Owners who fail to register their uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 after new regulations added to the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) take effect on March 31.
People must register their drones if their maximum takeoff weight is 250g or heavier, the regulations say.
However, government agencies, academic institutions or legal persons would have to register their drones regardless of their weight.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said that drone registration numbers would be presented in the form of QR codes, which must be shown on the body of the drones using labels or engraving.
Drone owners could also have the registration numbers painted on their drones or use other methods, as long as they are legible at all times, it said, adding that registration numbers must not be effaced or fall off when owners are flying their drones.
“We have reached an agreement with local government officials to focus on making the public aware of the new regulations at the initial stage of law enforcement and would only penalize drone owners if their use of drones injures people or damages facilities, or if they refuse to follow the law after repeated warnings,” CAA Flight Standards Division Director Clark Lin (林俊良) said yesterday.
Owners of drones weighing 250g or more are asked to register because they are big enough to harm people, the agency said, adding that it had consulted regulations in the US and EU before deciding on the requirement.
Until Sept. 30, drone owners can register for free, and registration is valid for two years. Starting on Oct. 1, drone owners would have to pay a registration fee of NT$50 per vehicle.
Drone owners can register on the Web site for drone management at https://drone.caa.gov.tw/en-US, the agency said.
The site would enable owners to check where they can fly their drones legally and request an extension when their registration expires, it added.
The new UAV regulations require drone owners to be at least 16 years of age. Those who have not yet turned 20 must include in their registration written consent from a parent or legal guardian, the agency said.
All personal data entered on the drone management Web site would be protected by the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), it said.
However, if registrants are found to have entered false information or submitted forged documents, they would face criminal charges, the agency added.
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