The drone war escalates: DJI sues FCC to save US sales

DJI has filed a petition for review in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to place DJI on the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC’s) Covered List. This move blocks new equipment authorizations tied to DJI products and components in the United States.

What the FCC’s “Covered List” means

The FCC’s Covered List is a formal list of communications equipment and services deemed to pose “an unacceptable risk” to US national security (under the Secure Networks Act framework).

In December 2025, the FCC announced it would update the Covered List to include certain foreign unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and critical components on a “going forward” basis—meaning previously authorized drones already in use were not the target, but new authorizations could be blocked.

Why DJI says it’s challenging the decision

Reporting on the petition says DJI argues the FCC overstepped its authority and that the Covered List decision is harming its business by preventing new approvals needed for import, marketing, and sale of new DJI models and components.

DJI has also been telling customers that existing DJI products should continue to work, while warning that future availability of products could be affected if the company were placed on the Covered List.

Timeline and the broader context

The FCC’s foreign-drone action took effect around late December 2025, when the agency added foreign-made drones and components (including DJI) to the Covered List, citing national security concerns and pointing to an approvals pathway involving defense agencies for exceptions.

Multiple outlets now report DJI’s legal challenge as the next escalation—moving the fight into federal court as the company seeks to overturn the Covered List designation.

What happens next

The petition puts the dispute on a litigation track, where the court will determine whether the FCC’s Covered List expansion and its application to DJI were lawful under the relevant statutes and procedures. In the meantime, the FCC’s Covered List framework remains in place, and new authorization constraints are still the key pressure point for DJI’s US product pipeline.