNES ET DES AUTRES AERONEFS EST DE VOTRE RESPONSABILITE

    Ministere charge des Transports / DGAC / DSAC · document dated 2023-03-02 · opened 2026-10-08

    Faire survoler [...] en violation d'une interdiction de survol est passible d'une amende de 15 000 a 45 000 euros, d'un emprisonnement de six mois a un an et de la confiscation de l'aeronef sans equipage a bord

    The statutory ten-rule notice supplied with every drone sold, French. Brief id V7. No date is printed; the date here is the PDF's creation timestamp, and the research pass's 31 July 2026 was the website's last-updated stamp. It frames the whole regime territorially and prints the geozone map URL three times.

  8. S8official

    ENREGISTREMENT COMME EXPLOITANT D'UAS

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-07-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    Un exploitant : resident / etabli dans un Etat membre de l'Union europeenne doit s'enregistrer dans son pays. [...] d'UAS ne peut etre enregistre dans plus d'un Etat membre a la fois.

    Procedure help sheet, French. Brief id V8. '12 juillet 2022' is printed on every page; the research pass's 11 August 2026 was the website's last-updated stamp. It carries the four-limb exemption including the 80 joule limb, the address requirement and the no-other-registration declaration.

  9. S9official

    MON ACTIVITE D'EXPLOITANT

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-07-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    Le reglement europeen prevoit que les UAS marques CE dans les classes C1, C2 et C3 utilises dans la categorie Ouverte devront etre equipes d'un systeme d'identification a distance

    Procedure help sheet, French. Brief id V9. '12 juillet 2022' on every page; the research pass's 11 February 2026 was the website's last-updated stamp. It gives the C1/C2/C3 remote-identification matrix by subcategory and the warning that an EU remote-identification system is not assured to satisfy the French electronic signalling criteria.

  10. S10official

    ENREGISTRER UN AERONEF TELEPILOTE

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-07-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    Tous les aeronefs dont la masse [...] est superieure ou egale a 800 grammes, ainsi que tous les aeronefs equipes d'un dispositif de signalement electronique [...] doivent etre enregistres par leur proprietaire sur le portail AlphaTango.

    Procedure help sheet, French. Brief id V10. '12 juillet 2022' on every page; the research pass's 28 February 2026 was the website's last-updated stamp. Aircraft numbers take the form UAS-FR- plus digits.

  11. S11official

    REGLEMENTATION EUROPEENNE (AlphaTango)

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2024-07-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Ces exploitants doivent s'enregistrer dans leur pays et doivent pouvoir presenter leur certificat d'enregistrement lors des vols en France. / L'inscription necessite un paiement en ligne via carte bancaire de 30 EUR.

    Change notice, French. Brief id V11. '1er juillet 2024' on every page. It is the source for the carry-the-certificate duty, the five-year registration validity, the operator-number format with its secret trigram, and the only fee any official page publishes, the 30 EUR A2 exam.

  12. S12official

    FAQ transition europeenne UAS

    DGAC · document dated 2026-07-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Ce n'est pas une obligation mais vous devriez verifier que votre assurance habitation responsabilite civile couvre les dommages provoques par un accident de drone.

    Authority FAQ, French. Brief id V12. It prints 'Version juillet 2026' at the end; the research pass's 11 August 2026 was the website's last-updated stamp, and the day within July is not stated. It also carries the statement that no third-country recognition has been approved, the signalling versus remote-identification distinction, the agglomeration definition, and the pointer to the SIA for the machine-readable geozone data.

  13. S13official

    Formation categorie Ouverte UAS

    Ministere de la Transition ecologique / DGAC · document dated 2026-03-06 · opened 2026-10-08

    Le telepilote doit etre age d'au moins 14 ans en France / ne jamais survoler de rassemblement de personnes

    Rule and training page, French. Brief id V13. Published 4 March 2021, updated 6 March 2026. It gives the A2 exam fee of 30 EUR and a certificate-recognition list that disagrees with the FAQ's, and it states 30 questions for the A1/A3 exam where the DSAC guide and Service-Public state 40.

  14. S14official

    Associations d'aeromodelisme

    Ministere de la Transition ecologique / DGAC · document dated 2026-07-13 · opened 2026-10-08

    En France, l'age minimal pour piloter un drone de plus de 800 g en tant que telepilote est de 14 ans.

    Rule page for the aeromodelling regime, French. Brief id V14. Published 15 October 2021, updated 13 July 2026. It phrases the same minimum age against the 800 g threshold, and confirms that night flights are prohibited in aeromodelling too.

  15. S15official

    Exploitation de drones en categorie specifique

    Ministere de la Transition ecologique / DGAC · document dated 2026-07-13 · opened 2026-10-08

    l'exploitant doit s'enregistrer en tant qu'exploitant europeen d'UAS via le portail AlphaTango

    Rule page for the specific category, French. Brief id V15. Published 25 April 2025, updated 13 July 2026. Carried here only for the commercial regime boundary.

  16. S16official

    GUIDE DSAC, CATEGORIE SPECIFIQUE

    DSAC / DGAC · document dated 2026-03-09 · opened 2026-10-08

    Un telepilote ne peut faire reconnaitre aucun des titres de telepilotes obtenu dans son pays et doit donc passer les examens necessaires aux operations dans la categorie souhaitee (examen AlphaTango pour la categorie Ouverte...)

    Authority guide, 87 pages, French. Brief id V16. 'Version 1.1 du 09/03/2026' on every page. Its third-country section sets out article 41 of (EU) 2019/945 and the two routes open to a third-country operator, with a stated 3-month lead time for a first operational authorisation.

  17. S17official

    Les bons gestes pour un ete reussi dans les parcs

    Parcs nationaux de France · document dated 2021-07-13 · opened 2026-10-08

    ne pas amener de chien, ne pas cueillir ou prelever des fleurs, insectes ou mineraux, ne pas laisser ses dechets, [...] ne pas utiliser de drones, ne pas pratiquer le VTT, ne pas chasser

    Visitor guidance, print view, French. Brief id V17. Five years old at the check date. It names the Vanoise, the Ecrins and the Mercantour, three parks, not the four the research brief listed; the Calanques is absent.

  18. S18official

    Les bons gestes pour un ete reussi dans les parcs nationaux de France

    Parcs nationaux de France · document dated 2021-07-13 · opened 2026-10-08

    une sensibilisation sur des elements de reglementation communs a ces trois parcs nationaux : [...] ne pas utiliser de drones

    News article carrying the same content as S17, French. Brief id V18. Its wording 'ces trois parcs nationaux' is what fixes the count at three.

  19. S19official

    Restrictions UAS categorie Ouverte et aeromodelisme

    DGAC with the IGN · opened 2026-10-08

    HTTP 301 to cartes.gouv.fr, layer TRANSPORTS.DRONES.RESTRICTIONS served over OGC WMTS

    The official map, and the URL every DGAC page prints. Recovery, not in either research brief's source table. It now returns a permanent redirect to cartes.gouv.fr; no DGAC page mentions the migration. The quote records the redirect, not page text, because the destination is a JavaScript map application.

  20. S20official

    Donnees zones geographiques UAS

    SIA / DSNA · opened 2026-10-08

    Elles sont etablies a des fins de geovigilance au format EUROCAE ED-269 pour la France et l'outre-mer (a un rythme de mise a jour correspondant aux dates de mise en vigueur du cycle AIRAC).

    Dataset product page, French. Recovery, reached by following the SIA link in the DGAC FAQ (S12), which both research passes had cited without opening. It answers the three geozone fields the brief marked unknown: format, cadence and endpoint. The edition live at the check date was labelled in force from 01/10/2026 to 28/10/2026 inclusive, about 1.2 MB, priced 0,00 EUR.

  21. S21official

    NOTIFIER UN VOL EN CAT. OUVERTE OU AU SEIN D'UNE ASSOC. D'AEROMODELISME

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-02-03 · opened 2026-10-08

    vols de nuit hors espace aerien segregue : derogation prefectorale (a obtenir separement), vols a proximite d'un aerodrome ou dans un espace aerien controle ou reglemente : autorisation du gestionnaire de la zone (a obtenir separement).

    Procedure help sheet, French. '3 fevrier 2022' on every page. Recovery: the research brief cited this quote to notifier_vol.pdf, which returns HTTP 404 and does not exist; the text is verbatim here. It also establishes that the only flight-notification case in the open category is a flight over 900 g inside an active military training zone.

  22. S22official

    Notification des vols, generalites

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-02-03 · opened 2026-10-08

    AlphaTango ne permet pas l'obtention des autorisations complementaires eventuellement necessaires.

    Procedure help sheet, French. '3 fevrier 2022'. Recovery, carrying the same two lines as S21 verbatim. It is the clearest statement that a notification is not an authorisation.

  23. S23official

    NOTIFIER UN VOL REALISE EN DEHORS DE LA CAT. OUVERTE

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-02-03 · opened 2026-10-08

    vols de nuit hors espace aerien segregue : derogation prefectorale (a obtenir separement)

    Procedure help sheet, French. '3 fevrier 2022'. Brief id V23, listed in the gaps pass's source table. Third independent copy of the night-derogation and zone-manager lines.

  24. S24official

    GUIDE DSAC, ASSOCIATIONS D'AEROMODELISME

    DSAC / DGAC · document dated 2023-03-02 · opened 2026-10-08

    Tous les vols en exterieur sont interdits dans Paris, meme dans les espaces prives. [...] l'espace aerien au-de-dessus de Paris est un espace aerien « interdit » (zone P 23 : voir ci-dessous).

    Authority guide, 48 pages, French. Brief id V24. 'Edition 1, Version 2.0, 02 mars 2023'. It repeats the Paris ban independently of S6 and illustrates the national-park prohibition with the Mercantour.

  25. S25official

    AJOUT D'UN AERONEF DANS UNE DECLARATION D'ACTIVITE

    DGAC / AlphaTango · document dated 2022-07-12 · opened 2026-10-08

    L'enregistrement [...] s'applique au proprietaire de l'aeronef et il est obligatoire depuis le 26/12/2018, pour les aeronefs de masse >= 800g

    Procedure help sheet, French. Brief id V25. '12 juillet 2022'. Carried here only for the 26 December 2018 start date of the national aircraft-registration duty.

  26. S26press

    Colmar : il filmait les abords de l'aerodrome pour ses videos Tiktok, il ecope de huit mois de prison

    ici (France Bleu Alsace) · document dated 2026-09-11 · opened 2026-10-08

    il filmait les abords de l'aerodrome de Colmar-Houssen, sans aucune autorisation [...] Ces videos etaient ensuite publiees sur les reseaux sociaux, via son compte Tiktok

    Practice pass. Public regional broadcaster, French. 'Publie le vendredi 11 septembre 2026 a 19h27'. The newest confirmed French enforcement case.

  27. S27secondary

    Vol d'un drone a proximite d'un aeroport francais : une peine de prison ferme prononcee pour le pilote

    HelicoMicro · document dated 2026-09-24 · opened 2026-10-08

    L'interesse a ete condamne a 8 mois d'emprisonnement ferme, amenages sous la forme d'un bracelet electronique

    Practice pass. Specialist French drone news site, free on recent posts and behind a membership wall on older ones. It corroborates S26 and adds the charges and the investigating BGTA unit.

  28. S28press

    TikTok videos lead to 8-month sentence for French drone pilot

    Dronewatch Europe · document dated 2026-10-07 · opened 2026-10-08

    A French drone pilot has been sentenced to eight months in prison after repeatedly flying his drone near Colmar-Houssen aerodrome and publishing footage on TikTok.

    Practice pass. European drone-enforcement news site, English. Third independent account of the Colmar case.

  29. S29press

    Eruption du Piton de La Fournaise : des pilotes de drone verbalises ce week-end, les gendarmes rappellent pourquoi le survol est interdit

    Outre-mer la 1ere (France Televisions) · document dated 2026-03-23 · opened 2026-10-08

    Trois personnes qui pilotaient des drones ont ete verbalises ce week-end dans le secteur du Piton de la Fournaise [...] La veille, c'est la Brigade nautique qui avait sevi contre un autre pilote de drone.

    Practice pass. Public broadcaster, French. The only located report of several recreational pilots being penalised in one operation, six in all across three units.

  30. S30press

    Vol de drone a la Tour Eiffel : il ecope de 1 000 EUR d'amende, dont 500 EUR ferme

    Next (ex NextINpact) · document dated 2014-02-21 · opened 2026-10-08

    un legionnaire en permission de 22 ans [...] une amende de 1 000 euros, dont 500 avec sursis [...] Son drone a par ailleurs ete confisque

    Practice pass. French technology press. Twelve years old at the check date and the only located conviction at a Paris landmark, which is why it is carried despite its age.

  31. S31press

    Il avait filme des jeunes en train d'escalader le Mont-Saint-Michel : le pilote d'un drone devant la justice

    ici (ex France Bleu) · document dated 2021-09-22 · opened 2026-10-08

    27 fevrier et au 1er mars 2021 [...] delit en lien avec la legislation aerienne [...] jusqu'a six mois d'emprisonnement, 15.000 euros d'amende

    Practice pass. Public regional broadcaster, French. Published the morning of the hearing, so it carries the flights, the court and the charge but not the verdict. The original URL on francebleu.fr returns HTTP 301 to this one.

  32. S32press

    Pilots fined for illegal drone flights filming buds free climbing Mont-Saint-Michel's ancient abbey

    DroneDJ · document dated 2021-09-23 · opened 2026-10-08

    the judge in the case hit one of the duo with a fine of $2,348 [...] then suspended all but $352 [...] The other operator received a $4,695 fine that was similarly reduced to $352.

    Practice pass. English-language drone trade press, carrying the verdict S31 was published too early to have. It prints dollar conversions of euro amounts it does not state; the French article with the euro figures (helicomicro.com, 24 September 2021) is behind a membership wall.

  33. S33press

    JO Paris 2024 : deux drones interceptes a proximite du village olympique

    Europe 1 · document dated 2024-07-22 · opened 2026-10-08

    les deux engins avaient penetre dans une zone d'interdiction temporaire activee a quelques jours de l'evenement, sans reussir a atteindre le village [...] conduit au commissariat central de Saint-Ouen pour une audition libre

    Practice pass. National radio news, French. Updated 4 November 2024. The only located account of how a temporary prohibition zone is actually policed, including the two counter-drone systems used.

  34. S34press

    More than 50 drones intercepted during Paris Olympics

    CBS News · document dated 2024-08-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    The 53 drones intercepted near Olympic sites were not all flown with malicious intent [...] many were simply people breaking regulations on where or how high they could fly

    Practice pass. International press reporting the interior minister's count to Ouest-France. The only located figure that separates rule-breaking pilots from hostile ones.

  35. S35official

    Rappel de la reglementation par type de milieu, conseils des ecogardes

    Parc naturel regional du Verdon · opened 2026-10-08

    les survols de drones sont de plus en plus frequents sur le territoire [...] impacts sur la quietude des habitants, sur la qualite de la decouverte des sites par les visiteurs et aussi sur la faune

    Practice pass. Park authority page, French, no publication date printed. Carried for practice only: it is the sole French site authority reached that says how often drones actually appear. It reports no penalty, and its answer is a guide plus a sensitive-zone map.

  36. S36official

    Achats et cadeaux rapportes de l'etranger : que faut-il declarer ?

    Douane francaise · document dated 2024-07-01 · opened 2026-10-08

    Lorsque vous effectuez des achats dans un pays en dehors de l'Union europeenne, vous ne devez declarer vos marchandises que si vous depassez : certaines quantites pour les alcools et le tabac

    Practice pass. The only French customs page reached by any pass on France. It sets the traveller allowances (430 EUR by air or sea, 300 EUR by car or train, 150 EUR under 15) and does not mention drones or aircraft, which is why the customs law fields stay unknown and practice.customsInPractice is null.

  37. S37community

    Spot de drone : Piton de la Fournaise

    DroneSpot · document dated 2018-06-18 · opened 2026-10-08

    attention aux nombreux passages des helicopteres qui peuvent etre a moins de 150 metres de haut ! Il faut egalement savoir que quand le volcan est en eruption, le survol est interdit

    Practice pass. French community spot database; this sheet was posted by user quentin.martin on 18 June 2018 and carries no comments. Carried as an example of what the pilot briefing notes on these sheets contain, not as evidence of any rule.