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Agricultural drone spraying rules in Germany

What you need to spray crops with a drone in Germany: legal status, authorities, permits, requirements and operating limits, with links to the official sources.

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Restricted or by exception. Restricted. Applying plant protection products from aircraft, drones included, is banned without a permit (PflSchG §18). The state authority can grant permits only for steep-slope vineyards and forest canopies. For drones, BVL approvals so far cover fungicides in steep-slope vineyards, sprayed with drones on the JKI list.

Who regulates it

What you need

  • A permit under PflSchG §18 from the state plant protection service for the steep-slope areas to be treated. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
  • A specific-category operational authorisation from the state aviation authority. For applicants from many states, the LBA handles it. (lba.de)
  • Use only plant protection products that BVL has authorised or approved for drone application (BVL list). (bvl.bund.de)
  • The drone's sprayer must be on the JKI list of suitable sprayers for drones in steep-slope viticulture, and its conditions of use (speed, height) apply. (daps.julius-kuehn.de)
  • Operators must hold the certificate of competence (Sachkundenachweis, §9 PflSchG). In Baden-Württemberg a qualified ground assistant must also be present at each operating site. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
  • Equipment inspection: in Baden-Württemberg, new drones must be checked within 6 months of first use and then every 6 calendar half-years. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
  • Record every application (§11 PflSchG). Since 1 January 2026 the records must be electronic and machine-readable (Regulation (EU) 2023/564). (eur-lex.europa.eu)

How to get authorised

  1. Check that the vineyard counts as a steep slope under your state's criteria. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
  2. Choose a drone model with a JKI-listed sprayer and have the equipment inspected. (daps.julius-kuehn.de)
  3. Obtain the aviation operational authorisation. (lba.de)
  4. Apply for the §18 permit with a safety concept. In Baden-Württemberg, apply at least 6 calendar weeks before the planned spraying. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
  5. Report each treatment date in advance (Baden-Württemberg: at least 24 hours before, via the reporting portal), inform the public and close paths. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
  6. Keep a flight log and application records, and submit them to the authority if required. (rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de)

Operating limits for spraying

  • Baden-Württemberg permit conditions (leaflet 03/2025): no application when horizontal wind exceeds 5 m/s or gusts impair application, once thermals start, or above 25 °C in the shade.
  • Flight speed and height above the crop are set per drone model in the JKI list and are mandatory (BVL NZ184).
  • In Baden-Württemberg, nature reserves and natural monuments must not be sprayed.

Good to know

  • In March 2026, based on new trial results, BVL dropped the 2 m untreated inner margin at the field edge that applied to the DJI Agras T50 with 2 rotary atomisers.
  • Drones for other arable or fruit crops are not covered by §18 permits. An EU proposal of December 2025 (COM(2025) 1021) could change this, but it does not apply yet.

Checked against official sources on 2026-09-18. Rules change: confirm with the authorities before operating. This page is a planning summary, not legal advice. The product label and the official rules always prevail.

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