Can you fly a drone to film or photograph in Mexico?

Mexico's rules sort drones by weight and use: micro up to 2 kg, small from 2 to 25 kg, large over 25 kg. Each class has recreational and commercial or non-commercial rules. Micro drones over 250 g need a registration folio from Mexico's aviation authority, and small drones must be registered in all cases.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Aerial photos taken with metric or reconnaissance cameras, and other remote-sensing imagery, also need authorisation from INEGI, Mexico's national statistics and geography institute.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Micro and small drones may fly no higher than 122 m (400 ft); between 9.2 km and 18.5 km from listed aerodromes the limit drops to 100 m. They may not fly more than 457 m (1,500 ft) horizontally from the pilot, and must stay in direct line of sight. Stay at least 9.2 km (5 NM) from any aerodrome and 0.9 km (0.5 NM) from any heliport.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Micro drones must not fly over uninvolved people and must keep a 10 m buffer from them; drones of 250 g or less may fly over people. Flights take place between sunrise and sunset unless the authority grants a night authorisation, and recreational night flights are not allowed.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Commercial flying with a micro drone requires valid third-party liability insurance, plus copies of the registration folio and the policy at the control station. Commercial flying with a small drone needs an operating authorisation from the aviation authority, an approved operations manual, a pilot authorisation, approved insurance and a safety study; the authorisation lasts 2 years. Large drones need a pilot licence.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Foreign-registered drones and foreign drone operators may not fly in Mexico unless there is a bilateral agreement between Mexico's aviation authority and the authority of the country where the drone is registered.

No podrán operar en México un RPAS con matrícula o registro extranjero u operados por operadores de RPAS extranjeros, diferentes a los mencionados en el numeral 4.10.15 de la presente Norma Oficial Mexicana, a menos de que exista un acuerdo bilateral entre la Autoridad Aeronáutica y la Autoridad de Aviación Civil del estado de registro/matrícula.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Checked against the official source on October 8, 2026.

Recreational micro drones need a registration folio only above 250 g, and drones of 250 g or less may fly over people.

con un peso máximo de despegue mayor a 0.250 kg en el sitio de internet de la SCT/DGAC … NOTA 1: Si el peso máximo de despegue de la RPA es igual o menor a 250 gramos, é sta se puede operar sobre personas.

Sources: Diario Oficial de la Federación: NOM-107-SCT3-2019 (Spanish)

Checked against the official source on October 8, 2026.