FCC Covered List Update: Two Temporary Exceptions for Ag Drone Supply in 2026

The FCC’s January 7, 2026 notice builds on its December 22, 2025 Covered List update for foreign-made drones and “critical components,” but creates two temporary exemptions through December 31, 2026. Drones/components on the DCMA Blue UAS list and those meeting Buy American “domestic end product” rules can still pursue FCC authorization for new models during 2026. For growers and operators, current drones can keep working, but future purchases, upgrades, and parts planning should be done earlier and more carefully.

On January 7, 2026, the FCC released a follow-up Public Notice that builds on its December 22, 2025 decision to add foreign-produced drones (UAS) and certain foreign-produced “UAS critical components” to the FCC’s Covered List. The January 7 update does not reverse the December action. Instead, it creates two temporary exemptions that allow certain drones and components to continue seeking FCC equipment authorization for new models during 2026, with the exemption ending December 31, 2026 (i.e., January 1, 2027).

The first exemption covers UAS and UAS critical components on the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) “Blue UAS” list. In plain terms, this is a set of drones and key parts that have gone through more intensive federal review, including cybersecurity and hardware checks. The FCC also notes that “Blue UAS” includes both the Blue UAS Cleared List (approved platforms) and the Blue UAS Framework (approved components and software).

The second exemption covers UAS and UAS critical components that qualify as “domestic end products” under the Buy American Standard. A product can be treated as American-made if it meets two requirements: it must be manufactured in the United States, and it must contain enough U.S.-made components (by cost). For most manufactured products, the U.S. component cost must be more than 65% through 2028, and more than 75% starting in 2029. For products made mostly or entirely of iron or steel, the standard is stricter: foreign iron or steel must be under 5% of total component cost.

What this means in practice: the FCC is still treating foreign-produced drones and critical components as a national-security supply-chain concern, but it has opened two narrow pathways—Blue UAS and Buy American “domestic end products” that can still qualify for new FCC approvals during 2026. This carve-out is temporary and is expected to be reassessed ahead of the January 1, 2027 deadline.

For farmers, PCAs, and other stakeholders, the day-to-day guidance is largely unchanged for 2026: you can continue using drones you already own for spraying and mapping, and you can typically repair them and replace parts using systems and components that are already approved and available. The biggest risk remains in future purchases and upgrades, so it’s smart to be more cautious when buying new equipment, planning repairs, and choosing platforms especially if you may need parts quickly during the season. Ask simple questions to vendor:

• Is this exact model already FCC-authorized and currently legal to sell in the U.S.?
• Does it qualify under the Blue UAS exemption or the Buy American domestic end product exemption for 2026?
• If something fails mid-season, will you have controllers, batteries/smart batteries, motors in stock and are they the same approved models (not a new revision)?

References:

FCC Public Notice (DA 26-22) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announces exemption of certain UAS and UAS critical components from FCC Covered List (Released Jan. 7, 2026).

FCC Fact Sheet + FAQs (DOC-417528A1) FCC updates Covered List to remove certain UAS and UAS critical components determined not to pose national security risks (Jan. 7, 2026).

FCC Public Notice (DA 25-1086) Addition of UAS and UAS critical components produced abroad to FCC Covered List (Released Dec. 22, 2025).

Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS List to transition to DCMA (Dec. 3, 2025).