C-DRONE GUIDE · 10 FEBRUARY 2026
Open or specific category: which framework for your drone flight?
Since EU regulation 2019/947, every civil drone flight falls into a category: open, specific or certified. In practice, 95% of professional missions come down to the first two. Here is how to determine which one applies to your operation, with the exact thresholds in force in 2026.
The three European categories in a nutshell
Implementing regulation (EU) 2019/947, applicable in France since 31 December 2020, classifies drone operations by risk, not by leisure or professional use. The open category covers low-risk flights: drone under 25 kg, visual line of sight (VLOS), maximum height of 120 metres above ground, no overflight of assemblies of people, no dangerous goods. It requires neither authorisation nor prior declaration to the DGAC, the French civil aviation authority.
The specific category takes over as soon as a single one of those limits is exceeded: beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), urban flight close to uninvolved people, height above 120 m, heavy drone. It relies on a risk assessment and on standard scenarios. Finally, the certified category concerns operations comparable to manned aviation (passenger transport, large aircraft over crowds): it remains marginal in 2026 and does not affect everyday photography, inspection or surveillance work.
Open category: subcategories A1, A2 and A3
The open category splits into three subcategories based on proximity to people. In A1, with a class C0 drone (under 250 g) or C1 (under 900 g), you may fly close to isolated individuals but never over an assembly of people; with a C1, overflying uninvolved people must remain exceptional and as brief as possible. In A2, with a class C2 drone (under 4 kg), you fly no closer than 30 metres from uninvolved people, reduced to 5 metres with the low-speed mode enabled — provided you hold the A2 certificate. In A3, any drone under 25 kg may fly, but far from everything: no uninvolved person within the flight area and at least 150 metres from any residential, commercial, industrial or recreational area.
Mind the French specificity: the national airspace order prohibits leisure open-category flight over public space in built-up areas. Decisive change: since 1 January 2026, the order of 23 December 2025 allows open-category flights over public space in built-up areas for professional activities — with no overflight of people and daytime only. A professional remote pilot can therefore now film a street in Lyon or Bordeaux in the open category, where the specific category used to be required.
Specific category: STS-01, STS-02 and authorisations
Since 1 January 2026, the French national scenarios S1, S2 and S3 can no longer be used: declarations based on them ceased to be valid on 31 December 2025. Operators now work with the European standard scenarios: STS-01 (visual line of sight, up to 120 m, including over populated areas, with a class C5 drone) and STS-02 (beyond visual line of sight up to 2 km with airspace observers, in sparsely populated areas, class C6 drone). A simple operational declaration on AlphaTango is enough, together with an operations manual and the remote pilot's certificates.
If the mission falls outside the standard scenarios — BVLOS inspection in a city, flight above 120 m for a tall wind turbine, drone swarms — the operator must obtain an operational authorisation from the DGAC, based on a SORA risk assessment or a predefined risk assessment (PDRA). Allow several weeks to several months of processing: this route must be prepared well ahead of the job.
Which framework for which job? Concrete cases
A few examples drawn from the most requested missions in France. Aerial photo of a house in a rural area: open category A1 with a sub-250 g drone, or A3 if the land is clear — no paperwork beyond operator registration. Roof inspection in a city centre: public space in a built-up area — possible in the open category for a professional since 1 January 2026 (no overflight of people, daytime only), otherwise specific category STS-01; in both cases, prior notification to the préfecture. Construction progress monitoring on the outskirts: often possible in A2 or A3 if the site is closed to the public and outside the built-up area, otherwise STS-01. Thermal survey of a ground-mounted solar farm: A3 in most cases, the site being fenced and isolated.
- Drone < 250 g, countryside, people far away: open A1 — zero flight formality.
- C2 drone, suburban area, third parties beyond 30 m: open A2 — A2 certificate required.
- Built-up area, public space: open category for professionals since 2026 (no overflight of people, daytime only) or specific STS-01 — préfecture notification either way.
- Beyond visual line of sight, linear corridor (pipeline, railway): specific STS-02 or SORA authorisation.
If in doubt about a given site, the Géoportail restriction map and a chat with the operator settle it within minutes: the category always follows from the drone + environment pair, never from the service type alone.
What this means for the client of a drone service
For a client, the applicable category determines three very concrete things: lead time, price and feasibility. An open-category mission can be scheduled within 48 hours. An urban mission requires a préfecture notification at least 10 working days before the flight (cerfa form 15476*04, deadline in force since 1 January 2026) — allow two to three weeks' notice. A SORA authorisation is measured in months and noticeably increases the quote, as the operator must produce a full safety case.
Before signing, always ask your provider for: their AlphaTango UAS operator number, the category and scenario planned for your site, their liability insurance certificate and, in populated areas, proof of the préfecture notification. A serious professional provides these without difficulty; it is the best filter against operators who fly outside the rules and expose you, as the client, to a job cancelled on the day — or even to shared liability in the event of an incident.