The rules to operate drones will come into effect in December of this year, and if you do not comply with them, you can become a creditor, so we give you the steps to follow to fly it under the law.

According to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, this is what you must do to fly an Aircraft Piloted at Distance (RPAS, for its acronym in English) or a drone in Mexico :

The drones are classified according to their size in RPAS micro (2.00 kg or less), small RPAS (from 2.001 kg to 25 kg) and large RPAS (25 kilograms or more).

To obtain the pilot license of the large RPAS:

1.- Written request.

2.-Be at least 18 years old.

3. Birth certificate or document that accredits you as a Mexican.

4.-Formats registration card that you of the Civil Aeronautics.

5.- Proof of payment of fees for training permit, exam application and issuance of license.

6.-Document proving having submitted and approved the practical and theoretical examinations established by the aeronautical authority.

7.- Certificate issued by an instruction center recognized by the aeronautical authority.

8.- Proof of psychophysical aptitude in force 90 days from the date of issue, issued by the General Directorate of Transport Protection and Preventive Medicine.

9.- The license has a validity of three years from its issuance and may be canceled by the aeronautical authority for irresponsible operation, use for criminal purposes and at the request of the interested party.

To operate a micro and small RAPS does not require a license but you must register it :

The registration is free and you can do it online, you will receive the document in 10 business days.

1.-First you have to register it before Civil Aeronautics before operating it. In order to register you must have Mexican nationality, be of legal age (otherwise the parent or guardian can do it) and fill out a form.

2.- Once the form is completed, you must send it clarifying one of these two options: for Registration of RPAS commercialized in Mexico or Regsitros of RPAS by owners as the case may be.

3.- If you are a natural person you have to prove your personality by attaching a digitized copy of your INE or any official identification.

4.- If you are a moral person you have to prove your personality by attaching a digitalized copy of the constitutive act (legal registration of the creation of the company) and the power of attorney of the legal representative.

5.- Take into account that you must have at hand: digitalized copy of the documentation that proves the ownership or possession of your RPAS (supported formats .pdf, .docx, .jpg or .png)

6.- Send an email to the address rpas@sct.gob.mx requesting registration for a RPAS, attaching the completed form to Exel, along with a printed version signed by you, manually adding your RFC with homoclave; also the digitized copies of the documentation that proves the ownership or possession of your RPAS.

7.- Finally, wait for your record sheet or the considerations to cover to obtain the same in the electronic address that you gave.

The regulation regulating the operation of drones in Mexico, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), will come into effect in December 2018 and the fine for flying drones without a license could cost up to 403 thousand pesos. It is still a project and is subject to 60 business days for consultation.

This regulation is addressed to any individual or entity that owns or owns a RPAS.

Only State RPAS that carry out military, police, border and maritime patrols are exempt . These conform to other regulations.