DJI & Autel Drone Firmware Updates Guaranteed Until 2029
New regulation updates released on May 8th 2026 offer a promising outlook for the use of foreign-made drones in the U.S.
The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology issued Public Notice DA 26-454 on May 8, 2026, extending the waiver that allows foreign-made drones ( including your DJI and Autel equipment ) to continue receiving software and firmware updates until at least January 1, 2029.
Why Is this Significant
The original UAS waiver, previously issued in January 2026, only allowed these updates until January 2027. Many feared that in the near future their drones would become unsupported and useless. Drone updates aren’t purely feature based. Many address issues that are necessary to fix in order to continue flying safely. The new extension guaranteeing updates until at least January 1, 2029 allows more time to find a solution. This waiver also allows certain Class II permissive changes which weren’t originally included and expand the scope of the updates that can be made.
What Does This Mean for Drone Users?
Nothing has changed in terms of which DJI drone can be sold and operated in the U.S. If your DJI or Autel Drone had FCC approval before the original cutoff date set in December of 2025, then you will be able continue to update your firmware as you normally would through DJI’s or Autel’s official channels.
If you were hoping to purchase the newly released DJI or Autel drones that have not yet acquired FCC approval, the situation has not changed. New equipment authorizations for these manufacturers remain blocked. The waiver applies only to devices that were already in the market before the Covered List took effect. To see which DJI Drones can still be purchased, checkout Drone Expert Greg King’s article below.
Hope For The Future
The most interesting development buried in this notice is that the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology has signaled it intends to recommend that the full Commission codify this waiver into permanent rules. That would be a significant shift — moving from a temporary administrative waiver that can be revoked at any time to a formal regulation that would require a full public rulemaking process to undo. If that happens, the firmware update pipeline for your existing DJI and Autel hardware becomes a much more durable protection.
We’ll continue to monitor this closely and keep you informed as it develops. We know regulatory uncertainty makes it harder to plan purchases, manage fleets, and feel confident in your equipment investments. Whether you’re evaluating new platforms that meet current authorization requirements, planning for future fleet upgrades, or simply trying to make the most of the equipment you already own, we’re here to help.
As always, reach out to our team with any questions. Fly safe!
By Bianca Ranciato
Thanks for reading! In addition to drones, Capture Integration is also the world leader in Digital Medium Format Systems. If we can help you with anything, don’t hesitate to reach out!
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