Last reviewed:
Rules reviewed 28 September 2026 against the official sources linked below. Check current restrictions for the location and planned operation before every flight.
The address alone cannot tell you whether a flight is permitted. The aircraft, pilot qualification and proposed operation also matter.
Does a drone pilot need a licence to shoot real estate?
Yes. Any drone between 250 grams and 25 kilograms flown outdoors in Canada has to be registered with Transport Canada and marked with its registration number, and the person flying it has to hold a pilot certificate. There is no hobby exemption that covers work done for a client.
Transport Canada lists three pilot certificate types: Basic, Advanced and Level 1 Complex. The certificate needed depends on the aircraft and operation. A Basic certificate does not authorize every flight over a property.
Pete holds a Transport Canada Basic Operations pilot certificate and completed drone training with AlteX droneHUB. His artistic aerial commissions depend on a flight being feasible for the location and proposed image.
The aircraft, the ground kit and the work they get used for are on the drone and aerial photography page.
What are the actual limits on the flight?
Basic operations means all of these at once, in Transport Canada's own terms:
- the drone weighs no more than 25 kg
- it stays where the pilot can always see it
- it stays more than 30 metres (100 feet) horizontally from any person
- it stays in uncontrolled airspace
- it stays more than 5.6 kilometres (3 nautical miles) from the centre of a certified airport
- it stays more than 1.9 kilometres (1 nautical mile) from the centre of a heliport
The general altitude limit in CAR 901.25 is 400 feet above ground. The regulation also provides an alternative limit near a building or structure and an exception for operations under a special flight operations certificate. A pilot must establish which provisions apply.
Which of those rules changes a shoot around here?
The 30-metre one, almost every time, and the exact wording of it decides who has to move.
For small drones in visual line of sight, CAR 901.26 sets a 30-metre horizontal separation from people not involved in the operation unless the flight is conducted under the Advanced operations division. Do not assume that telling a bystander about a shoot makes them part of the operation. The pilot must assess the applicable requirements.
In Thornbury and downtown Collingwood, neighbouring yards and sidewalks can make separation difficult. A farm near Meaford or Creemore still needs a site assessment; open land does not remove the need to check for people.
The safe flight window may differ from the best photographic light. Both need to be considered when planning the image.
What about the airport?
Collingwood Regional Airport sits southeast of town in Clearview Township, and there are smaller aerodromes scattered around the region. Distance from them is checked per address, not per town, because two properties a concession apart can fall on opposite sides of the line.
Use official airspace information and NAV CANADA’s drone flight planning resources when assessing a location. If the proposed aerial photograph cannot be made safely and legally, discuss a ground-level viewpoint instead.
Do the neighbours have to agree to it?
Airspace rules, permission to use land and privacy are separate considerations.
Transport Canada requires pilots to respect other laws, including trespassing and privacy rules. Confirm permission for the launch and landing site; an aviation certificate does not grant access to private land.
Plan the frame with neighbours and identifiable people in mind. Transport Canada’s safety guidance links to privacy guidance; privacy obligations need to be considered alongside flight permissions.
Telling the neighbours anyway is usually worth the two minutes. A drone that somebody was expecting draws a wave. A drone nobody was expecting draws a phone call.
What to ask any drone photographer for
Ask about pilot certification, aircraft registration and insurance. Transport Canada recommends insurance but does not require it for standard operation categories; other parties may have their own coverage requirements.
The Transport Canada pilot certificate and aircraft registration. Ask which operation category the proposed flight falls into and whether the pilot and aircraft meet its requirements.
Proof of liability insurance, with the amount on it. Ask the photographer for current evidence of coverage and check any requirements set by the property owner or commissioning business.
