How to register a drone in Canada with Transport Canada
Which drones must be registered, how the Drone Management Portal works, marking and fees, and how to keep registration records straight as your fleet grows.
Aerosyne is an independent commercial product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Transport Canada, NAV CANADA, or the Government of Canada. This guide is general information, not legal or regulatory advice — always confirm current registration requirements and fees with Transport Canada.
Which drones must be registered
Transport Canada requires you to register any drone that weighs between 250 grams and 25 kilograms before it flies in Canada. This applies to recreational and commercial aircraft alike. Drones under 250 grams do not need to be registered, and drones over 25 kilograms fall under different rules that generally require a Special Flight Operations Certificate.
Registration is per aircraft. If you operate a fleet, every airframe in the 250 g – 25 kg range needs its own registration and its own marking, even if they are identical models.
Register
Every drone 250 g – 25 kg, recreational or commercial, before its first flight.
No registration
Drones under 250 g (but you still fly under safe-operation expectations).
Different process
Drones over 25 kg and special operations need an SFOC, not standard registration.
How to register a drone in Canada, step by step
Drone registration is handled online through Transport Canada’s Drone Management Portal. You create an account, provide the required details about the aircraft and yourself, and pay a small per-aircraft fee. Once registered, you receive a registration number for that specific drone.
You must mark the drone with its registration number so it is clearly visible on the aircraft before you fly. Keep your registration confirmation — you are expected to have proof of registration available, and clean records make life easier if a flight is ever reviewed.
1. Create an account
Register in the Drone Management Portal with your details as the registrant.
2. Add the aircraft
Enter the make, model, and serial information for each drone and pay the per-aircraft fee.
3. Mark the drone
Display the issued registration number on the aircraft so it is visible from outside.
4. Keep proof
Retain your registration confirmation and have it available when you operate.
Registration is not the same as your pilot certificate
Registering the drone and certifying the pilot are two separate requirements that people often conflate. Registration is about the aircraft — each one gets a number and a marking. The Pilot Certificate is about you — your authority to operate, earned by exam (and, for Advanced operations, a flight review).
To fly a 250 g – 25 kg drone legally you generally need both: a registered, marked aircraft and a valid pilot certificate at the right level for where and how you are flying.
Keeping registration records straight across a fleet
For a single hobby drone, registration is a one-time task. For a commercial operation, it becomes an ongoing record-keeping problem: which registration number belongs to which airframe, which aircraft are still in service, and how registration ties back to maintenance and flight history.
When that information lives in someone’s memory or a spreadsheet, it drifts. Aerosyne keeps each registered aircraft, its registration number, maintenance status, and flight logs connected in one place, so the link between a drone, its registration, and the work it performed never gets lost.
Turn Canadian RPAS requirements into an audit-ready operating record
Aerosyne keeps pilot certificates, drone registration, maintenance, flight logs, and NAV CANADA-aware airspace context connected to the jobs they support — so compliance evidence is always one search away.
Common questions about drone registration
Short, practical answers. Always confirm current requirements with Transport Canada before you fly.
How do I register a drone in Canada?
Register online through Transport Canada’s Drone Management Portal: create an account, add each drone with its make, model, and serial details, pay the per-aircraft fee, and mark the aircraft with the registration number you receive before flying.
How much does drone registration cost in Canada?
Transport Canada charges a small per-aircraft registration fee through the Drone Management Portal. Because fees can change, confirm the current amount on the Transport Canada portal before registering.
Do I need to register every drone I own?
Yes. Registration is per aircraft for drones between 250 g and 25 kg. Each airframe needs its own registration and its own visible marking, even if they are the same model.
Do I need to register a drone under 250 grams?
No. Drones under 250 g do not require registration. You are still expected to fly safely and avoid other aircraft, people, and restricted airspace.
Is drone registration the same as a drone licence?
No. Registration covers the aircraft; the Pilot Certificate (Basic or Advanced) covers you. For most 250 g – 25 kg drones you need both a registered aircraft and a valid pilot certificate.
Next steps in Canadian compliance
From registration to certification to records — the rest of the Canadian RPAS picture, plus the platform that keeps it audit-ready.
Canada · Guide
Drone regulations in Canada
A plain-language overview of Transport Canada RPAS rules: who needs a certificate, registration, where you can fly, and Basic vs Advanced operations.
Canada · Certification
Drone pilot certificate in Canada
How the Pilot Certificate — Basic and Advanced operations work: the exams, the flight review, recency, and what each level lets you do.
Canada · SFOC
What is an SFOC in Canada?
When a Special Flight Operations Certificate is required, how it relates to advanced and BVLOS operations, and the records reviewers expect to see.
Compliance
Drone compliance software
Keep certificates, permits, maintenance evidence, and flight logs audit-ready without scattering records across spreadsheets.