FAA Exemption for Agricultural UAS Operations Over 55 lbs

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reviewing a petition for exemption that would allow commercial agricultural services using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) weighing 55 pounds or more. Specifically, the exemption seeks to permit operations of up to three UAS simultaneously by a single pilot, without the need for a visual observer, during night operations, and under visual meteorological conditions, under the authority of 49 U.S.C. § 44807 and 14 C.F.R. Part 11.

This consultation is a preliminary step before a potential rule change or the granting of an exemption. Agricultural firms considering the use of larger or multiple drones for operations that would otherwise be restricted should monitor this proceeding. While no compliance deadline is set, interested parties are encouraged to submit comments to the FAA regarding the feasibility and safety implications of such operations. The docket number for this petition is FAA-2026-3403-0001.