# Drone rules

> Which drone rules apply to my drone? The EU drone category for your drone's weight and class label, with registration, training, age and distances from people.

Find your drone's EU category (A1, A2, A3) from its weight and C0–C4 label: registration, online exam, minimum age and distances. Finland's rules too.

- Page: https://how.box/aviation/drone-rules/
- Runs entirely in the browser.

## Inputs

Answer link: https://how.box/aviation/drone-rules/?g={g}&c={c}&cam={cam}&toy={toy}&in={in}

- `g` (number 1 to 150000): Maximum take-off mass including payload. Example: `895`.
- `c` (c0, c1, c2, c3, c4, legacy, private or unlabelled): Class label: c0, c1, c2, c3, c4, legacy (no label, sold before 2024), private (privately built) or unlabelled (no label, sold from 2024). Example: `c1`.
- `cam` (boolean): Has a camera or another sensor able to capture personal data (1) or not (0). Example: `true`.
- `toy` (boolean): Is a toy under Directive 2009/48/EC (1) or not (0); read only under 250 g. Example: `false`.
- `in` (eu or fi): eu (EU rules) or fi (EU rules plus Finland's national details). Example: `fi`.

Example answer: https://how.box/aviation/drone-rules/?g=895&c=c1&cam=1&toy=0&in=fi

The page computes the answer in the browser: read results from the agent tools below, not from the page HTML.

## Agent tools

- `drone_rules_check`: Which EU drone rules apply to a drone (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945, rules from 1 January 2024).
  - MCP, one POST to https://how.box/mcp: `{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"drone_rules_check","arguments":{"mass_g":895,"label":"c1","camera":true,"toy":false,"country":"fi"}}}`
  - GET: https://how.box/mcp/run/drone_rules_check?mass_g=895&label=c1&camera=true&toy=false&country=fi

## How it works

In the EU, hobby and most everyday drone flying falls in the open category: under 25 kg, in sight, no higher than 120 m and never over crowds. It needs no permission, but it is split into three subcategories by how close you may fly to people: A1 (over or near people), A2 (close to people) and A3 (far from people). Anything else, such as flying out of sight or over a crowd, belongs in the specific category and needs an authorisation.

Your subcategory follows from the drone's class label, set by the manufacturer under Regulation (EU) 2019/945: C0 is under 250 g, C1 under 900 g, C2 under 4 kg, and C3 and C4 under 25 kg. C0 and C1 fly in A1, C2 in A2 or A3, and C3 and C4 in A3. Drones without a label bought before 2024 fly in A1 if they weigh under 250 g, and otherwise in A3. Example: a 249 g C0 camera drone flies in A1 without an exam, but its owner must register as an operator because of the camera.

You must register when the drone weighs 250 g or more, or has a camera, unless it is a toy. The online A1/A3 exam (40 questions, 75% to pass) is needed for C1, C2 in A3, C3 and C4; flying a C2 close to people needs the A2 certificate. The rules are Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and its annex, with national zones and bans on top: in Finland, Traficom sets the pilot's minimum age at 12 instead of 16.

## FAQ

**Do I need to register a drone under 250 g?**
Yes if it has a camera, unless it is a toy. Registration is for you as the operator, not for each drone: one number covers all your drones and goes on each of them.

**My drone has no class label. Can I still fly it?**
Yes if it was on the market before 1 January 2024: in A1 when it weighs under 250 g, otherwise in A3, far from people. A drone sold without a label from 2024 on needs an authorisation unless you built it yourself.

**How high can I fly?**
120 metres from the closest point of the ground. Near an obstacle taller than 105 m you may go up to 15 m above it if its owner asks you to, for example to inspect it.

**Is my registration valid in other EU countries?**
Yes. You register once, in the country where you live, and the number and exam certificates work across the EU. A lowered national age limit, such as Finland's 12, applies only in that country.

**Can I fly in a city?**
In A1 and A2, yes, keeping the distances from people, but check the local drone zones first: many cities have no-fly areas around airports and government sites.

More: [HowToolbox index](https://how.box/llms.txt) · [agent guide](https://how.box/agents.md) · [agent terms](https://how.box/about/agents/)