dronetravel.guideBriefings checked 8 Oct 2026

Countries · Oceania · national

New Zealand

New Zealand has no drone register and no national fee: fly under 120 m in daylight, keep the aircraft in sight, get consent from everyone you fly over and from the landowner, stay 4 km clear of aerodromes, and buy a DOC permit before taking off on conservation land.

Open after a step for this profile · checked 7 October 2026

38 rules · 36 sources, 25 of them official · 17 fields unconfirmed · Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA NZ) · AirShare (controlled airspace requests; there is no drone registration portal) (English)

Everything below follows these two answers. Saved on this device, not sent anywhere.

Your answer

Every engine field and the workflow rest on official pages.

What decides it

  • Do not fly above 400 feet (120 m) above ground level.confirmed on the cited page
  • Do not operate at night unless the operation is indoors or shielded.confirmed on the cited page
  • Obtain explicit consent from any person the aircraft will operate above, and prior consent from the owner or occupier of property it will operate above. Verbal or written consent is sufficient. There is no numeric separation distance.confirmed on the cited page
  • LiPo batteries connected as per the manufacturer's design to power the craft are not dangerous goods under Part 92. Carried as cargo, LiPo batteries may be regarded as dangerous goods, and an operator carrying batteries other than the one powering the immediate flight is directed to AC92-4.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.

  • Any operation outside Part 101's scope must be certified under Part 102. Part 101 applies to aircraft under 25 kg flown within its own conditions; everything else needs a certificate.
  • A pilot with no qualification, no licence and no qualified supervisor has no agreement route into the 4 km buffer: the rule is no closer than 4 km from the aerodrome boundary.
  • A Department of Conservation permit is required whenever a drone takes off, hovers or lands on public conservation land or water, recreational or commercial. All aircraft operating on conservation land need a permit.
  • Recreational Department of Conservation drone permit: green zone 180 NZD plus GST, automatically approved, instant online, valid one year; orange zone 2,450 NZD minimum fee, case-by-case review, processing varies; red zone 180 NZD minimum fee, rarely approved, 5 working days. The permit covers a drone up to 25 kg.
  • Do not operate an unmanned aircraft within a low flying zone designated under Part 71. No condition permits it.

Before you fly, in order

  1. No drone registration. The Part 47 registration requirements do not apply to unmanned aircraft, so there is no register to join, no portal and no fee.
  2. No Remote ID obligation appears in the operative rule, the transport instrument, the advisory circular or either CAA public guidance document.
  3. No insurance obligation and no minimum cover appears in the operative rule, the transport instrument, the advisory circular or either CAA public guidance document.
  4. Any operation outside Part 101's scope must be certified under Part 102. Part 101 applies to aircraft under 25 kg flown within its own conditions; everything else needs a certificate.
  5. An air traffic control authorisation permits operation within 4 km of an aerodrome boundary only and does not confirm compliance with any other Part 101 rule. An AirShare approval is granted for the airspace only, so other permissions may still be needed.
  6. Do not fly above 400 feet (120 m) above ground level.
  7. A shielded operation is one within 100 m of, and below the top of, a natural or man-made object. CAA guidance states the working envelope as within 100 metres of the object and not higher than 10 metres (about 33 feet) above its top.
  8. Above 400 feet above ground level only two routes exist: operate in a danger area designated for that purpose under Part 71, or operate more than 4 km from the closest point of an aerodrome boundary, remain in Class G airspace at all times, and have a person authorised by an approved person or organisation notify the Aeronautical Information Service for a NOTAM at least 24 hours before the operation.
  9. The NOTAM must carry the operator's name, address and telephone number, the location, the date, time and duration of the operation, and the maximum height above ground level proposed.
  10. Obtain explicit consent from any person the aircraft will operate above, and prior consent from the owner or occupier of property it will operate above. Verbal or written consent is sufficient. There is no numeric separation distance.
  11. Exemption: consent is not required when operating under the authority of an approved organisation in airspace that organisation used before 1 August 2015.
  12. Maintain visual line of sight with the aircraft, be able to see the surrounding airspace, and operate below the cloud base. Do not operate where the view is obstructed or where meteorological conditions obstruct visual line of sight.
  13. Beyond visual line of sight flight is permitted without a Part 102 certificate only in an enclosed area where it is physically impossible for the aircraft to escape and entry by people is controlled.
  14. Give way to and remain clear of all manned aircraft, on the ground and in flight. If the aircraft may get too close to a manned aircraft, stop the operation and land immediately.
  15. Do not operate at night unless the operation is indoors or shielded.
  16. A shielded operation may be conducted at night.
  17. An unshielded night operation requires all four of: an appropriate course authorised by an organisation approved by the Director; a 30-minute shielded night flight to refamiliarise if the pilot has not flown at night in the previous 90 days; lighting adequate to determine the aircraft's orientation throughout; and not more than one aircraft at a time.
  18. Only one aircraft may be operated by a pilot at any one time at night.
  19. Do not operate on or within 4 km of the boundary of any aerodrome unless the CATI 101-1 section 2.3 conditions are met.
  20. Within 4 km of an uncontrolled aerodrome the conditions are cumulative: an agreement with the aerodrome operator, and an observer in attendance while the aircraft is in flight, and no higher than 400 ft above ground level without the Director's approval, and a pilot who holds, or is directly supervised by a holder of, a pilot qualification from an approved person or organisation or a Part 61 or Part 149 licence.
  21. Within 4 km of a controlled aerodrome, authorisation from air traffic control is required in addition to the uncontrolled-aerodrome conditions.
  22. A pilot with no qualification, no licence and no qualified supervisor has no agreement route into the 4 km buffer: the rule is no closer than 4 km from the aerodrome boundary.
  23. The 4 km rule does not apply to a shielded operation conducted outside the aerodrome boundary, at not more than 33 feet above the object used as a shield, and in airspace physically separated from the aerodrome by a barrier capable of arresting the flight of the aircraft.
  24. Do not operate in controlled airspace without prior authorisation from the air traffic control unit responsible for that airspace, unless the operation is shielded.
  25. A shielded operation in controlled airspace must not exceed the height of the object being used as a shield by more than 33 feet.
  26. Do not operate an unmanned aircraft within a low flying zone designated under Part 71. No condition permits it.
  27. Do not operate within a restricted area or a military operating area designated under Part 71 without approval from the administering authority. In a danger area the operator must establish that the activity will not affect safety.
  28. Before each flight the operator must be aware of the Part 71 airspace designation and any applicable airspace restrictions in the area of intended operation, or operate under the direct supervision of someone who is.
  29. A Department of Conservation permit is required whenever a drone takes off, hovers or lands on public conservation land or water, recreational or commercial. All aircraft operating on conservation land need a permit.
  30. Recreational Department of Conservation drone permit: green zone 180 NZD plus GST, automatically approved, instant online, valid one year; orange zone 2,450 NZD minimum fee, case-by-case review, processing varies; red zone 180 NZD minimum fee, rarely approved, 5 working days. The permit covers a drone up to 25 kg.
  31. Civil aviation rules do not override local government policies or bylaws on the use of drones or of public land. Consent for public property comes from the local council or the Department of Conservation.
  32. FPV is lawful only where a trained and competent observer maintains visual line of sight of the aircraft, sight of the surrounding airspace, and direct communication with the pilot. A second person who does not meet all three conditions does not make an FPV flight lawful.
  33. LiPo batteries connected as per the manufacturer's design to power the craft are not dangerous goods under Part 92. Carried as cargo, LiPo batteries may be regarded as dangerous goods, and an operator carrying batteries other than the one powering the immediate flight is directed to AC92-4.
  34. 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

    Check that the flight fits inside Part 101

    Confirm gross mass of 25 kg or less, with approved-person construction or inspection and approved-person operating authority if the aircraft is 15 kg to 25 kg. Plan for no higher than 400 ft above ground level, visual line of sight, below the cloud base, daylight, consent over people and property, and no flight in a low flying zone, restricted area or military operating area. Anything outside Part 101 needs a Part 102 certificate instead.

    Visitors eligible · No fee · No application

    • Gross mass including battery
    • Take-off sites
    • Dates and times

  2. Step 2

    Obtain consent over people and property

    Get explicit consent from anyone the aircraft will operate above, verbal or written, including in public spaces such as a park, and prior consent from the owner or occupier of any property overflown. For public property such as parks, reserves, some beaches, national parks and other public conservation land, consent comes from the local council or the Department of Conservation.

    Visitors eligible · Usually none · Before flight

  3. Step 3

    Check aerodrome proximity against CAA's decision chart

    Without a pilot qualification, a licence or a qualified supervisor there is no route into the 4 km aerodrome buffer other than a shielded operation, and the answer is no closer than 4 km from the boundary. With a qualification the conditions are cumulative: aerodrome operator approval, plus an observer in attendance, plus air traffic control approval if the airspace is controlled, plus no higher than 400 ft without the Director's approval.

    Visitors eligible · As much notice as possible, or permission may be declined

  4. Step 4

    Apply through AirShare for one-off controlled airspace entry

    For a one-off entry into controlled airspace, apply through AirShare, which CAA names as the preferred route. AirShare also carries contact details for aerodrome operators and air traffic control units and a map of no-fly zones. An AirShare approval covers the airspace only and confirms nothing else about Part 101 compliance.

    Eligibility not stated

    Open the official page

  5. Step 5

    Apply for a recreational DOC permit for conservation land

    If the drone will take off, hover or land on public conservation land or water for recreation, apply for a recreational Department of Conservation drone permit before the activity. Check the zone colour of the area first on DOC's Discover the Outdoors map. A green zone application is made online, is automatically approved, is issued immediately and is valid for one year. Orange and red zone applications are made by downloading a form and emailing it to DOC.

    Eligibility not stated · 180 NZD plus GST in a green zone, 2,450 NZD minimum fee in an orange zone, 180 NZD minimum fee in a red zone · Instant online in a green zone, 5 working days in a red zone, varies in an orange zone

    • Zone of the intended area
    • Drone weight up to 25 kg
    • Dates of the activity

    Open the official page

  6. Step 6

    Apply for a commercial DOC permit for conservation land

    For commercial drone work on conservation land, apply for the commercial permit instead: the same three zones, with a 360 NZD plus GST annual management fee on top, and purpose-based activity fees charged per half day or full day. The total daily activity charge can be halved for five hours or less in any one day.

    Visitors eligible · Permit fee of 180 NZD or 2,450 NZD minimum, plus a 360 NZD plus GST annual management fee, plus activity fees of 50 NZD to 500 NZD by purpose, all plus GST · 5 working days in a green or red zone, varies in an orange zone

    • Zone of the intended area
    • Purpose of the filming or survey
    • Dates and hours per day

    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.Part 101 and CATI 101-1 impose no residency, nationality or registration condition on the operator, and there is no registration step to complete, so a visitor flies on the same terms as a resident. This is a reasoned inference from the absence of a condition, not a CAA position: no fetched page addresses visitors, tourists or non-residents at any point, and the three CAA drone-section pages that would carry such a statement (S13, S14, S15) returned empty responses on two attempts each. Do not publish it as a CAA statement.partly confirmedS1S2S13S14S15
EU or EEA registration recognisedYesThe question does not arise. No New Zealand drone registration exists, so there is nothing for a foreign registration to be recognised against: rule 101.5 excludes unmanned aircraft from the Part 47 registration requirements and AC101-1 repeats it. The page the gap report cited for this answer (S17) returned an empty response, so the answer rests on the rule instead.confirmed on the cited pageS1S3S17
UK registration recognisedYesThe question does not arise. No New Zealand drone registration exists, so there is nothing for a foreign registration to be recognised against: rule 101.5 excludes unmanned aircraft from the Part 47 registration requirements and AC101-1 repeats it. The page the gap report cited for this answer (S17) returned an empty response, so the answer rests on the rule instead.confirmed on the cited pageS1S3S17
US registration recognisedYesThe question does not arise. No New Zealand drone registration exists, so there is nothing for a foreign registration to be recognised against: rule 101.5 excludes unmanned aircraft from the Part 47 registration requirements and AC101-1 repeats it. The page the gap report cited for this answer (S17) returned an empty response, so the answer rests on the rule instead.confirmed on the cited pageS1S3S17
Local registrationNot required.There is no drone register and no registration portal. Rule 101.5: the requirements in Part 47 do not apply to unmanned aircraft. AC101-1 paragraph 18: RPAs operating under Part 101 are not required to comply with Part 47 registration requirements. No threshold, no fee and no processing time exist because the step does not exist.confirmed on the cited pageS1S3
Remote IDNo Remote ID requirement. None appears in Part 101, in CATI 101-1, in AC101-1 Revision 2, or in either CAA public guidance document, all five read end to end.A negative claim. No page affirmatively states that Remote ID is not required, so this cannot be upgraded to confirmed on the sources opened in this pass.partly confirmedS1S2S3S5S6
InsuranceNot mandatoryA negative claim. No insurance requirement and no minimum cover appears in Part 101, CATI 101-1, AC101-1 Revision 2 or either CAA public guidance document, all five read end to end, and no page affirmatively states that none is required.partly confirmedS1S2S3S5S6
Altitude ceiling120 mThe operative limit in the rule is 400 feet above ground level; CAA's own guidance states it as 120 metres (400 ft). Two routes exist above it, both in rule 101.207(c): a danger area designated for the purpose under Part 71, or an operation more than 4 km from the closest point of an aerodrome boundary that stays in Class G airspace with a NOTAM notified at least 24 hours ahead.confirmed on the cited pageS1S3S5S6
Distance from peopleNo numeric separation distance. The rule is consent based: explicit consent from any person the aircraft will operate above, and prior consent from the owner or occupier of property it will operate above. CAA guidance adds only to stay a safe and considerate distance away from people and buildings, with no figure.confirmed on the cited pageS1S3S5
Line of sightVisual line of sight is required at all times, together with the ability to see the surrounding airspace and operation below the cloud base. Two defined alternatives exist: a first person view system with a trained and competent observer, and a beyond visual line of sight operation inside a sealed enclosed area.confirmed on the cited pageS1S2S3
NightNight flight is prohibited unless the operation is indoors or shielded, or all four CATI 101-1 night conditions are met: an authorised course, a 30-minute shielded refamiliarisation flight after 90 days without a night flight, lighting adequate to determine the aircraft's orientation, and not more than one aircraft at a time.confirmed on the cited pageS1S2S3
Class marksNo EASA C0 to C6 class marks. The scheme is mass based: a 25 kg ceiling under Part 101, with a 15 kg to 25 kg band that needs approved-person construction or inspection and approved-person operating authority.partly confirmedS1S3
FPVFPV is permitted. Visual line of sight may be achieved with a first person view system and a trained and competent observer who maintains visual line of sight of the aircraft, sight of the surrounding airspace, and direct communication with the pilot. A second person who does not meet all three conditions does not make the flight lawful.confirmed on the cited pageS1S2S3
Commercial useCommercial operations run under Part 101 with no CAA approval, provided every Part 101 and CATI 101-1 condition is met. Part 101 makes no commercial or recreational distinction. A Part 102 certificate is needed only when the operation falls outside Part 101.confirmed on the cited pageS3

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

Permits

Airspace zones

Parks and protected areas

Towns and cities

Altitude

Distance from people

Line of sight

Night

FPV

Commercial use

Batteries

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.

4 km from the boundary of any aerodrome, including heliports, unless the cumulative CATI 101-1 conditions are met or the operation is shielded. Controlled airspace around airports extends well beyond the 4 km limit and needs clearance from air traffic control inside it.

Official map
www.airshare.co.nz
Apps named
AirShare (airshare.co.nz): CAA's named route for a one-off controlled-airspace request, with a map of no-fly zones and contact details for aerodrome operators and air traffic control units, Flight Advisor: named by CAA for digital, up-to-date maps. Visual Navigation Charts do not show temporary airspace, so NOTAMs and AIP supplements have to be checked as well, AIP New Zealand (aip.net.nz): aerodrome charts, airspace designated for model flying, and ENR 5.1 prohibited, restricted and danger areas, DOC Discover the Outdoors map (doc.govt.nz/map/index.html): the drone zone colour for public conservation land

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 enforcement7 confirmed cases, 4 we could not open · 2018-01-03 to 2025-08-23 · practice pass 7 October 2026

DOC logged 37 drone complaints in the 16 months to November 2021 and issued one $800 notice; the courts have acted only where a flight endangered an aircraft. Nothing confirmed here is newer than August 2025.

How people fly
Flying is common and routed through AirShare, which logged over 70,000 drone flights in the twelve months to June 2025; an authorisation for controlled airspace can come back within hours. Where people fly is shaped by the land rather than the airspace: conservation land needs a DOC permit and most national parks refuse recreational ones, so flights concentrate on the coast, on farmland with the owner's agreement, and in places outside the 4 km aerodrome zones.
Police and rangers
Contact is common, penalties are not. DOC manages drones with signs and field staff: rangers spoke to drone users on the Roys Peak track, along State Highway 6 to Haast and at two Mount Aspiring huts without issuing a fine, and a ranger at Tongariro recovered a crashed drone and refused to hand it back at the visitor centre the next day. Police do attend reports inside airport control zones, as at Queenstown in 2019, where they spoke to the owner and the drone came down with no penalty. Interventions start with a complaint from another visitor or a helicopter operator rather than a patrol.
At the border
No usable report.
Fines actually reported
One $800 DOC infringement notice, issued at Tongariro National Park in September 2021, is the only fine on record for an unpermitted flight on conservation land; three other complaints that year drew warning letters instead. Court penalties appear only where a flight endangered an aircraft: a $1,000 fine for the drone that struck a paraglider, forfeiture of a $1,700 drone for the visitor who grounded firefighting helicopters at Wanaka, and 150 hours of community work for repeated flights in controlled airspace near Napier Airport in 2026 [unverified]. No fine against a visiting recreational pilot for an ordinary flight was found.

The law's own penalty schedule is separate: Not established, 1 published fine ranges below.

Where reports cluster

  • Tongariro National Park

    The most consequential place in the record: five of DOC's 37 complaint records for 2020 and 2021, the single $800 infringement notice in September 2021, one further case left under investigation, and the 2020 seizure of a tourist's drone at Emerald Lakes after hikers brought it down with a stone.

  • Nelson Lakes, around Saint Arnaud

    The largest single cluster of DOC complaints, six records, every one closed with no further action. Reports happen here; penalties have not.

  • Franz Josef and Fox Glacier

    The busiest complaint source nationally in the 18 months to August 2025, with 11 Civil Aviation Authority complaints, mostly from helicopter operators. DOC took no enforcement action because the people involved had left the area before the reports were dealt with.

  • Wanaka: Roys Peak, Mount Aspiring, State Highway 6 to Haast

    Signed and talked about rather than fined: four reports on the Roys Peak track in a single summer and ranger contact at three further locations, with no fines issued. Recreational drone use is not permitted on the conservation land here.

  • Queenstown and the Wakatipu

    Three DOC complaint records, one still under investigation in 2021; police attended a flight inside the 4 km airport control zone in 2019; and the district council gives no approvals to fly over its own land without Part 102 certification.

  • Auckland: Tamaki Makaurau and the Inner Islands

    Four DOC complaint records, one of which drew a warning letter in August 2021. These are DOC-administered areas, not the Auckland Council parks, which have no dated practice report either way.

  • Aoraki / Mount Cook

    One DOC complaint record, from November 2021, left under investigation. Thin evidence: the report that named this as a hotspot relies on a thread that could not be opened.

Dated reports

  • 2018-01-03 · Mount Roy, Wanaka · press

    A 33-year-old tourist flew a drone near a scrub fire. Eight firefighting helicopters were stood down, and the drone came within about 50 m of one of them.

    Charged in Queenstown District Court, then convicted; a discharge without conviction was refused and the $1,700 drone was forfeited. Over two hours of helicopter time was lost. report

  • 2019-01-24 · Frankton Road, inside the 4 km Queenstown Airport control zone · press

    A drone was flown at about 50 m inside the control zone in mid-afternoon and reported.

    Police spoke to the owner and the drone was brought down. No flights were disrupted and no penalty was reported. report

  • 2020-01-09 · Roys Peak track and Mount Aspiring National Park, Wanaka · press

    Four reports of drones on the Roys Peak track in one summer, one before and three after Christmas Day; staff also met drone users along State Highway 6 to Haast and at Aspiring and Siberia huts.

    No fines were issued. DOC manages it through signage and field staff monitoring the tracks. report

  • 2020-02-25 · Emerald Lakes, Tongariro National Park · press

    A tourist ignored no-drone signs and flew over a group of hikers, who threw stones at the drone until one hit it; it crash landed and a ranger recovered it.

    DOC kept the drone. The tourist asked for it at the Whakapapa visitor centre the next day, was refused, and left the country. No fine was reported. report

  • 2021-02-19 · Karioitahi Beach, near Waiuku · press

    A recreational pilot's drone struck a paraglider about 100 m above the ground during a 2018 flight; the court found he had relied on the camera view instead of keeping the drone in sight.

    New Zealand's first conviction for a drone colliding with a piloted aircraft. Fined $1,000 on two Civil Aviation Act charges. report

  • 2021-09-20 · Tongariro National Park · official

    DOC complaint record CLE-1741, drone use on conservation land.

    Infringement notice issued, $800. The only fine in DOC's 37-record national dataset covering 1 July 2020 to 19 November 2021. report

  • 2025-08-23 · West Coast: Franz Josef and Fox Glacier · press

    Eleven of the period's Civil Aviation Authority drone complaints came from Franz Josef and Fox Glacier over 18 months, and helicopter operators said a collision was a matter of time. DOC confirmed eight drone incidents reported on the West Coast since May 2021.

    No enforcement action, because by the time the matters were reported the people involved had left the area. No drones were confiscated there. report

  • 2025-10-08 · New Zealand travel forum, location not established · community

    [unverified] The research report records a traveller discussing scenic areas including Mount Cook with no enforcement encounter.

    No intervention reported. The thread could not be opened: Reddit refuses every client on this machine, so neither the claim nor the thread's subject was verified. report

  • 2025-12-11 · Hooker Valley and Aoraki / Mount Cook, in a travel forum thread · community

    [unverified] The research report records a traveller finding that the AirShare map appeared to allow a booking while the land underneath was DOC-managed, alongside signs and restrictions at popular sites.

    No stop, fine or confiscation reported. The thread could not be opened: Reddit refuses every client on this machine. report

  • 2026-03-12 · Several conservation areas, in a travel forum thread · community

    [unverified] The research report records a traveller describing restricted destinations, marine reserve limits and concern about penalties.

    No police, ranger or customs intervention reported. The thread could not be opened: Reddit refuses every client on this machine. report

  • 2026-07-15 · Napier Airport controlled airspace · official

    [unverified] A Napier man was found guilty on four charges over repeated 2023 flights in controlled airspace with a DJI Mavic Air 2: thousands of feet above the height limit, beyond visual line of sight, in and above cloud, at night during a fireworks display, and while an aircraft was landing.

    Sentenced to 150 hours of community work. Not a visitor case. The CAA release could not be opened from this machine: the site returns an Imperva challenge page to every client and has no Wayback Machine capture, so the release is recorded as unreachable even though the search index returned its text. 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
Breach of a Part 101 operating rule, including the 4 km aerodrome buffer, unauthorised controlled-airspace operation and an unlawful night operationNo amount is published. CAA states only that a breach could mean disciplinary action including prosecution. The offences and penalties for Part 101 sit in the Civil Aviation (Offences) Regulations 2006, which was never fetched.S5S6S7

Criminal liability: A breach of the civil aviation rules while flying an unmanned aircraft can lead to disciplinary action including prosecution. The offence classification and the maximum penalty are not established.

Places pilots fly in New Zealand

Each spot carries the rule that applies on that ground, which can be stricter than the country's.

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.

13 cited pages refused our checks and are marked unreachable in the source list.

Sources that disagree

  1. Remote ID: no requirement appears in Part 101, CATI 101-1, AC101-1 Revision 2 or either CAA public guidance document, and no page affirms its absence.
  2. Insurance: the same five documents contain no insurance requirement, and no page affirms that none is required.
  3. AirShare processing times and charges, and whether a non-resident can register without a New Zealand address or telephone number.
  4. DOC: whether a non-resident can complete the online green-zone application, and what identity or contact details it requires.
  5. How the private-aircraft activity-fee waiver on DOC's general permission fees page interacts with the drone permit processing fees.
  6. Council bylaws for Auckland, Queenstown Lakes and Christchurch. No council page was cited by either research brief or fetched, so only the general proposition that civil aviation rules do not override local bylaws survives.
  7. Radio Spectrum Management conformity for a drone bought abroad. No Radio Spectrum Management page was cited or fetched.
  8. Customs and Ministry for Primary Industries treatment of a drone in a traveller's accompanied baggage, including whether the 1,000 NZD import declaration threshold carries a personal and household effects exception.
  9. Statutory fines and confiscation powers. The instrument is named, the Civil Aviation (Offences) Regulations 2006, but it was never fetched, so no amount and no seizure power is established.
  10. Enforcement level as a sourced rating, and any dated incident involving a visiting pilot. None was retrieved.
  11. Location-specific rules for Milford Sound and Fiordland, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Tongariro and Abel Tasman. These resolve through DOC's zone map rather than per-park text, so the product should link the map.
  12. Maori land and wahi tapu. No fetched page addresses this; only the general consent of owners and occupiers applies.
  13. A machine-readable geozone dataset with a stated format, licence and update cadence. None exists on any fetched page: AirShare, AIP New Zealand, Flight Advisor, Visual Navigation Charts and DOC's map are the surfaces.
  14. Any community evidence at all. Neither research brief retrieved a dated pilot report, forum post, trip report or video, so the community layer for New Zealand stays empty rather than being filled with undated anecdote.
  15. Manufacturer geofencing behaviour, including DJI GEO zones. No manufacturer source was cited or fetched, and a software state is not a legal determination and creates no CAA, DOC, council or landowner permission in any case.
  16. Whether a visiting pilot needs a local sponsor, a New Zealand address or a New Zealand telephone number. No fetched page addresses it, and the DOC application pages state no identity or contact requirements.
  17. Whether the CAA drone section at aviation.govt.nz/drones carries anything not in the rule part, the transport instrument or the advisory circular. Every page under it returned an empty response on two attempts, so the section could not be read at all.

What changed, and when

Dated changes to the rules, newest first.

  1. 22 December 2025

    CATI 101-1 commences and AC101-1 Revision 2 is issued the same day. Most of Subpart E now refers out to the transport instrument, so the rule part alone no longer gives the operating conditions, and a breach of the transport instrument is a breach of the corresponding section of Part 101.

    S2S3

  2. 23 June 2025

    NPRM 25-02, Advanced Aviation Reform, proposes a further transport instrument defining extended operations and moving lower-risk work from Part 102 into Part 101. Not in force; re-check before launch.

    S7

  3. 5 April 2025

    Part 101, realigned under the Civil Aviation Act 2023, comes into force. Rule numbering changed, so anything written against the pre-2025 Part 101 is stale; the old consolidation URL is gone and the rule history page could not be read.

    S1S16S19

Checked 7 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

    Civil Aviation Rules Part 101, Initial Issue

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · document dated 2024-12-13 · opened 2026-10-07

    The requirements in Part 47 do not apply to unmanned aircraft, kites, rockets, parasails, and gyrogliders.

    Brief id V1. Rule text in force: made 13 December 2024, comes into force on 5 April 2025. Read in full during the verification pass.

  2. S2official

    Civil Aviation Transport Instrument CATI: 101-1, Initial Issue

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · document dated 2025-11-14 · opened 2026-10-07

    at a height that is not more than 33 feet above the object being used as a shield

    Brief id V2. Secondary legislation in force: signed 14 November 2025, commences 22 December 2025. A breach of CATI 101-1 is a breach of the corresponding section of Part 101, so it is binding rather than guidance. Read in full.

  3. S3official

    AC101-1 Revision 2, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS): Operating in compliance with Part 101 Rules

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · document dated 2025-12-22 · opened 2026-10-07

    Part 101 only applies to RPAS weighing less than 25kg and operations that are allowed under Part 101. Any operations conducted outside of this scope must be conducted under Part 102, which requires a certificate.

    Brief id V3. Advisory circular, acceptable means of compliance. Read in full; it carries the aerodrome decision tables on pages 13 to 15.

  4. S4official

    Part 101: Subpart A, General

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    A person must not operate any of the following in controlled airspace without prior authorisation from the ATC unit responsible for that airspace unless the operation is a shielded operation

    Brief id V4. Rule text on the web, no date shown on the page.

  5. S5official

    Flying your drone and other unmanned aircraft safely

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Don't fly within 4km of an aerodrome unless you have met all the requirements, including getting aerodrome operator authorisation and holding an approved pilot qualification.

    Brief id V5. Public guidance brochure. The document prints Revised June 2026, a month with no day, so no documentDate is recorded.

  6. S6official

    New Zealand airspace (GAP, Good Aviation Practice)

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Be aware that controlled airspace around airports extends well beyond the 4 km limit - you must have clearance from air traffic control to operate in that area.

    Brief id V6. Guidance booklet. The document states that New Zealand airspace was revised in January 2023, a month with no day, so no documentDate is recorded; it predates the 2025 realignment, and its drone content matches on the 4 km and 120 m figures but S3 and S5 are preferred.

  7. S7official

    NPRM 25-02, Advanced Aviation Reform: Shifting low-risk operations, Docket 25/CAR/02

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · document dated 2025-06-23 · opened 2026-10-07

    the Civil Aviation (Offences) Regulations 2006, which outlines the offences and penalties that apply to the CARs, including Part 101

    Brief id V7. Consultation document, not a rule. Used only as the pointer to where penalties live and for the proposed extended-operations instrument.

  8. S8official

    Apply for a recreational drone permit

    Department of Conservation · opened 2026-10-07

    Your permit will be issued immediately and is valid for one year.

    Brief id V8. Permit rule and fee page, no date printed on the page. Carries the green, orange and red zone table, the 25 kg permit ceiling and the link to DOC's Discover the Outdoors map.

  9. S9official

    Apply for a commercial drone permit

    Department of Conservation · opened 2026-10-07

    $2,450 minimum fee ... $360 plus GST

    Brief id V9. Permit rule and fee page, no date printed on the page.

  10. S10official

    Drone use on conservation land

    Department of Conservation · opened 2026-10-07

    All aircraft operating on conservation land need a permit.

    Brief id V10. Policy index page, no date printed on the page.

  11. S11official

    Permission fees: Managing your concession

    Department of Conservation · opened 2026-10-07

    'fly a drone' applies to drone taking off, landing, or hovering on public conservation land.

    Brief id V11. Fee schedule, no date printed on the page. Also carries the activity fee table, the five-hour halving rule and the private-aircraft waiver that conflicts with S8.

  12. S12official

    TSW Fact Sheet: Import Declaration Requirements

    New Zealand Customs Service · opened 2026-10-07

    An import declaration is required for goods with a Customs value of more than NZ$1,000.

    Brief id V12. Fact sheet for electronic import declarations, not a traveller guide: it does not address accompanied baggage or a traveller's personal effects. The document prints Issued October 2018 and Updated April 2026, months with no day, so no documentDate is recorded.

  13. S13officialcould not be opened

    Part 101: rules for drones

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id U1. Empty response on two attempts on 2026-10-07. It was the most-cited source of the original research brief; every claim it carried was re-established on S1, S2 and S3, so only the source is lost.

  14. S14officialcould not be opened

    Flying your drone safely

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id U2. Empty response on two attempts on 2026-10-07. The brochure of almost the same name is live at S5.

  15. S15officialcould not be opened

    Your drone questions answered

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id U3. Empty response on two attempts, with and without a trailing slash. This is the page that would carry a CAA position on visiting pilots, which is why the tourists-may-fly claim stays partial.

  16. S16officialcould not be opened

    Part 101 rule history: initial issue

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id U4. Empty response on two attempts. The in-force date was read off S1 instead.

  17. S17officialcould not be opened

    Importing and certifying an aircraft

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id U5. Empty response. It was the gap report's sole source for the foreign-registration answer, and its offered quote was a navigation label in any case; the question is answered instead from rule 101.5 on S1, which excludes unmanned aircraft from Part 47.

  18. S18officialcould not be opened

    How to declare items when arriving in New Zealand

    Ministry for Primary Industries · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id U6. Empty response on two attempts, with and without a trailing slash. It was the gap report's sole source for the biosecurity answer, which is therefore unestablished.

  19. S19officialcould not be opened

    Part 101 consolidation (retired URL)

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id D1. HTTP 404 on 2026-10-07. The consolidated pre-realignment Part 101, cited by the original brief; the in-force text is S1.

  20. S20officialcould not be opened

    Importing goods for personal use (retired URL)

    New Zealand Customs Service · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id D2. HTTP 404 on 2026-10-07. It was the gap report's sole source for the import clearance process, for the personal and household effects exception to the 1,000 NZD threshold, and for the claimed MPI permit, so all three are unestablished.

  21. S21officialcould not be opened

    Ongoing concession fees (redirected URL)

    Department of Conservation · opened 2026-10-07

    Brief id R1. Redirects to DOC's generic Get involved index and serves no drone fee table. It was the original brief's sole source for the entire fee picture; the live table is at S11.

  22. S22press

    DOC confiscates tourist's drone after frustrated hikers nail it with a stone

    1News · document dated 2020-02-25 · opened 2026-10-07

    asked at the Whakapapa visitor centre about his drone, trying to get it back, but was refused and left the country soon after

    Practice pass. Quotes DOC Tongariro operations manager Connie Norgate. The DOC media release it reports on now redirects to DOC's news index.

  23. S23press

    Man becomes first person convicted for colliding drone with piloted aircraft in NZ

    1News · document dated 2021-02-19 · opened 2026-10-07

    had been overly reliant on the view from his drone's camera and failed to maintain visual line of sight

    Practice pass. Fined $1,000 on two Civil Aviation Act 1990 charges over a 2018 flight at Karioitahi Beach. A resident, not a visitor.

  24. S24official

    OIAD-1610: Drone offences (Official Information Act response)

    Department of Conservation · document dated 2021-12-10 · opened 2026-10-07

    CLE-1741 ... Tongariro - National Park ... Infringement Notice Issued ($800)

    Practice pass, and the primary enforcement record for this country: 37 drone complaint rows from 1 July 2020 to 19 November 2021, each with location and outcome. The document is DOC's; it is served through the fyi.org.nz Official Information Act platform, which is the only reachable copy.

  25. S25press

    Increase in unauthorised drone use causing concern

    Otago Daily Times · document dated 2020-01-09 · opened 2026-10-07

    interacted with visitors using drones on Roys Peak, along State Highway 6 to Haast, and at Aspiring and Siberia huts

    Practice pass. Quotes DOC senior ranger Annette Grieves. The odt.co.nz/node/1804173 form of this URL that search engines return is a 404; the section path works.

  26. S26press

    Another drone near airport

    Otago Daily Times · document dated 2019-01-25 · opened 2026-10-07

    Police officers spoke to the owner and the drone was reportedly brought down

    Practice pass. The flight was the previous afternoon. The article also reports three illegal drone incidents in one week the month before, one in front of a passenger jet.

  27. S27press

    Drone mishap 'matter of time'

    Greymouth Star, reproduced · document dated 2025-08-23 · opened 2026-10-07

    as by the time these matters were reported, the persons involved had left the area

    Practice pass. Byline Meg Fulford; quotes DOC principal investigation officer Hayden Loper and carries the CAA complaint figures (5 in the first half of 2025, 10 in 2024, 9 in 2023, 8 across 2020 to 2022). This is a third-party reproduction: greystar.co.nz returns 403 to every client here. Its DOC figures are West Coast, not national, which S24 makes plain.

  28. S28community

    Wanaka Fire / Drone Interference: Case Citations and File Numbers

    fyi.org.nz · document dated 2019-05-07 · opened 2026-10-07

    New Zealand Police v Riquelme-Cruz [2018] NZDC 2246

    Practice pass. The agency response is a refusal (court information falls outside the Official Information Act). The case citations, the conviction and the forfeiture come from the requester's annotation, not from an agency, which is why the 2018 outcome is attributed here and not to a press page: the sentencing article is on the closed Newshub site.

  29. S29officialcould not be opened

    Drone operator sentenced for serious aviation safety breaches

    Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · document dated 2026-07-15 · opened 2026-10-07

    Practice pass. Imperva WAF: an 843-byte Incapsula challenge to curl with full browser headers, an empty document to headless Chrome, and no Wayback Machine capture. The same block the legal pass hit on S13 to S17. The search index returned the release body verbatim on three independent queries, so the page exists and says what the report says, but it was not opened.

  30. S30communitycould not be opened

    Drone flights using AirShare

    Reddit, r/newzealand_travel · document dated 2025-12-11 · opened 2026-10-07

    Practice pass. Reddit refuses every client on this machine (WebFetch, curl and headless Chrome all get 403), so it was not retried.

  31. S31communitycould not be opened

    Drones in New Zealand

    Reddit, r/newzealand_travel · document dated 2026-03-12 · opened 2026-10-07

    Practice pass. Reddit refuses every client on this machine.

  32. S32communitycould not be opened

    Milford Sound

    Reddit, r/newzealand_travel · document dated 2025-10-08 · opened 2026-10-07

    Practice pass. Reddit refuses every client on this machine. The research report records no enforcement encounter in this thread, and the snippet it carries is generic travel prose, so it is not established that the thread is about drones.

  33. S33official

    News & Updates

    AirShare, Airways New Zealand · document dated 2025-06-04 · opened 2026-10-07

    over 70,000 drone flights have been logged in AirShare by New Zealand drone pilots in the last 12 months

    Practice pass. Also the notice page for the authorisation system: terms updated 8 May 2026, web release December 2025. The documentDate is the dated item carrying the flight figure, not the page.

  34. S34official

    Drones

    Queenstown Lakes District Council · opened 2026-10-07

    QLDC isn't currently giving approvals for drones to fly over our land/property unless the operator has a Part 102 certification

    Practice pass. Council land policy, which is why Queenstown reads as restricted in practice. No date printed on the page.

  35. S35press

    Tourist appears in court after drone flight grounded helicopters fighting Wanaka fire

    1News · document dated 2018-01-08 · opened 2026-10-07

    disregard for the safety of a transport facility

    Practice pass. Names Jorge Eduardo Riquelme Cruz, 33, a tourist; Mount Roy, Wanaka; eight helicopters stood down for 15 minutes; Queenstown District Court. The sentencing outcome is in S28.

  36. S36community

    Question: flying a drone in New Zealand

    InspirePilots forum · document dated 2016-02-06 · opened 2026-10-07

    They sent back a certificate within a few hours saying I had permission. I flew over the earthquake ravaged city of ChristChurch

    Practice pass. Old but reachable and first-hand. Used only for how people fly, never for a rule.