Do I Need to Register my Mavic Air 2?

When it comes to drone flying, it has become quite regulated by the government precisely because there are dangers to other people or property when you are irresponsibly flying your drone. That is why registration has become an important step when it comes to owning a drone in a way that is safe and in compliance with the law. But what if you own a DJI Mavic Air 2? Do you need to register a Mavic Air 2 as well?

Even though the DJI Mavic Air 2 was designed as a lightweight drone, it still requires registration because the rules state that any drone 0.55 lbs (250 grams) or above should be registered. The Mavic Air 2 weighs 570 grams and will require registration with the FAA.

It is not uncommon for some people to want to find ways around the registration requirement because it might feel like too much of a hassle for them. But, if you are someone who is looking for a lightweight drone that no longer needs to be registered, the DJI Mavic Air 2 is not one of them. As such, it might be best for you to look at the DJI drones that need to be registered so that you would be able to pick out a drone that is exempt from such a requirement.

Which Drones Need to be Registered? #

In line with the rules and guidelines set by the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA, one of the requirements that drone owners need to follow is drone registration. That means that they have to register their drones with the FAA so that they would be able to get a unique identification number as a drone operator to display on each of their drones. The number will be useful for identification purposes in case the drone gets lost or somehow causes damage to people or property due to an accident or a crash.

Are all drones required to be registered? Not exactly. That’s because the FAA follows a weight limit to determine which drones need to be registered. The weight limit is there because the FAA has determined that drones that are heavier than that limit are the ones that are more likely to cause damage compared to lighter toy drones that kids and beginners tend to fly from time to time.

That said, the drones that are required to be registered with the FAA are the ones that weigh 0.55 lbs (250g) including the payload upon takeoff. Drones that are lighter than 250 grams no longer need to be registered, however, they are still required to follow the basic rules and guidelines regarding drone flying. They are only exempted from registration.

Some of the more common examples of drones that should be registered include the following:

Drone
Weight (in pounds)
Weight (in grams)

DJI Mavic 2 ZOOM
1.99
905

DJI Phantom 3 Standard
2.68
1216

DJI Phantom 4 PRO
3.06
1388

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced
3.01
1368

DJI Mavic Pro
1.62
734

DJI Mavic 2 PRO
2.00
907

DJI Mavic Air 2
1.26
570

DJI Spark
0.66
300

So, as you can see from that table, most of DJI’s recreational drones require registration because they exceed the 250-gram threshold. And because most drone owners usually own DJI drones (considering that they carry over 70% of the market share), it is most likely that all consumer drones need to be registered with the FAA.

Does the Mavic Air 2 Need to be Registered? #

One of the most popular DJI drones today is the Mavic Air 2, which is supposed to be one of the smallest drones in DJI’s lineup of consumer drones. But just because it is a light drone isn’t an automatic exemption to the registration requirement. The drone still needs to fall below the 250-gram mark for it to be exempted from registration.

That said, does the DJI Mavic Air 2 need to be registered? **Yes, this drone needs to be registered precisely because, as you can see from the table above, it weighs 570 grams, which is a little over one pound. **

While a drone weighing one pound isn’t exactly heavy and could be considered quite light, the fact is that it fails to fall below the 250-gram mark set by the FAA. As such, your Mavic Air 2 still needs to be registered if you want to fly it legally.

DJI Drones that Don’t Need to be Registered #

If you are indeed looking for a great DJI drone that does not need to be registered (because you only trust DJI), then you are in luck. Even though most DJI drones are required to be registered because they are over 250 grams, there is one DJI drone line that is light enough to be exempted from registration.

The drone we are talking about is the DJI Mavic Mini line (1 and 2). This drone was specifically made to be only 249 grams. Falling below 250 grams by a single gram, it is apparent that DJI probably designed the Mavic Mini line for those who are looking for DJI drones that do not need to be registered. For more information about the DJI Mini 2, read our full review here. 

As such, this should be the best and only DJI drone you should get if you want to skirt the registration process and fly your drone without having to go through the bureaucracy of registration.