# Beijing is about to make drones illegal to own

> From November 15, keeping a drone anywhere inside Beijing city limits becomes grounds for confiscation and fines.
- Title: Beijing is about to make drones illegal to own · Malay Mail
- Summary: From November 15, keeping a drone anywhere inside Beijing city limits becomes grounds for confiscation and fines. Beijing is moving from restricting drone…
- Keywords: drones, beijing, china, airspace security, regulation, news, world, make, illegal, own, Malay Mail
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/world/2026/09/14/beijing-to-ban-confiscate-drones-starting-november-as-capital-tightens-airspace-security/235170
- Published: 2026-09-14T14:59:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: drones, beijing, china, airspace security, regulation, news, world
## Owning a drone becomes illegal
From November 15, Beijing bans possessing and storing drones anywhere inside the city. The municipal government announced the rules on September 13.

> Beijing will ban the possession and storage of drones within the city from November 15
## Flights and parts too
The regulations also ban drone flights in the capital's airspace and block bringing drones or their components into the city at all.
## A crash changed the mood
Airspace worries spiked in June when a small aircraft hit Beijing's tallest skyscraper, killing the pilot and injuring 13 people.
## The ratchet started in May
Drone sales were already banned in Beijing from May. Owners had to register their devices, but they were still allowed to keep them.
## Dispose or lose it
Owners must scrap their drones or move them out of Beijing by November 15 or face confiscation and fines. The city is offering subsidies, buy-back channels and free shipping.
## Narrow exits remain
Exemptions may be granted for counter-terrorism, agriculture, disaster relief and research. Everyone else has two months to comply.
## Key takeaway

Beijing is moving from restricting drone flights to banning the devices themselves, with a hard deadline of November 15.