I've been running a small drone service for real estate photography for 3 years. Just found out that no new foreign-made drone models can be authorized after December 21,, and the FCC has added all foreign-produced drones to their "Covered List". My main workhorse is a DJI Mini 3 Pro which is still fine, but I was planning to upgrade to the newest model this spring.

Non-Chinese equivalents cost 5 to 10 times more with not really any added functionality, and that would completely destroy my margins. Has anyone found good domestic alternatives or workarounds? Really stressed about the future of my business right now.

I heard there are some exemptions for Blue UAS List drones and domestic products until January 2027 - can anyone explain how that works?

The good news is all existing FCC authorizations remain valid - any drone already marketed for sale within the US may continue to be sold and used, so your Mini 3 Pro is totally fine to keep using. There's also a process to request "Conditional Approvals" by emailing [email protected] - might be worth exploring if you need specific equipment.

This whole situation is a mess honestly. "Without the appropriate support and incentive structure, we risk falling further behind our adversaries" as one industry report put it. The domestic alternatives are way overpriced and the supply chain issues are going to be brutal.

I'm in the same boat and have been researching the Blue UAS options. The Defense Contract Management Agency's Blue UAS Cleared List remains a key pathway and some of those platforms might work for commercial use. The Conditional Approval route seems promising too - approvals last one year and they want to see clear onshoring plans.