Who sets the rules
Drones are aircraft, so the flying rules are federal: Transport Canada writes them (Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations) for every province, Ontario included. NAV CANADA runs the controlled airspace around airports and grants the authorizations to fly in it. On the ground, Ontario’s privacy and trespass laws still apply to whoever is flying.
Drone sizes and registration
The rules start with weight. A drone of 250 g or more has to be registered with Transport Canada and marked with its registration number before it flies.
Under 250 g
Micro
No registration or pilot certificate, but it must still be flown safely and away from aircraft, people and airports.
250 g – 25 kg
Small
Registered and marked with its registration number, and flown by someone with a Basic or Advanced pilot certificate (or Level 1 Complex for that kind of flight). Most professional photo drones are here.
25 – 150 kg
Medium
Since November 4, 2025, these can fly within visual line of sight under set conditions instead of needing special permission for every operation.
Source: Transport Canada — 2025 summary of changes to Canada’s drone regulations(opens in a new tab)
Pilot certificates
Anyone flying a drone of 250 g or more needs a Transport Canada drone pilot certificate. Certificates are personal: each person at the controls holds their own, and nobody flies “under” someone else’s. Which one you need depends on where and how you fly.
Basic
- How you get it
- Online exam. Minimum age 14.
- What it allows
- Uncontrolled airspace only, at least 30 m horizontally from people who aren’t part of the flight, and never over them.
Advanced
- How you get it
- Online exam plus an in-person flight review. Minimum age 16.
- What it allows
- Controlled airspace with NAV CANADA authorization, and flights closer to (or over) people when the drone’s safety declaration allows it. Since November 4, 2025: sheltered operations close to buildings and extended visual line-of-sight (EVLOS) operations.
Level 1 Complex
- How you get it
- New since November 4, 2025. At least 20 hours of ground school, an exam and a flight review; minimum age 18. The organisation also needs an operator certificate (RPOC).
- What it allows
- Lower-risk flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), in uncontrolled airspace and away from populated areas.
What changed on November 4, 2025
Transport Canada’s updated rules came into force on November 4, 2025:
- Level 1 Complex operations: a new certificate for lower-risk flights beyond visual line of sight, with an operator certificate for the organisation.
- Sheltered operations: holders of an Advanced certificate may fly close to a building or structure, within set limits on height above it and distance from people.
- Extended visual line of sight (EVLOS): Advanced certificate holders may fly further than they can see themselves, with visual observers, within set limits.
- Medium drones of 25–150 kg may fly within visual line of sight under set conditions.
For a property owner this mostly means one thing: close-in roof and facade work is now clearly defined, and anything beyond sight needs a Level 1 Complex operation — a different certificate from Advanced.
Source: Transport Canada — 2025 summary of changes to Canada’s drone regulations(opens in a new tab)
Airports and controlled airspace
Around many airports the sky is controlled airspace. London International (CYXU) is surrounded by controlled airspace; we get NAV CANADA authorization before any flight inside it. Region of Waterloo (CYKF), Windsor (CYQG), Hamilton (CYHM), Toronto Pearson (CYYZ) and Billy Bishop (CYTZ) have controlled airspace around them too.
To fly there, the pilot needs an Advanced certificate and an authorization from NAV CANADA, requested through its NAV Drone tool — even over your own land. Some requests are approved automatically; a manual review can take about a week, sometimes two. A professional operator builds that time into your date and never promises an approval before NAV CANADA gives it.
Homes, people and neighbours
Drones are normally flown within the pilot’s sight and no higher than 122 m (400 ft) above the ground. With a Basic certificate the drone must stay at least 30 m from people who aren’t part of the flight and can never pass over them; an Advanced certificate allows closer work only when the drone’s safety declaration supports it.
Transport Canada’s rules decide where a drone can fly, not whose land it can use. Taking off or landing on private property needs the owner’s permission, and filming into a neighbour’s yard or windows can raise privacy issues. If a drone is being flown unsafely, report it to Transport Canada; for privacy or criminal concerns, call the police.
Events and special permission
A drone of any size — even under 250 g — at an advertised public event needs a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada. The same certificate covers other operations that fall outside the standard rules. Applications take time, so raise it before the event is announced. Private, non-advertised gatherings follow the normal rules.
Source: Transport Canada — Flying your drone at an advertised event(opens in a new tab)
Maps are not surveys
A drone can produce a detailed top-down map, a 3D model or a stockpile volume. None of these is a legal survey: in Ontario, property boundaries are established by an Ontario Land Surveyor. Treat any lot line drawn on an aerial photo as approximate.
Hiring a drone operator? Ask these
- Which Transport Canada pilot certificate do you hold — Basic or Advanced? (Controlled airspace and work near people need Advanced.)
- Is the drone registered, and who exactly will fly it?
- Can you send a certificate of insurance before the flight, naming us if we need it?
- Is the site in controlled airspace? If so, when will you request NAV Drone authorization, and what happens if it isn’t granted in time?
- Does the job need an SFOC (an advertised event, or anything outside the standard rules)?
- What happens if the weather is bad on the day — and does a reschedule cost anything?
- What exactly will we receive, by when, and who may use the files?
Our answers to every one of these are on our safety & compliance page and in the trust section of our drone services.
Questions property owners ask
Do I need a licence to fly a drone in Ontario?
Drone rules in Canada are federal, set by Transport Canada. To fly a drone of 250 g or more you need it registered and marked, and a drone pilot certificate for the kind of flying you do: Basic, Advanced or Level 1 Complex.
Can a drone fly over my house or property?
Transport Canada sets where drones can fly; privacy and trespass laws still apply on the ground. A professional operator should get permission to take off or land on private land and avoid filming neighbours’ private spaces. If a drone is being flown unsafely, you can report it to Transport Canada or, for privacy concerns, the police.
Can I fly a drone over my own property near an airport?
Only within the rules for that airspace. Inside controlled airspace — around London International (CYXU), for example — you need an Advanced certificate and NAV CANADA authorization through NAV Drone, even over your own land.
How long does NAV CANADA authorization take?
Some NAV Drone requests are approved automatically. A manual review can take about a week, sometimes two, so plan controlled-airspace jobs ahead.
Do I need permission to fly at an event?
Yes, if it is advertised. A drone of any size at an advertised public event needs a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada.
Source: Transport Canada — Flying your drone at an advertised event(opens in a new tab)
What changed on November 4, 2025?
Transport Canada added Level 1 Complex operations (lower-risk flights beyond visual line of sight, with their own pilot certificate and an operator certificate), let Advanced certificate holders fly “sheltered operations” close to buildings and extended visual line-of-sight operations, and made room for medium drones of 25–150 kg.
Source: Transport Canada — 2025 summary of changes to Canada’s drone regulations(opens in a new tab)
Is a drone map a legal survey?
No. Our maps, 3D models and lot-line overlays are not legal surveys. In Ontario, property boundaries are established by an Ontario Land Surveyor. Our data is for planning, progress, marketing and volume tracking.
Sources
Reviewed Oct 22, 2026 against:
- Source: Transport Canada — Drone safety(opens in a new tab)
- Source: Transport Canada — 2025 summary of changes to Canada’s drone regulations(opens in a new tab)
- Source: Transport Canada — Advanced operations(opens in a new tab)
- Source: Transport Canada — Level 1 Complex operations(opens in a new tab)
- Source: Transport Canada — Flying your drone at an advertised event(opens in a new tab)
- Source: Transport Canada — Aeronautical Information Manual 2026-1, RPA section (PDF)(opens in a new tab)
- Source: NAV CANADA — NAV Drone FAQ(opens in a new tab)
This page summarises the rules for people hiring drone work. It isn’t legal advice; the regulations themselves always govern.