Market insights from the AST-Drones certified resale desk — 2026-04-12.
Legislation restricting DJI has been proposed in Washington every session since 2020. Whether or not a full ban ever lands, it's worth understanding what restriction scenarios would do to the drones already in American hands — because the answer runs opposite to most people's intuition.
Restricting new imports and sales wouldn't ground a single existing drone — but it would freeze supply while demand continues. Basic economics: the installed base becomes the only inventory. Comparable precedents (restricted electronics categories, discontinued-but-essential platforms) suggest 15–30% appreciation on popular models within a year. Your used Mavic 3 would become a fixed-supply asset.
The severe scenario targets radio authorization for new devices, again leaving existing equipment legal to own and fly. Even here, the used market's response is predictable: short-term panic selling (a buying opportunity), then sustained appreciation as supply reality sets in. Parts and batteries — already import-restricted — become the real chokepoint, lifting values of complete kits with spare packs.
The most practical concern for owners isn't hardware, it's software: would DJI's US cloud services, activation servers or firmware updates be affected? Prudent owners already keep aircraft, batteries and apps on known-good firmware — a practice we recommend regardless of politics, and one reason every used DJI we sell ships verified-unbound with current stable firmware installed.
No scenario makes existing DJI drones illegal to own, and every restriction scenario makes them scarcer relative to demand. For buyers, that means today's certified used prices are likely a floor, not a ceiling. For owners, it means your drone is a harder asset than you thought — if you're considering an upgrade, check its current value before assuming depreciation follows the normal curve.
No proposed legislation targets ownership or operation of already-purchased consumer drones. Restriction scenarios focus on new sales, imports and radio authorizations for future devices — the installed base stays legal to fly.
Reasonable caution says yes for working pilots: batteries are consumables with a 2–4 year service life, and supply restriction would hit them first. One or two spare packs per airframe is sensible insurance regardless of politics.