DJI US Ban Looms in 42 Days as Government Fails to Begin Required Audit

With simply 42 days till a December 23, 2025 deadline, DJI faces an automated ban in the USA until a federal company completes a mandated safety audit. Part 1709 of the FY25 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act requires an “acceptable nationwide safety company” to evaluate whether or not DJI drones pose unacceptable safety dangers. If no dedication is made by the deadline, DJI will likely be routinely added to the FCC’s Coated Checklist, successfully banning new product certifications and blocking future drone imports. Regardless of almost a 12 months passing because the NDAA’s enactment, no US company has initiated the assessment course of, prompting DJI to launch an pressing advocacy marketing campaign by the Drone Advocacy Alliance calling for both fast motion or a deadline extension. Let’s dive into the newest on the looming DJI US ban. The clock is ticking for the world’s largest drone producer. DJI posted a stark warning on Instagram yesterday, alerting U.S.-based drone operators that “a deadline that might determine DJI’s destiny within the US is simply 43 days away.” The corporate emphasised that underneath the FY25 NDAA, the federal government was meant to audit Chinese language drone producers together with DJI earlier than any bans may take impact. Nevertheless, based on DJI, “no audit has been executed.”The state of affairs represents a essential juncture for filmmakers, cinematographers, and content material creators who’ve constructed their workflows round DJI’s ecosystem. From the ever present Mini sequence to skilled instruments just like the Encourage 3 and Ronin 4D, DJI merchandise dominate the business drone market with an estimated 76% market share in the USA.Part 1709 and the audit requirementWhen Congress handed the FY25 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act in December 2024 (full invoice textual content right here for those who’re into that), lawmakers intentionally averted together with the extra aggressive Countering CCP Drones Act that will have instantly banned DJI merchandise. As an alternative, Part 1709 mandated a one-year assessment course of. The availability requires a delegated nationwide safety company to find out whether or not communications and video surveillance tools from Chinese language producers, particularly naming DJI and Autel Robotics, pose “an unacceptable threat to nationwide safety.”The deadline: December 23, 2025. Practically one 12 months has handed because the NDAA’s enactment, and based on a number of experiences, no federal company has formally begun the safety evaluation. DJI despatched letters to 5 companies in March 2025 (Division of Homeland Safety, Division of Protection, FBI, NSA, and Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence) requesting initiation of the mandated assessment. None have confirmed they’re conducting the audit.Adam Welsh, DJI’s Head of International Coverage, defined the corporate’s place: “DJI has repeatedly expressed its readiness to participate in a clear, well timed, and honest audit by official channels. Greater than ten months have now handed with no signal that the method has begun.”Extra lately, we’ve seen DJI focus quite a bit on non-drone merchandise extra, most likely partly due to their impending US drone ban. Right here’s the Osmo Nano digital camera, however they even launched a vacuum cleaner and a more recent era of their massive cellular battery lately. Supply: DJIWhat occurs on December 23?If no company completes the safety dedication by the deadline, the results are automated and fast. DJI will likely be added to the FCC’s Coated Checklist underneath the Safe and Trusted Communication Networks Act. This designation would prohibit the FCC from authorizing DJI’s communications tools, successfully blocking any new product that comprises radio transmitters from receiving FCC approval.For filmmakers and content material creators, this implies no new DJI drones, gimbals, wi-fi video techniques, or digital camera tools may enter the U.S. market. Present merchandise would stay authorized to function, however help, firmware updates, and alternative components may change into more and more troublesome to acquire. The ban would apply to new mannequin certifications, not retroactively to already-approved tools at the moment in use.The FCC lately voted 3-0 to grant itself extra authority to retroactively revoke beforehand approved tools in particular instances, although this energy has not been utilized to DJI as the corporate is just not at the moment on the Coated Checklist.The 30-day compression controversyAdding urgency to an already tight timeline, lawmakers in July 2025 pushed for compressing the audit course of to only 30 days. Representatives Elise Stefanik, John Moolenaar, and Rick Crawford submitted a proper request urging federal companies to finish the assessment inside this accelerated timeframe.DJI responded with concern, arguing that “a reputable evaluation should permit time for proof to be reviewed, and it should embody significant alternatives for engagement, clarification, and accountable dialogue.” The corporate emphasised {that a} rushed audit dangers undermining the intent of the unique laws, which known as for an intensive, evidence-based dedication.The Drone Advocacy Alliance campaignFacing this existential risk, DJI launched an advocacy push directing U.S. customers to the Drone Advocacy Alliance web site. The group, which is sponsored by and maintained by DJI Expertise Inc., supplies instruments for drone operators to contact their congressional representatives urging a deadline extension or fast audit graduation.The web site permits customers to routinely match with their members of Congress by a kind submission, producing messages that ask lawmakers to “modify the supply by including an modification to this 12 months’s NDAA to delay the deadline date, appoint a single company accountable for finishing up this evaluation and be sure that the outcomes are made public.”The Drone Advocacy Alliance, initiated and maintained by DJI, urges US drone pilots to take motion and name their Members of Congress. Screenshot from the web site.The Drone Advocacy Alliance describes itself as “a non-partisan, drone-agnostic grassroots advocacy coalition,” although its clear DJI sponsorship has drawn scrutiny. In Might 2024, Representatives Moolenaar and Stefanik urged the Division of Justice to analyze the Alliance for potential International Brokers Registration Act (FARA) violations, characterizing it as a part of what they known as a “CCP-led disinformation and propaganda marketing campaign.”DJI maintains that the Alliance represents a broad coalition of drone customers whose livelihoods rely on entry to Chinese language-manufactured tools, not simply firm pursuits. Companions embody the Drone Service Suppliers Alliance, Blue Nostril Aerial Imaging, Dronelink, DroneSense, and the Pilot Institute.The DJI-sponsored Drone Advocacy Alliance urges drone customers within the US to print and distribute flyers like this one. Picture credit score: Drone Advocacy AllianceImpact on the movie and content material creation industryFor skilled cinematographers and content material creators, a DJI ban would pressure important workflow adjustments. The corporate’s dominance within the business drone market means options are restricted, notably at aggressive worth factors. American producers like Skydio focus totally on enterprise and public security purposes relatively than cinema-grade imaging instruments.Skilled productions at the moment counting on DJI techniques just like the Encourage 3 with Zenmuse X9 cameras, or the Mavic 3 Professional Cine for compact aerial cinematography, would want to supply tools earlier than the potential December cutoff. Present stock would stay operational, however accessing new fashions, alternative components, or next-generation know-how may change into inconceivable.The state of affairs additionally impacts ground-based tools. DJI’s Ronin gimbal sequence, RS stabilizers, and wi-fi video transmission techniques just like the DJI Transmission may all face import restrictions as they include radio transmitters requiring FCC authorization.Earlier CineD coverageWe beforehand coated this growing state of affairs in depth, analyzing the broader implications of U.S. drone restrictions for filmmakers and content material creators. The continuing uncertainty has already impacted DJI’s U.S. operations, with many merchandise exhibiting “offered out” standing on the corporate’s official retailer and stock tightening at main retailers together with Greatest Purchase, Amazon, and B&H Picture.U.S. Customs has additionally elevated scrutiny of DJI shipments in current months, with some imports experiencing delays, although these actions should not formally tied to the NDAA provision.It’s nonetheless onerous to pay money for new DJI drones just like the Mavic 4 Professional within the US – until you pay a premium, as a result of they’ll’t be offered on to distributors due to customs restrictions. Picture credit score: CineDTimeline and subsequent stepsThe December 23, 2025 deadline is mounted in laws. For the ban to be averted, one in all three outcomes should happen: a federal company completes the safety audit and determines DJI doesn’t pose unacceptable dangers; Congress amends the NDAA to increase the deadline; or Congress removes the supply fully.DJI has publicly acknowledged it welcomes the audit and believes its merchandise can stand up to scrutiny. The corporate factors to its technical safeguards, user-controlled knowledge transmission settings, and the truth that drone operators themselves management whether or not collected knowledge is transmitted or saved domestically.Nevertheless, political will seems divided. Whereas some lawmakers view Chinese language-manufactured drones as real safety threats, others argue the restrictions would disrupt 1000’s of American companies, first responders, and content material creators who rely on DJI’s know-how for his or her operations.What are your ideas on the pending DJI ban deadline? Have you ever already began contingency planning or exploring options? How would a DJI ban impression your manufacturing workflows and tools investments? Don’t hesitate to tell us within the feedback beneath!