On 13 October 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation came into force, which closes a way of circumventing the restrictions on drones from companies included in the Covered List. From that date, the agency shall not authorise any new equipment containing a component of "logic-bearing" hardware manufactured by a company on that list, including DJI and Autel.
The order, known as the Third Report and Order (FCC 26-50) in the ET Docket 21-232 and published in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026, defines as "logic-bearing" those modules, integrated circuits or parts that generate digital timing signals above 9,000 cycles per second or that use radio frequency energy to compute, store or move data. In practice it reaches flight controllers, radio modules, camera plates and gimbal controllers.
The equipment already authorised above is not affected and can continue to be imported and marketed. Applications pending on 13 October are covered, but they lose this protection if the logic-bearing components are modified. The measure particularly impacts American manufacturers that assembled drones on American soil using Chinese-origin electronics from covered brands.
