# Agricultural drone spraying rules in Italy > What you need to spray crops with a drone in Italy: legal status, authorities, permits, requirements and operating limits, with links to the official sources. - Canonical URL: https://pulvecast.com/spray-drone-rules/italy - Language: en - Last updated: 2026-09-18 - Path: Home › Drone spraying rules by country › Agricultural drone spraying rules in Italy - Site guide for agents: https://pulvecast.com/llms.txt ## Legal status **Not allowed.** Not yet possible in practice. Aerial spraying is banned (Legislative Decree 150/2012, art. 13). Law 182/2025 added art. 13-bis, which allows drone spraying on farmland as a 3-year trial from 18 December 2025, but only under an interministerial implementing decree that had not been published as of September 2026. ## Who regulates it - **Aviation:** [Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC)](https://www.enac.gov.it/sicurezza-aerea/droni) - **Agriculture:** [Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF)](https://www.masaf.gov.it/) - **Other:** [Ministry of Health (plant protection product authorisations) (Ministero della Salute)](https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/fitosanitari/homeFitosanitari.jsp) ## Legal basis - [D.lgs. 14 agosto 2012, n. 150, art. 13](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13): Bans aerial spraying. Regions may grant case-by-case derogations with a favourable opinion from the Ministry of Health, only for products registered for aerial use. - [D.lgs. 150/2012, art. 13-bis (added by Legge 2 dicembre 2025, n. 182, art. 6)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis): Allows drone spraying on land zoned as agricultural as a 3-year trial, under the conditions of an implementing decree, after a SCIA notice to the regional plant health service. - [Legge 2 dicembre 2025, n. 182](https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2025/12/03/25G00190/sg): Simplification law (in force 18 December 2025) that introduced art. 13-bis. - [ENAC AltMoC IT-UAS-2026-002 (August 2026)](https://www.enac.gov.it/sicurezza-aerea/alternative-means-of-compliance/altmoc-enac-it-uas-2026-002): Predefined risk assessment (PDRA) and model operations manual for agricultural, horticultural and forestry drone operations in the specific category. - [Directive 2009/128/EC, art. 9](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/128/oj): EU ban on aerial spraying, with national derogations under strict conditions. ## What you need - Wait for the implementing decree (Agriculture, Environment, Health and Transport ministers). It will set the eligible land, crops, pests, products and operating rules. ([normattiva.it](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis)) - Under art. 13-bis, spraying must be done by a professional user of plant protection products with the specific training set by the decree. ([normattiva.it](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis)) - Before spraying, file a SCIA with the regional plant health service, with a sworn agronomic report. It may cover the whole trial period and may be filed through an association. ([normattiva.it](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis)) - An ENAC operational authorisation in the specific category, for example through the agricultural PDRA of AltMoC IT-UAS-2026-002. ([enac.gov.it](https://www.enac.gov.it/sicurezza-aerea/alternative-means-of-compliance/altmoc-enac-it-uas-2026-002)) - Spraying over natural parks and protected areas needs authorisation from the managing body. ([normattiva.it](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis)) ## How to get authorised 1. Check whether the implementing decree under art. 13-bis(3) has been published. Until then, do not spray plant protection products by drone. ([normattiva.it](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis)) 2. Prepare the aviation side: register as an operator and obtain an ENAC specific-category authorisation (agricultural PDRA). ([enac.gov.it](https://www.enac.gov.it/sicurezza-aerea/alternative-means-of-compliance/altmoc-enac-it-uas-2026-002)) 3. Once the decree applies, file the SCIA with the agronomic report with the regional plant health service before spraying. ([normattiva.it](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2012-08-14;150~art13bis)) ## Operating limits for spraying - ENAC agricultural PDRA (AltMoC IT-UAS-2026-002): visual line of sight, maximum characteristic dimension under 5 m, no higher than 20 m above ground or above the top of an obstacle, over a controlled ground area in a sparsely populated environment. - The drone must have a pilot-selectable low-speed mode that limits ground speed to 5 m/s (ENAC PDRA). ## Good to know - Under art. 13, Regions can in theory authorise aerial spraying case by case (Ministry of Health opinion, products registered for aerial use). This is not a routine route for drones. - The implementing decree was due within 90 days of 18 December 2025 but was still missing as of September 2026. This page will change when it is published. > 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. 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