- A law approved by Congress requires a security review in December
- DJI says he is willing to cooperate, but no agency has begun the process
- If the audit is not completed, the DJI drones will enter into force
DJI drones are the most popular flying cameras in the United States. Both their consumption and professional quadcopters are sold in large numbers, and are also among the best drones you can buy. However, a great question sign still looms over its immediate future. At the end of 2025, DJI drones could be prohibited in the United States, and that led the Chinese giant to raise alarms about the obstacles in which it is flying.
We have communicated with the relevant agencies to comply with this obligation established by Congress. However, more than six months have passed, and that process has not yet begun.
DJI spokesman
Talking about a prohibition of DJI drones has been circulating for more than the year, since the Drones Law of the Counter Record was made through the corridors of the United States Congress. It is motivated by national security concerns and is specifically directed to drones made by Chinese companies, including the DJI.
The risk of a prohibition approached reality at the end of last year, when Congress approved a law that legally ordered a review of DJI drones. If that does not happen in December 2025, customers in the United States can no longer buy the best DJI drones. How likely is that? We have unpacked DJI’s last statement on the subject and all details below.
What the law says
In the center of the subject is the National Defense Authorization Law of the FY25 (NDAA), approved by Congress in December 2024. Section 1709 requires an “appropriate national security agency” to assess whether drones manufactured in China, which include drones made by DJI, propose an “unacceptable risk” for the national security of the United States. This must be completed within a year.
Crucially, the legislation does not specify which agency should carry out the required evaluation. If no agency takes the mantle and completes that audit at the end of 2025, DJI drones could be added to the “covered list” of the FCC. This would automatically restrict the future approvals of DJI products in the United States.
In practical terms, that could mean:
- New DJI drones are not sold in the United States
- There is no FCC certification for updated models
- Possible interruption for supporting existing customers.
And until now, more than six months since the law was approved, no agency has begun the review.
What Dji says
Dji has become increasingly vocal on the subject, warning that the clock is marking to avoid a ban on DJI drones.
In an official statement shared with Techradar, the company said: “DJI has repeatedly said publicly that we welcome and take the opportunity to demonstrate our privacy controls and security characteristics. We are ready to cooperate with any process or regulation investigation.”
The statement continues: “We have also communicated with the relevant agencies to comply with this obligation established by Congress. However, more than six months have passed, and that process has not yet begun.”
On June 13, 2025, six months to the deadline of the NDAA, DJI published a blog post that requested action on the “backward security review.” The publication establishes that “the United States Drones community deserves due process” and asked DJI operators to speak.
He issued a scream of meeting to the “thousands of companies, public security officials, farmers, entrepreneurs and others” who “use DJI technology to serve their community, protect lives, grow their business or offer essential services.”
The publication echoed a previous article shared in December 2024, when the NDAA was approved for the first time, which emphasized that “DJI would be prevented from launching new products in the US market without guilt on its own, but simply because no agency chose to assume the work of studying our products.”
Verdict: there is no prohibition yet, but the countdown is in
At the moment, DJI drones are still legal to buy and fly in the United States. But if no national security agency begins and completes the audit required by law, wait to see the prohibition of new models at the end of 2025. Existing owners could still use their drones, but support and future updates could be cut.
The impact of that would be huge, both for DJI and its customers. Speaking to the rest of World, Elsa Kania, a researcher at the center of a new US security, said that “among the disadvantages of a prohibition are short -term impacts on a variety of users and consumers, considering DJI’s comparative advantage in relation to most competitors in price and performance.”
Then the threat is not imaginary. If it happens, it depends completely on bureaucratic monitoring. Without guarantee that this happens, US drone users may need to advocate for action if they want to continue buying and flying DJI drones.
That is exactly the reason why DJI is asking its users to ask their chosen representatives, through coalitions such as the Drones Defense Alliance. But Clock’s marking is now becoming stronger and time is running out ahead of the possible prohibition of DJI in the United States.
