Beijing tightens drone crackdown, bans possession and storage across city from November 15

As per local reports, existing drone owners can sell their devices at designated buyback locations and receive a subsidy. They can also scrap and recycle the drones with a smaller subsidy, or move them outside Beijing before November 15. Existing owners will be offered subsidies to sell or scrap their drones before the new rules take effect.The move marks the latest step in Beijing's tightening regulation of drones. The city had already banned unauthorised drone flights and designated its entire administrative area as restricted airspace on security grounds.Under rules approved in March and effective from May 1, existing drone owners were required to register their devices using their real names and identities. Beijing, the Chinese capital, has often imposed stricter security rules than other parts of the country.Bringing drones into Beijing from outside the city, including by tourists, is already prohibited.

Source: Times of India September 13, 2026 08:55 UTC