Agricultural Drone Rules NZ: What's Changing and What Isn't

The Government has announced that it intends to overhaul the rules surrounding routine, lower-risk agricultural drone work and create a simpler pathway, while maintaining critical public safety and environmental protections. Under the change, an operator doing routine, lower-risk work would give advance notification to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before starting, rather than applying for an unmanned aircraft operator certificate (UAOC) first.

The announcement was made by Regulation Minister David Seymour and Associate Transport Minister James Meager, following a review in which the Ministry for Regulation heard that red tape was getting in the way of farmers using agricultural drones for spraying. It covers routine activities such as spraying pesticides and herbicides, and distributing fertiliser, lime, seed and manure across cropland, pasture, orchards, vineyards, market gardens and forests. The target is mid-2027, following detailed design work and public consultation.

If you operate agricultural drones in New Zealand, the current rules still apply in full.

What the ADA said

The Agricultural Drone Association welcomed the announcement.

"This is what we asked for," says ADA president Craig Simpson. "We discussed this topic with the Minister two weeks ago, so we're very pleased to see it reflected in today's announcement."

ADA represents 130 members, approximately half of New Zealand's certificated agricultural drone operators, most of them professional contractors.

Simpson says "The change removes an approval queue rather than a safety requirement. Pilots will still need pilot certification, chemical handling competency and in-field assessment."

"This is fit for purpose regulation, not deregulation," Simpson says. "When compliance is achievable, more operators comply, and that's what actually makes the skies safer."

"For contractors it means that once you've done the training and proved you're competent, you can get on with routine agricultural work instead of spending another eight or ten months waiting on an operator certificate," Simpson says. "CAA were working hard with a rule that didn't allow them to move quickly."

"New Zealand usually leads in agricultural technology adoption but current regulation slowed drone uptake and put us behind the rest of the world. This change will help accelerate the innovation we are internationally known for."

What is not changing

Pilot certification remains. The announcement covers how operators notify the CAA about routine work. Anyone flying agricultural drones still needs to be trained and certificated as a pilot.

Chemical handling competency still applies. So does in-field assessment. 

A UAOC would still be required for complex and higher-risk work. Only routine, lower-risk agricultural operations are proposed to move to notification. Anything outside that continues through the existing certification process.

Spraying from aircraft and helicopters is unaffected. Existing requirements remain in place for manned aerial application.

None of it happens until mid-2027 at the earliest. The Minister has directed officials to design the new pathway, and public consultation is still to come. The detail is not settled, and consultation exists precisely so it can change.

If you are currently in the certification queue

Keep going.

Certification remains the only way to operate until a new pathway exists, which is not expected before mid-2027. It also keeps its value afterwards, because a UAOC would still be required for complex and higher-risk operations.

Nothing you are building now is wasted. Anyone who completes certification in the meantime can work the coming season while the new pathway is still being designed.

ADA has told CAA that it wants operators currently in the queue helped through faster, and is working with the regulator on how to do that.

If you are weighing up whether to start the process now, get in touch and we will talk it through with you.

What happens next

The review behind the announcement was led by the Ministry for Regulation. The rules themselves sit with CAA and the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport have invited the ADA to take part in the design phase. Public consultation will follow.

ADA will run workshops with members so the positions it takes into that process are set by working operators rather than decided for them. Members who want to be involved should get in touch.

We will update as the design work and consultation progress.

Common questions

Has drone certification been scrapped in New Zealand?

No, and nothing has changed yet. The Minister has directed officials to overhaul the rules surrounding routine, lower-risk agricultural drone work. Pilot certification, chemical handling competency and in-field assessment are still necessary, and a UAOC would still be required for complex and higher-risk operations.

When do the new agricultural drone rules take effect?

Mid-2027 is the target. The Minister has directed officials to design the new pathway, and public consultation is still to come, so the detail is not settled. Until then the current rules apply in full.

Do I still need a Part 102 pilot certificate?

Yes. What has been announced covers an operator certificate, not a pilot certificate. Anyone flying agricultural drones will still need to be trained and certificated as a pilot.

Should I stop my UAOC application?

No. If you are currently in the certification queue, the ADA's advice is to keep going. Certification is the only way to operate until a new pathway exists, which is not expected before mid-2027, and it keeps its value afterwards because a UAOC would still be required for complex and higher-risk work. If you are weighing up whether to begin the process now, contact the ADA and we will talk it through with you.

What work does the change cover?

Routine, lower-risk agricultural operations. The Government has described this as including spraying pesticides and herbicides, and distributing fertiliser, lime, seed and manure, across cropland, pasture, orchards, vineyards, market gardens and forests. The exact boundaries will be settled during the design phase and public consultation.

What is a UAOC?

An unmanned aircraft operator certificate. It is issued by the Civil Aviation Authority to the operator of a drone business or operation, rather than to an individual pilot, and it currently requires submitting an exposition setting out how operations will be managed safely. Approval has been taking around eight to ten months.

What replaces the UAOC for routine work?

Advance notification to the Civil Aviation Authority before work begins. The detail of what that notification would involve has not been designed yet. That work is happening now, and public consultation will follow.

Does this change anything for spraying from planes or helicopters?

No. Existing requirements remain in place for manned aerial application.

Does this apply to drones over 25kg?

The weight thresholds have not been decided. An earlier change allowed drones under 25kg to be used for mapping, monitoring and stock shifting without certification or notification, and the Government has said officials are looking at ways to extend that flexibility to larger drones. Most agricultural spray drones are well over 25kg, so where those thresholds land matters a great deal to operators. It is one of the questions the ADA is taking into the design phase.

Do I still need a chemical rating?

Yes. Chemical handling competency is not part of what has been announced, and neither is in-field assessment. The ADA's position is that the training and competency standards should not form part of what gets simplified.

More information

The Minister's announcement is available on beehive.govt.nz.

If you have questions about what this means for your own operation, contact ADA president Craig Simpson on president@agdroneassociation.org.nz.

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Media enquiries Craig Simpson, President, Agricultural Drone Association president@agdroneassociation.org.nz 

Photography and video of agricultural drone operations available on request.