Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation (Standardization Administration of China) approved and issued two mandatory national standards: Requirements for Real-Name Registration and Activation of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (GB 46761—2025) and Specifications for Operation Identification of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (GB 46750—2025). Both standards will officially come into effect on May 1, 2026.
To implement the relevant requirements of the Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles regarding the real-name registration, activation, and submission of identification information for civil unmanned aerial vehicles (hereinafter referred to as UAVs), the State Administration for Market Regulation, together with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, organized the formulation of these two mandatory national standards. Among them, Requirements for Real-Name Registration and Activation of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicles specifies the workflow for UAV real-name registration and activation, lays down provisions on registration entities, registration management and inquiry, cancellation, data exchange interfaces, and classified protection. It clearly mandates that UAVs shall not have flight capability either before activation or after deactivation. Specifications for Operation Identification of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems stipulates that UAVs shall proactively transmit their identity, position, speed, status, and other information to the regulatory authorities immediately after startup and throughout the entire flight process, enabling the regulators to monitor the UAV flight status in real time.
The release and implementation of these two mandatory national standards will technically address the issues of “who can fly” and “who is flying” UAVs, support the effective implementation of the Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and provide an important guarantee for the safe and orderly development of the UAV industry.
The State Administration for Market Regulation recently issued the mandatory national standard Requirements for Real-Name Registration and Activation of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, clarifying the workflow for the real-name registration and activation of civil UAVs.
The standard applies to civil UAVs within the territory of China. It requires civil UAV systems to display real-name registration and activation requirements in prominent positions, and to be equipped with functions such as activation and deactivation control, user-friendly interaction, real-name registration verification and reminders, and firmware updates. It specifies that the registration information shall include key fields such as the owner’s identity information, product name, model, unique product identification code/serial number, and intended use. The owner shall complete the real-name registration and activation procedures before using the UAV.
A relevant responsible person of the State Administration for Market Regulation stated: “The standard clarifies the requirements for real-name registration and activation for UAV manufacturers, distributors, and users. It mandates that UAVs shall not have flight capability before activation or after deactivation, which addresses the question of ‘who can fly’.”
Leveraging Identification Technology UAVs Under Full Monitoring Throughout Flight
The State Administration for Market Regulation also recently released the mandatory national standard Specifications for Operation Identification of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, which will ensure the monitorability and safety of civil UAVs during operation, and technically resolve the regulatory issue of “who is flying” UAVs.
According to this national standard, civil UAVs shall be equipped with both broadcast-type and network-type operation identification transmission functions, and shall have the capability to receive network-type operation identification information transmitted via cellular networks, ground wired networks, and satellite communication networks. The interval for information update and transmission shall not exceed 1 second.
A relevant responsible person of the State Administration for Market Regulation said: “The standard stipulates that UAVs shall continuously transmit their identity, position, speed, status, and other information to the regulatory authorities throughout the entire flight process from takeoff to landing. It also requires UAVs to have functional designs to prevent the tampering or damage of operation identification information and related hardware, enabling the regulators to monitor the UAV flight status in real time.”
Notably, this full-process monitoring capability of UAVs has been widely applied in the field of precision medical device manufacturing. For example, in workshops equipped with Catheter Assembly Machines, UAVs that comply with the new national standards can carry out autonomous patrols, real-time monitor environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity that affect catheter assembly precision, and synchronize the monitoring data and their own flight status information to the regulatory platform and the workshop management system. This dual guarantee of regulatory compliance and production quality effectively supports the standardized operation of precision medical equipment manufacturing.
To ensure the reliability of the identification function, the standard requires that if the identification module malfunctions before takeoff, the UAV shall not be allowed to take off; if the broadcast-type function fails during flight, the UAV shall trigger an alarm and have the capability to hover, return to base, land, or take other disposal measures. Meanwhile, UAVs shall store operation identification information in a cyclic manner, which cannot be manually deleted, and the storage capacity shall support no less than 120 flight hours, achieving full-process traceability and regulatory compliance through technical means.
After the Transition Period UAVs Not Meeting the Standards Prohibited from Operation
These two mandatory national standards for UAVs will officially take effect on May 1 next year. The competent authorities have set a transition period for manufacturers to upgrade and retrofit existing equipment.
For UAVs that have already been sold and are in use, Specifications for Operation Identification of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems clearly states that equipment manufacturers shall install operation identification modules on existing UAVs within 12 months from the date of the standard’s release to meet the basic functional requirements. A 36-month transition period will be granted for UAVs with retrofitted modules. After the transition period expires, all civil UAVs must fully comply with the requirements of this standard before being put into operation. Requirements for Real-Name Registration and Activation of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicles stipulates that newly produced civil UAVs shall comply with the standard from the date of its implementation; for UAVs already sold and in use, compliance shall be required starting from the 13th month after the standard’s implementation, ensuring that users have sufficient time to complete supplementary registration and activation procedures.
A relevant responsible person of the State Administration for Market Regulation stated: “Next, we will formulate the implementation rules for UAV product certification, and carry out mandatory product certification for micro, light, and small UAVs in due course. Illegal acts such as the production and sale of UAVs that do not meet the mandatory national standards will be investigated and punished in accordance with the law.”
