The most direct way to weigh in is to file a comment with the FCC in its Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), using the docket number of the proceeding you care about, and to contact your members of Congress. Online petitions get attention, but the FCC only has to consider what's filed in its own record. The December 2025 listing itself wasn't a public vote, and DJI's legal challenge is in federal court.
What there is to comment on
- The December 2025 Covered List addition. The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau added foreign-made drones and drone components, plus DJI and Autel communications equipment, to the Covered List on December 22, 2025, based on a national security determination from outside the FCC. There was no commissioner vote on that listing. See the DJI ban timeline.
- The "military-grade" proposal. On July 21, 2026 the FCC proposed stopping further import and sale of previously authorized foreign drones with thermal or LiDAR sensors, spray systems, docks, swarm capability, or a takeoff weight of 55 lb or more. It's PS Docket No. 26-189. Comments were due September 2, 2026. The FCC treats it as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding, which means later filings are allowed if they follow its ex parte rules.
- The underlying rules. In October 2025 the full Commission voted to adopt the equipment authorization rules that let it limit sales of previously authorized covered equipment. That vote is what people usually mean by the "DJI ban vote."
How to file in ECFS
- Go to the FCC's ECFS page.
- Choose to submit a filing and enter the docket number, for example 26-189.
- Enter your name and address. Filings are public.
- Type a short comment or upload a document.
- Submit and keep the confirmation number.
What makes a comment useful: say who you are (hobby pilot, small business, farmer, first responder), which drones you use and for what, what it would cost you to replace them, and what alternatives exist for your work. Facts and numbers carry more weight than form letters.
Appeals and court challenges
DJI asked the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in February 2026 to set aside the FCC's decision, and also asked the FCC to reconsider. Individual pilots aren't parties to that case. If you want to support either side, the practical route is industry groups that file briefs or comments on members' behalf.
Contacting Congress
The Covered List process started with a defense bill, and Congress can change it. Your senators and representative are listed on senate.gov and house.gov. A short message that names your state, your use and the impact works best.
What doesn't change while you wait
- Drones authorized before the listing, including every drone in our shop, stay legal to buy, own and fly.
- The FCC allows firmware and software updates for them through January 1, 2029.
- The July proposal, if adopted as written, wouldn't affect drones you already own.
Details are on is DJI banned in the US and will the ban affect drones you own.
Current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. We don't take a position for you; we just explain the process.
Need a drone for work before rules change? Contact us about current availability.
Related guides
- Can you still get DJI parts and repairs after the ban?
- DJI ban timeline: what happened and what's next
- Is the DJI Osmo Pocket, Action, Mic and Ronin affected by the US ban?
- Which DJI products are affected by the ban? (Mini 5 Pro, Neo 2, Osmo 360)
- Will the DJI ban affect drones you already own?
- Can you buy the DJI Air 3S in the US? Ban status and price
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