Autel NDAA compliance under federal procurement and FCC rules

The Short Answer on Autel and NDAA Compliance

Autel drones are not "NDAA compliant" in the way buyers usually mean it, and the answer differs for a federal buyer and a private owner. A federal agency or contractor is bound by a purchase bar that runs off the FASC list, while a private U.S. owner of an already-authorized Autel aircraft faces no use ban today.

The list people cite is the DoD Section 1260H list, which named Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. and Autel Robotics Co., Ltd. on 10 June 2026. The American Security Drone Act purchase bar in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) keys off a different list, the FASC list published in the System for Award Management (SAM).

Autel's status on that FASC list is not established here, so a federal buyer should search it directly at SAM.gov.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) runs a separate track. Its 22 December 2025 Covered List addition reaches all foreign-produced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), and its July 2026 proposal would restrict future importation and marketing of certain covered drones. That proposal states it would not affect the continued use or operation of already-purchased UAS.

The Four Federal Actions and the List Each One Keys Off

Four federal actions touch Autel drones, and they rely on three different lists: the DoD Section 1260H list, the FASC list in SAM.gov, and the FCC Covered List. The table sets each action against what it bars, who it binds, and where it stands.

In our internal analysis, we read the four federal actions side by side and mapped which list each one keys off, and found that the list naming Autel is not the list that governs federal purchases. The FAR rule does not mention Section 1260H at all. The comparison in this table comes from reading the documents together, and neither document states it.

What "NDAA Compliant" Means for a Drone

"NDAA compliant" is market shorthand, and none of the four federal documents read here defines it. The phrase can point at the Section 1260H list, which comes from the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act, or at the American Security Drone Act bar, which cites section 1822 of Pub. L. 118-31.

For a federal purchase, the authoritative check is the FASC list in SAM.gov, because FAR 40.201 defines an "American Security Drone Act-covered foreign entity" as an entity on that list. A "FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system" is a UAS manufactured or assembled by such an entity. A vendor's own claim cannot stand in for that list.

Our Blue UAS vs Green UAS guide covers the Blue UAS list. When you record a compliance check, write down the list name, the exact entity searched, and the date of the search.

Section 1260H and What a Chinese Military Company Designation Does

DoD published the Section 1260H notice on 10 June 2026 under Docket ID DOD-2026-OS-1288, in Federal Register Vol. 91 No. 111, pages 35189 to 35194. The authority is Section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry NDAA for Fiscal Year 2021, Pub. L. 116-283, codified at 10 U.S.C. 113 note. DoD must publish the list each year until 31 December 2030.

The notice names Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. ("Autel Technology") as a military-civil fusion contributor through its "Little Giant" designation and its affiliation with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), under Sections 1260H(g)(3)(A) and (g)(3)(B)(i). Autel Robotics Co., Ltd. ("Autel Robotics") is named through the "Little Giant" designation only, under Section 1260H(g)(3)(A). The notice gives no MIIT basis for Autel Robotics.

The same notice names Shenzhen DJI Technology Co., Ltd. and its subsidiary Shenzhen Dajiang Baiwang Technology Co., Ltd., citing indirect affiliation with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) and direct affiliation with MIIT and the People's Armed Police (PAP). FAR 40.202 does not use the Section 1260H list to define the drones agencies may not buy. Company background sits on the Autel Robotics company profile.

The Procurement Bar and Its Phasing

The American Security Drone Act of 2023 prohibition sits at FAR 40.202 and runs through clause 52.240-1, "Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems Manufactured or Assembled by American Security Drone Act-Covered Foreign Entities." The interim rule took effect on 12 November 2024. The clause applies to solicitations issued and contracts awarded on or after that date.

Every phase depends on the FASC list. A contracting officer screening an Autel aircraft needs the SAM.gov result, because the Section 1260H notice does not answer the FAR question.

The rule binds federal agencies and federal contractors. Its text, as summarized here, does not address a private owner's use of an aircraft.

• From 12 November 2024: federal agencies may not procure a FASC-prohibited UAS.
• From 22 December 2025: agencies also may not procure services for the operation of a FASC-prohibited UAS.
• From 22 December 2025: federal contractors may not use federal funds on a FASC-prohibited UAS.
• 22 December 2028: the FAR 40.202 authorities expire under section 1833 of Pub. L. 118-31.

The Separate FCC Track

The FCC track works through a categorical Covered List addition. On 22 December 2025, the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) added all UAS and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country to the Covered List, without naming brands. The authorization mechanism, including the November 2022 rule that left earlier grants in place, is explained on our DJI ban page.

On 21 July 2026, PSHSB and the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) released Public Notice DA 26-758 in PS Docket No. 26-189 (Federal Register text). It seeks comment on prohibiting continued importation and marketing of covered foreign UAS that qualify as "military-grade," including swarming-capable systems, for non-U.S.-Government use. Whether any Autel model counts as military-grade under the proposal is not established on this page.

The notice states the prohibition would not apply to importation or marketing for federal government use, or for commercial testing and product development. It says the limit would not revoke existing authorizations and would not affect the continued use or operation of devices consumers already possess. Two exemptions apply.

Equipment with a Conditional Approval from the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security would be exempt, as would equipment later removed from the Covered List. The proposed cease date is 180 days after Federal Register publication.

What Autel Is Contesting

The FCC released Report No. 3232 on 29 January 2026. The Federal Register notice followed on 5 February 2026, and it records an Application for Review filed on behalf of Autel Robotics Co., Ltd. That filing sits in ET Docket No. 26-23, within the Commission's underlying proceeding in ET Docket No. 21-232.

The same report records a Petition for Reconsideration filed on behalf of SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. in ET Docket No. 26-22. The document lists oppositions due 6 April 2026 and replies due 9 March 2026, in the order printed.

Report No. 3232 does not say when either filing was made, and this page has no outcome to report for either one. An FCC decision on the Autel Robotics filing is one of the events that could change the FCC side of this answer.

Limits of This Page

This page does not establish whether Autel Technology, Autel Robotics, or any other Autel entity appears on the FASC list, and it does not assert the answer either way. That list governs federal procurement under FAR 40.202, so a search result at SAM.gov outranks anything written here or in a vendor brochure.

The FAR 40.202 authorities expire on 22 December 2028. The FCC proposal in PS Docket No. 26-189 was published for comment, and this page has no adopted order to report.

State and local purchasing rules fall outside the four federal documents read here, as do Autel model names, specifications and prices. For other platforms, see Autel alternatives and Chinese drones. Nothing on this page is legal advice for a specific contract, import or flight.

Events That Would Change the Answer

Five events would change parts of this answer.

Until one of those events happens, a federal buyer's next step stays the same. Before treating an aircraft as Autel NDAA compliant, search the FASC list at SAM.gov for the exact Autel entity and file the search date with the contract record.

• An Autel entity found on the FASC list in SAM.gov, which would make its aircraft FASC-prohibited UAS under FAR 40.202.
• A later annual DoD Section 1260H list that drops or keeps the two Autel entities.
• An adopted FCC order in PS Docket No. 26-189, with the proposed 180-day clock running from Federal Register publication.
• A Conditional Approval from the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security, or removal from the Covered List, which the proposal treats as exempt.
• An FCC decision on the Autel Robotics Application for Review in ET Docket No. 26-23.