Malaysia drone rules - complete checklist
Verified against CAAM's official UAS portal (Civil Aviation Regulation 2016, Regs 140–144). Not legal advice.
Malaysia has no free "Open category" like the EU - every UAS flight needs CAAM authorisation. This tool has no legal weather minimums; it helps fill the weather section of your risk assessment, it does not replace one.
This page covers permits and applications. Asking "do I need a pilot licence" instead? That's a separate question - see Do I need a drone licence?
Pre-flight checklist
- You hold a valid CAAM authorisation for this flight (see "Which approval do I need?" below) - Malaysia has no free-fly category.
- Max altitude 400 ft AGL, unless your authorisation states otherwise.
- VLOS (Visual Line of Sight) by default - EVLOS needs Module 1 of the Remote Pilot Certificate; BVLOS needs a Special UAS Project (SUP) approval.
- Not flying in Class A/B/C/G controlled airspace or an aerodrome traffic zone without separate clearance.
- Not inside a Prohibited, Restricted, or Danger area - CAAM eAIP ENR 5.1 is the authoritative, current list. Prohibited Areas and the "Restricted areas (military)" layer on the Map plot most of it, but almost all Restricted/Danger areas are only active within scheduled hours or by NOTAM - check the eAIP directly before a flight near one.
- Surveillance/mapping flights: 50 m minimum from people, vehicles, and structures (30 m at takeoff/landing); no flight over or within 150 m of residential/commercial/industrial/recreational areas, or gatherings of 1,000+ people.
- Not dropping or dispensing anything unless covered by an Unmanned Aerial Work Certificate (agricultural).
- UAS over 20 kg: separate authorisation under Regulation 144.
- Not inside a CGSO-restricted zone (Kawasan Larangan/Tempat Larangan - military bases, prisons, palaces, sensitive installations).
- Sabah & Sarawak: state-level authorisation required in addition to CAAM (see Resources below) - this is state law, not optional local courtesy.
- Checked current NOTAMs and CAAM advisories for temporary bans - these are issued around events, VIP movement, or emergencies and are not visible on any weather app, including this one.
Which approval do I need?
Every one of these is applied for directly with CAAM. Pick the row that matches your flight.
Authorisation to Fly
Most hobbyist and low-risk commercial flights - VLOS or EVLOS, under 400 ft, no dispensing. The one almost every pilot needs.
Remote Pilot Training Organisation Certificate
You want to run drone pilot training / issue the Remote Pilot Certificate of Competency (RCoC-B), including EVLOS or agricultural modules.
Unmanned Aerial Work Certificate
Agricultural spraying/dispensing or aerial-work surveillance - commercial or private (declaration).
Special UAS Project Approval
BVLOS, carrying dangerous goods, R&D, or any high-risk operation outside the standard ATF envelope.
Example: applying for a Standard ATF
- Download the Standard ATF form and read the official filling-in guidance first - most rejections are incomplete flight-zone info.
- Gather the full document set CAAM asks for by email (per Safety Information 01/2025): the completed form; the Accountable Manager's IC/passport and company registration (SSM); each remote pilot's IC/passport and evidence of competency if applicable; SIRIM, MCMC, and JUPEM approvals; a landowner permission or appointment letter; the UAS user manual/specification brochure; and a Google Earth file (KMZ/KML) of the operating area.
- Write a risk assessment covering airspace, people/property on the ground, and - this is where aiv10.my helps - expected weather for the window you're requesting.
- If your area touches a CGSO-restricted zone, or you need mapping/survey capability, get that agency's clearance before submitting to CAAM - CAAM does not chase this for a Standard ATF on your behalf.
- Upload everything to a shared Google Drive folder (or a ZIP) and email the link, in Word or PDF format, to drone.atf@caam.gov.my - submit at least 14 working days before your intended flight date; multi-location or complex applications can take longer, and CAAM may reject anything submitted with less notice. Public holidays push this out; do not submit 14 calendar days out and expect it to clear.
- The permit is issued only once payment is confirmed - an approved application with no payment does not yet grant you clearance to fly.
- One approved ATF covers a 15 nautical-mile-radius location for up to 90 days - if you fly the same site repeatedly, this is one application, not one per flight.
- Keep the approval on hand during flight; CAAM or authorities may ask to see it on site. This applies to training flights too - CAAM has flagged unpermitted training operations for enforcement under Regulation 206(3).
Situations people get wrong
Night flying
The baseline is daylight only. Night operations need specific authorisation beyond a Standard ATF - a drone having good low-light performance is irrelevant to whether the flight is permitted.
National parks and forest reserves
A CAAM authorisation is not a park permit, and parks can be stricter than "get a permit." Sabah Parks (which administers Kinabalu Park) prohibits recreational drone use outright - flying without authorisation there breaches the Parks Enactment 1984 (Amendments 2024). It considers applications only for research, enforcement, or authorised filming, and wants proof of any other agency's approval submitted in advance. Other parks and forest reserves set their own rules - ask the park authority directly before travelling, and do not assume a CAAM permit is enough.
Visiting from abroad
A foreign licence or registration is not recognised as a Malaysian authorisation, and there is no tourist exemption. Because a Standard ATF needs at least 14 working days, apply well before you fly - not after you land. See the licence page.
Insurance
Third-party liability cover is commonly expected for commercial work and is often asked for as part of an application. Note that a manufacturer plan such as DJI Care Refresh replaces your aircraft - it is not liability cover for damage you cause to other people or property.
KLCC / Petronas Twin Towers
Widely, and incorrectly, believed to be a gazetted no-fly zone - it is not in CAAM's published Prohibited/Restricted Area list, and CAAM's own CEO stated in May 2025 that restrictions apply "only in areas officially gazetted... through AIP documents and NOTAMs", explicitly confirming drones were permitted near KLCC during that year's ASEAN Summit. That said, it is dense private property (Suria KLCC) in a crowded, security-conscious precinct - the general no-flight-over-gatherings rule and the property owner's own permission almost always apply in practice, even without a CAAM circle. See it on the Map.
These are the questions that come up most often and are least well covered elsewhere. Where any of it touches a specific flight, confirm with the relevant authority - requirements differ by site and by operation.
Other agencies you may need
JUPEM
Dept. of Survey & Mapping - approval for surveillance/mapping-capability flights.
CGSO
Chief Government Security Office - clearance for restricted zones (KLTL/SP): military, prisons, palaces, sensitive sites.
Wisma Tanah & Ukur Sabah
Sabah state-level authorisation - required in addition to CAAM for flights in Sabah.
Office of the Premier of Sarawak
Sarawak state-level authorisation - required in addition to CAAM for flights in Sarawak.
MCMC
Frequency allocation - 433–435 MHz, 2400–2500 MHz, 5725–5875 MHz bands used by most RC/telemetry links.
SIRIM
Product safety standards for UAS electronics.
Penalties for flying without authorisation
Up to RM50,000 or 3 years' imprisonment for individuals; up to RM100,000 for companies, under CAR 2016. No-fly-without-ATF is enforced, not a formality.
Resources - where to go
Checked against CAAM's live UAS portal on 2026-08-18. Requirements, forms, and contacts change - always confirm on caam.gov.my before relying on anything above. This page and aiv10.my as a whole are not legal advice.