Brazil will begin enforcing a new set of drone rules on July 1 that sharply expands state oversight of unmanned aircraft and brings even small recreational devices under formal airspace control.
The updated rule, ICA 100-40, was published by DECEA, the Department of Airspace Control under Brazil's Air Force structure. It consolidates previous guidance for recreational and special drone operations into a single framework and makes prior authorization mandatory for all unmanned aircraft seeking access to Brazilian airspace, regardless of weight.
That means drones with a maximum takeoff weight of up to 250 grams, which previously received lighter treatment, will also have to request authorization through SARPAS, the digital system used to manage remotely piloted aircraft access to airspace. DECEA says the change is meant to modernize the rules as the sector grows and to align drone operations more closely with the logic used in conventional aviation.
The practical shift is significant. Instead of treating drones mainly as consumer devices or niche tools, the new rule treats them as active users of shared airspace. In effect, Brazil is moving from a relatively fragmented regime to one in which unmanned flights are more explicitly folded into the national air traffic management structure.
The new framework also adopts a more risk-based approach. According to the published guidance and DECEA's summary of the changes, approval conditions will depend not only on the aircraft itself but also on the context of the flight, including where it takes place, how close it is to aerodromes, whether it is in a densely populated area, and whether the mission is conducted within or beyond the pilot's visual line of sight.
That approach gives regulators more flexibility, but it also raises the technical bar for operators. Pilots will be expected to plan routes, assess weather, consider contingency procedures and understand more detailed restrictions around airports and other sensitive zones. The rule also makes clear that state authorization does not remove the operator's responsibility for safety during the flight.
DECEA highlighted several operational changes in the new edition. Requests for operations that require segregated airspace published through Brazil's aeronautical information system will now have a minimum lead time of eight calendar days, down from 12. The rule also sets specific criteria for operations in UTM zones, including a maximum duration of one hour per flight, and caps operating areas at up to 15 square kilometers for VLOS operations and 30 square kilometers for BVLOS operations.
The agency also introduced the concept of an "adequate area," a defined airspace area that regional DECEA bodies may create after evaluating the operational impact of the proposed activity.
For the broader drone economy, the new rule could cut both ways. Clearer rules may help attract investment in logistics, industrial inspection, agriculture and public security, especially if they create more predictable pathways for advanced operations such as BVLOS flights. But the same rule set is likely to increase compliance costs for small operators and freelancers who previously worked under looser or simpler practices.
The regulatory change comes as Brazil is also paying closer attention to the infrastructure needed for more connected, data-heavy operations. In a separate analysis, DefesaNet noted that the release of the 700 MHz spectrum band after the analog TV shutdown has expanded the connectivity base for IoT and command-and-control applications. While that report was not directly about ICA 100-40, it points to a wider state effort to build the communications backbone needed for more distributed monitoring, security and unmanned operations.
Taken together, the developments suggest Brazil is preparing for a future in which unmanned aircraft are no longer a peripheral category. They are becoming part of a more integrated system, one that promises greater scale and sophistication but also demands stricter compliance from everyone who uses the sky.
Sources: DefesaNet reporting on the new ICA 100-40 rule and DECEA's published regulation summary.
Fonts: https://www.defesanet.com.br/terrestre/drones-sob-nova-regulacao-como-a-ica-100-40-redefine-o-uso-do-espaco-aereo-no-brasil/ https://www.defesanet.com.br/aviacao/aeronaves-nao-tripuladas-confira-a-nova-edicao-da-ica-100-40-publicada-pelo-decea/ https://www.defesanet.com.br/defesa/iot/700-mhz-iot-e-c2-a-infraestrutura-invisivel-da-capacidade-operacional-brasileira/
accessed on 21 April 2026