Federal drone changes wil impact Gilpin first responders
What if you woke up one morning and
learned you couldn’t buy a new TV, a cell
phone, or car parts because they were made
in China?
agencies that rely on them as part of their jobs.
the Black Hawk Police Department, and the Black
Hawk Fire Department all own legally compliant
drone models. However, purchasing accessories
for them could be difficult in the future. Plus, if one
of their drones were to crash or break, it may be
difficult to find a repair shop that has the necessary
parts in stock.
Drones
Drones
Unthinkable? For most of the estimated
480,000 drone pilots in this country, the
situation was similar as of Dec. 23, 2025.
That day was the final one for federal regula-
of Chinese-made drones, primarily from DJI
and Autel Robotics, to be sold in the U.S.
Regulators didn’t act, so the “new drone
ban” went into effect.
state and local law enforcement and emergency
response agencies that operate drone programs use
DJI technology; these programs will be at immedi-
ate risk if they no longer have access to the most
cost-effective and efficient drone technology avail-
able,” DJI wrote in a letter to Homeland Security
Secretary Kristi Noem in early December.
approvals for drones from foreign-made en-
tities, primarily because they aren’t exempt
from the government’s “covered list” – a list
of countries that manufacture drones that
forward.
The“Age of Drones”
column is a 3-time
Colorado Press Assn.
“Better Newspaper Award”
winner, 2022, 2023 & 2024
FAA-
Certified
Part 107
Drone Pilot
As a professional drone pilot who shoots photos
and videos for clients, I also face the same chal
lenges as first responders in Gilpin County. If any
of my four DJI drones needs repair, I might find my
self up a creek without a paddle. However, while I
in comparison to what Gilpin’s law enforcement
officers and firefighters are doing with their drones.
They fly drones to help protect the public and assist
officers in avoiding the potential perils of their jobs.
On Dec. 23, 2025, the FCC reiterated a long-
standing concern among U.S. officials—that Chi-
national security of the United States and to the
safety and security of U.S. persons.” The govern-
ment decision came after hearing unconfirmed
reports that foreign-made drones could contain
technology that the Chinese government might
obtain to spy on the U.S. whenever a drone is in the
air. Thousands of U.S. drone pilots sent
protests to their government leaders
opposing such a ban. However, their
protests were ignored.
• If you own or fly a drone manufactured by DJI or
Autel, it’s still perfectly legal to own and operate it
regulations.
• U.S. retailers can continue to sell DJI and Autel
models, provided they received FCC approval before
Dec. 23. It’s perfectly legal to purchase several of
Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro, Avata 2, Air 3S,
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that
the Pilot Institute, which trains drone pilots to pass
the FAA Part 107 Certification test, surveyed about
8,000 pilots about the FCC’s ban. About 43 percent
said they expect an “extremely negative” or “poten-
tially business-ending impact” on their operations.
business within two years. The Journal also reported
that many U.S. pilots had been hoarding Chinese-
made equipment in anticipation of the ban.
Neo 2, DJI Flip and the
Matrice 350 RTK enter
prise drone. However, it’s
difficult to find a retailer
or online store with any
models in stock, due to
stringent import restric
tions currently in place
by the U.S. Customs and
While the legal aspects of what hap-
pened on Dec. 23, 2025, are rather
technical, the decision made by federal
regulators boils down to several key
points that affect anyone who owns or
which manufacture 77 to 90 percent of
all drones purchased in the U.S.
On the other hand, many people believe that ban-
ning the sale of future foreign-made drone models
in the U.S. could help spark the development of new
While the majority of new drone start-ups will focus
on larger, enterprise models for use by those in
construction, mapping, agriculture, infrastructure
inspection and law enforcement, the “little guy” who
wants a small, inexpensive drone for themselves or
their kids may be left out in the woods for a while.
• The “covered list”
will also make it difficult
to purchase drone add-
on supplies such as new
propellers, batteries and
for those models still
considered legal in this
country.
They include:
In the meantime, U.S. drone pilots have their
fingers crossed, hoping a homegrown drone manu-
technological sophistication – and affordable prices
– they’ve seen over the past decade from China.
• If DJI releases any
new models, such as a DJI Mini 6 Pro or Mavic 5,
they won’t be allowed to be sold or flown in the U.S.
However, they will be available elsewhere in the
world, as no other countries have restricted Chi-
nese-made drones.
So, if you woke up tomorrow and had to buy a new
like China – what would you do? It’s a question
worth pondering.
The U.S. “ban” prohibiting the sale of new DJI and
Autel models poses challenges for individuals and
When you are handling a deceased
person’s final affairs, it is possible
that you may encounter one or more
firearms owned by the decedent at
the time of death. Such firearms
standard shotguns that are obviously
hunting firearms. Others may be
military-style firearms with pistol
grips and mounting rails. Some fire-
arms may have a selector switch near
the trigger. What is the best way to
deal with such firearms?
take appropriate steps to obtain and
occupied house, and are not already stored in a
strong gun safe that cannot be carried away, you
should make appropriate arrangements to secure
place the guns in the custody of an individual or
entity that holds a Federal Firearms License until
it can be determined whether and how to dis-
tribute the firearms to the heirs or beneficiaries.
Individuals with a Federal Firearms License can
legally take possession of a wide variety of fire-
arms, including guns that are not typical hunting
firearms, such as machine guns and short bar
rel rifles and shotguns. Such licensees have the
proper authority to possess the guns and perform
necessary background checks before any transfer.
The licensees are also likely to have proper storage
and insurance that will protect the Personal Rep-
resentative or trustee during the administration
of the estate/trust if something should happen to
the firearms during that time. Licensees holding
a Local Federal Firearms License can be found
through websites such as FFLGunDealers.net and
Gunbroker.com.
2. Determine how the
firearms are owned.
The person nominated in the estate
–
er ownership of the firearms has been
transferred to the trust by the one
making the trust, or are owned only
in the name of the deceased person.
the one making the trust typically
signs an assignment of personal
property that transfers ownership of
such property, including firearms, to the trust. If so,
legal authority to take possession of the firearms for
safekeeping and ultimate distribution.
1. Determine who has
legal authority to handle the
firearms.
You should first determine if the deceased person
had a will or trust which nominates or appoints
someone to be in charge of the decedent’s estate. If
such documents exist, obtain them and determine
who is nominated as the Personal Representative, or
appointed as the trustee, or successor trustee of the
trust. You should then contact that person to advise
3. Make arrangements to properly secure
Particularly where the firearms are in an un-
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