Beijing bans drone possession in the city after earlier moves to tighten rules

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing is banning the possession of drones within city limits in new rules announced Sunday that further tighten its regulations on drones, which already include a May ban on sales of the devices. The ban on possession will come into effect in mid-November.

Beijing has barred unauthorized drone flights, citing security reasons, and has designated the city’s administrative area as restricted airspace.

The latest revised rules come after a fatal accident in late June when a small aircraft crashed into a Beijing skyscraper, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others.

Under regulations approved in March and which came into effect May 1, existing drone owners in Beijing had to register their devices with their real names and identities, but owners have been allowed to keep their registered drones under strict requirements.

However, according to the revised regulations approved this month, which will be effective from Nov. 15, the possession or storage of drones or key components within Beijing's city limits will also be banned. The revised rules were released Sunday by authorities.

Authorities can confiscate the drones of those who do not comply and can impose fines on individuals and companies.

Beijing authorities will be offering subsidies for existing drone owners to sell their devices at designated buyback locations, according to the state-owned newspaper Beijing Daily. Drone owners can also consider scrapping and recycling their drones with a small subsidy provided, or shipping them outside of Beijing before the new rules come into effect.

Drone users can still fly drones outdoors in other parts of the country, but real name registrations are required. Beijing, the Chinese capital, often has more stringent security rules than other parts of China.