Arkansas the Latest State to Implement DJI Drone Ban

The new law follows Florida’s sweeping ban of Chinese and Russian drones.

Tuesday, May 02, 2023 at 05:28 PM ET

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DJI’s newly released Mavic 3 Pro may soon be banned by the FCC. [Credit: DJI]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. federal and state lawmakers are increasingly pushing for a total ban on drones made by China’s DJI, citing national security concerns and building upon existing federal blacklistings.
Arkansas recently passed Act 525, prohibiting public entities from using DJI drones with a four-year phase-out period, a distinction from Florida’s immediate ban which faces challenges as an "unfunded mandate."
These bans create significant financial burdens for public safety agencies, which heavily rely on DJI drones, forcing them to replace fleets without dedicated state funding and potentially impacting their operational capabilities.

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A growing number of U.S. federal lawmakers are pushing for a total ban on drones made by China’s Da-Jiang Innovations, better known as DJI.

Already, the company’s drones have been blacklisted by the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce, and House Republicans are now looking to add them to the Federal Communication Commission’s Covered List. They’ve been outright banned from use by the Florida government and law enforcement agencies. And now, another state has done the same.

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.