On January 7, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) released Disciplenary Action (DA) 26-22, which removes certain Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) and UAS critical components from the FCC’s Covered List of technologies banned for import and use. This comes after the FCC’s decision on December 21, 2025, which placed the entire category of foreign-made UAS and UAS components on the Covered List with no warning to the UAS commercial and recreational communities.
Along with DA 26-22, the FCC released a Fact and FAQ sheet, which state that entities, including UAS producers, can apply for specific determinations from the relevant federal agencies, referred to as ‘conditional approvals’, which can exempt individual technologies from the FCC’s Covered List—a potential pathway for relief for many commercial UAS manufacturers.
It also exempts any UAS or UAS critical components included on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA) Blue UAS Cleared List—a log of UAS, components, and software which has been cleared by the government for federal purchase and use. Likewise, UAS and UAS components which qualify as ‘domestic end products’ under the Buy American Act could potentially be exempted if they are assembled in the United States with a higher percentage of domestic components than foreign; though the Blue UAS list and Buy American Act provisions are set to expire in January of 2027 if not renewed or succeeded by a further determination.
While this release from the FCC does signal that their initial December 2025 decision was made too broadly, it still leaves the future of recreational and commercial UAS imports unclear, as these pathways to approval and exemption remain largely untested. AMA is still pursuing several routes to relief and further clarity through our connections in Washington, D.C. and with other UAS stakeholders. We will continue to update our community with new information as it becomes available.
To remain current with the most recent government-related news, regularly visit the AMA Government Affairs blog. If you have any further questions or concerns, contact the Government Affairs department at (765) 287-1256 or amagov@modelaircraft.org.