The state agency Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) reviewed 123 administrative offence cases in 2025, which is 50 more than in 2024. Meanwhile, the State Police recorded 768 cases last year in which remote pilots failed to comply with requirements, more than twice as many as in the previous year, when the State Police identified 330 violations.
At the same time, the number of drone operators has increased significantly in recent years. While at the end of 2024 there were 7,846 registered operators in Latvia, by the end of 2025 that number had risen to 11,242. The number of remote pilots exceeded 20,000 by the end of the previous year.
The CAA notes that violations are most often committed by men aged 20 to 45, while since 2024 the number of offenders under the age of 18 has increased. In such cases, the offender’s legal representatives are involved in the proceedings.
The State Police most often find that drones are being operated without the appropriate marking or that the permitted flight altitude has not been observed during the flight. At the same time, last year the number of cases in which drones were flown near infrastructure without the necessary coordination with its owner or legal holder increased more than sixfold. The number of cases in which flights were conducted beyond visual line of sight also increased.
In 2025, four cases were recorded in which the alcohol concentration in remote pilots’ blood exceeded the legally permitted limit of 0.2 per mille. In one case, a pilot was found to have as much as 1.6 per mille, for which a fine of 150 euros was imposed.
Since 18 February 2026, amendments to the regulatory framework have entered into force in Latvia, expanding the list of violations for which administrative liability may be applied and setting a wider range of penalties — from a warning up to 1,000 euros for private individuals and up to 5,000 euros for legal entities.
Administrative penalties for violations in drone use may be imposed by the CAA, the State Police, the Military Police, municipal police, and the State Border Guard.
The CAA reminds that, in accordance with general requirements, the maximum permitted flight altitude is 120 metres above the ground or water surface, unless stricter restrictions apply in a specific location. In certain areas, such as near certified aerodromes and within their airspace, significantly lower altitude limits may apply, covering a radius of several kilometres around the aerodrome.
In addition to the general requirements, there are also places where extra restrictions or prohibitions apply to drone flights. In some zones, flights may be completely prohibited.
As the weather gets warmer and the number of public events increases, residents are using drones more actively. Most comply with the rules, but in order to avoid unpleasant situations and prevent violations, the CAA encourages people to ознакомиться with information on safe drone use on the information website droni.caa.gov.lv. Information on airspace use restrictions is available on the website of the state-owned company Latvian Air Traffic at www.airspace.lv/drones/.
Additional information:
Aivis Vincevs
State Agency “Civil Aviation Agency”
Operational Situations Manager
Phone: 60001672
Email: aivis.vincevs@caa.gov.lv