Prohibited UAS Manufacturers
NDAA 2023 — Prohibited Drone Manufacturers/Assemblers. Beginning December 2025, drones assembled or manufactured by companies with an exclusion in sam.gov may not be purchased with federal funds or used on federal projects.
- This restriction applies to the companies that make DJI, KJI, Autel, Tello and others. Drones manufactured by these companies may not be purchased with federal funds or used on federal projects starting December 2025.
- A list of drones that comply with federal regulations is at Blue UAS Cleared List. This list is updated and maintained by the Defense Innovation Unit.
- Text of the law is available for download. Definitions are in Section 1882 (page 1) and the applicable restriction is in Section 1825 (page 4).
- This prohibition applies to federal funds and federal projects. Review the terms and conditions for non-federal funding and projects to determine if similar restrictions apply.