Drone insurance - What should you consider when getting drone insurance? | EASA (2024)

FAQs

What insurance is needed for a drone? ›

Liability coverage is important to cover legal claims and costs if your drone causes accidents. Physical damage coverage protects your drone if it gets damaged in a crash or collision.

Drone insurance isn't required by law so it's up to you to decide whether it's worth purchasing a separate policy. Drone insurance can protect you against damage to your drone, liability in the event that you damage someone else's property and more. Your homeowners insurance policy may cover you in certain situations.

The Role of Drones in Insurance Claims

Drones can record clear, high-resolution photographs of damage from natural disasters to ordinary accidents. This technique is extremely useful for insurance loss adjusters, who assess damage and determine claims.

If you fly a drone or model aircraft for recreation, sport, or as a hobby, you can choose whether or not to have insurance. If you fly for any other reason, you must have third party insurance. For example, you must have insurance if you: get paid to take pictures or record video.

If your drone is damaged by a covered peril, your drone may be covered under your policy's personal property coverage. Also, if your drone is stolen, personal property coverage on your homeowners insurance policy may cover theft.

If your drone is lost, damaged or causes loss, damage or injury to others, drone insurance covers your liability costs to a certain extent, depending on the policy.

Is Drone Insurance Required by Law? If you live in the United States, drone insurance is not currently required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for either recreational or commercial drone use.

Hull insurance applies to the cost of the drone itself should it get damaged. Drone insurance coverage can also extend to associated payload or ground equipment. Liability insurance can cover the cost of property damage or personal injury in the case of a drone-related accident.

Within ten days of completing an operation where certain types of aircraft accidents have occurred, 14 C.F.R. §107.9 requires a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) owner or operator to report those accidents to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

You can actually lose your remote pilot certificate and/or not be allowed to apply for a certificate in the first place for up to one year if there's been any recent federal or state alcohol or drug violations.

Do I really need a drone license? ›

For drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds and up to 55 pounds (about 25 kilograms), operators must register their drones and, if flying commercially, get a Part 107 license. It is important to remember that the drone's weight includes everything on it when it takes off.

Aviation third party liability covers third party property damage and bodily injury caused by a drone accident. Aviation third party liability binds to the drone itself unlike general public liability which is for the entire business. Most general public liability policies will exclude any aviation related activity.

Drone Size and Weight Factors

In the U.S., drones weighing less than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) are exempt from registration if used recreationally.

No, drone pilots do not need any sort of medical certificate. Instead, the FAA relies on drone pilots to do a self-assessment on their physical and mental conditions, and to determine if they are fit enough to fly a drone according to a few guidelines.

Do I Need a Pilot License's to Fly a Drone Commercially? Yes, but it is NOT one of the expensive manned aircraft pilot licenses most people think about. You only need the Part 107 remote pilot certificate (also informally known as a “commercial drone license”) to operate your drone commercially.