Drone classes C0 to C4: which rules apply to my drone?

New drones carry a class label from C0 to C4. It determines where and how you may fly and which certificate you need. Here is the overview.

The three subcategories A1, A2 and A3

The open category is divided into three subcategories, depending on how close you may get to people:

• A1: flying over individual people is allowed with very light drones, never over assemblies of people.
• A2: flying close to people without overflying uninvolved people, at least 30 m away; at least 5 m only with low-speed mode switched on and after assessing the weather, the drone’s performance and the segregation of the overflown area.
• A3: flying far away from people, at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas.

The classes at a glance

Drones of classes C1, C2 and C3 have direct remote identification (remote ID), geo-awareness and a green flashing light. You enter your operator ID into the remote ID. The operator ID must nevertheless also be visibly attached to the drone.

Older drones without a class

Drones without a class label that were placed on the market, i.e. came onto the EU market, before 1 January 2024 may continue to fly:

• under 250 g in A1, without a proof of competency
• under 25 kg in A3, with an A1/A3 proof of competency

Drones without a class label that were placed on the market later may not fly in the open category at all. Privately built drones are the exception. Look for the C label when buying.

And registration?

Regardless of the class, you must register as an operator if your drone weighs 250 g or more. Under 250 g, you must register as soon as the drone has a camera or another sensor that can capture personal data, such as a microphone. Only toy drones are exempt in that case. Your operator ID then goes on every drone. More on this in What goes on a drone ID plate? and Operator ID or licence number?

Minimum age

In Germany, the minimum age for remote pilots is 16. There is no minimum age if the drone is a class C0 toy or a privately built drone under 250 g, or if a younger pilot is directly supervised by a remote pilot aged 16 or over with the appropriate certificate. Normal class C0 camera drones are generally not toys within the meaning of the EU Toy Safety Directive; the minimum age applies to them.

As of October 2026. This overview is not legal advice; Regulations (EU) 2019/947 and 2019/945 and the information provided by the authorities are authoritative.