UK drone Remote ID: the 2026 and 2028 changes
A dated guide to UK Direct Remote ID terminology and the CAA’s phased requirements, with links to official rules and practical receiver guidance.
By Layer400 · Reviewed
UK rules, checked 26 September 2026
Direct Remote ID is a local broadcast of a drone’s identification and location information. The drone does not need an internet connection to make that radio broadcast. A Layer400 receiver needs internet connectivity to contribute what it hears to the shared map.
This page explains the UK timetable at a high level. The CAA’s current Remote ID policy page is the source for the requirements, exemptions and changes. It is guidance to help you find the relevant rule, not individual legal advice.
The phased timetable
The CAA says Direct Remote ID requirements took effect on 1 January 2026 for UK1, UK2, UK3, UK5 and UK6 drones. A later phase starts on 1 January 2028 for the specified legacy and privately built aircraft and UK0 aircraft of at least 100 g with a camera, plus model aircraft unless exempted. The 2028 phase is future-dated as of this review.
Do not assume that a model’s marketing name establishes its class mark or an exemption. Check the aircraft’s marking, manufacturer instructions and current CAA guidance for the operation concerned.
Direct, networked and hybrid Remote ID
Direct means a local radio broadcast. Networked Remote ID instead sends information through an internet service. The CAA describes hybrid Remote ID as combining the two and as its preferred longer-term direction. That does not mean every drone currently sends internet-based Remote ID, or that Layer400 is the CAA registration system.
Layer400 listens for supported broadcasts through contributor receivers. It does not issue an Operator ID, configure your aircraft’s compliance setting, or give permission to fly.
What a receiver can establish
A received track shows that a compatible signal reached a receiver and was processed. An empty map is not a compliance check: the drone may be outside reception range, use a transport the station does not receive, or fall within a different legal situation. Equally, a displayed ID does not establish that an operation is authorised.
For aircraft owners, follow the manufacturer’s process for updating firmware and setting the required identity. For receiver builders, use the hardware catalogue and installation guide. For comparison with other jurisdictions, see US and EU Remote ID.