DJI is taking its fight with US regulators to federal court, filing a petition for review in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to add the drone maker to the FCC’s Covered List. If the designation stands, it could make it far harder for DJI to bring new drones and key components to the United States, potentially reshaping what products the company can launch and sell in the American market.
At the center of the dispute is the FCC’s Covered List, a federal framework created under the Secure Networks Act. The list identifies communications equipment and services that US authorities consider to pose an “unacceptable risk” to national security. Being placed on the Covered List doesn’t just create reputational damage—it can have immediate operational consequences because it blocks new equipment authorizations that manufacturers typically need before products can be imported, marketed, and sold in the US.
In December 2025, the FCC said it would expand its approach to include certain foreign unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and critical drone components on a “going forward” basis. In practical terms, that means drones that were already authorized and already in use were not the primary target of the change. The bigger pressure point is future approvals: new models, refreshed hardware, or components tied to upcoming products could be stopped at the authorization stage, complicating future DJI drone imports and new product releases.
DJI’s petition argues that the FCC exceeded its authority in making the Covered List decision and that the move is already harming the company’s business. The company’s position is that the inability to secure new approvals disrupts its ability to introduce new DJI drones and related components in the US, limiting its pipeline and threatening future availability for customers.
At the same time, DJI has been communicating that existing products should continue to function for current owners, while cautioning that future product availability could be impacted if the Covered List designation restricts new authorizations. That distinction matters for consumers and commercial operators alike: the immediate concern is less about drones suddenly shutting down and more about whether new DJI models and official components will be able to enter the market.
The FCC’s foreign-drone action took effect around late December 2025, when the agency added foreign-made drones and components—including DJI—to the Covered List, citing national security concerns. The policy also pointed to an exceptions pathway tied to defense-related agencies, suggesting there may be a route for certain approvals depending on how regulators evaluate specific cases. Still, the overall effect remains significant: the default posture is tighter scrutiny and potential denial of new approvals.
Now, DJI’s legal challenge escalates the situation into a court battle. The Ninth Circuit will ultimately weigh whether the FCC’s Covered List expansion—and its application to DJI—was lawful under the governing statutes and whether the agency followed required procedures. While the case proceeds, the current framework remains in place, and the restrictions on new equipment authorizations continue to be the major obstacle hanging over DJI’s US product roadmap.
For American drone buyers watching the situation unfold, the lawsuit could influence what options are available in the future, how quickly new drone models reach shelves, and how reliably manufacturers can support hardware with official components over time. For DJI, it’s a high-stakes attempt to reverse a decision that could limit its ability to compete in one of the world’s most important drone markets.
