June 16, 2026 | Following months of industry advocacy, The Toy Association™ is pleased to share a significant policy victory for companies that manufacture or import toy drones and remote-control flying toys.

On June 16, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that qualifying toy drones will be removed from restrictions tied to the agency’s Covered List policies, allowing new models of certain foreign-made toy drones to continue entering the U.S. market. The announcement amends an earlier FCC rule change which was overly broad in scope and, while aimed to address national security risks tied to advanced drones, also blocked certification for children’s toy drones and RC flying products that did not pose the same risks.

This decision follows months of Toy Association and member company advocacy with the FCC, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of War. Most recently, the issue was raised by The Toy Association and its members during meetings with lawmakers and staff as part of the Association's annual Washington, DC Fly-In held on Capitol Hill last week.

Toy Association advocacy emphasized the following key points:

• Toys are simple, short-range play products designed for children, and do not present the same national security concerns as more advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
• Importantly, the distinction was made between consumer toy products designed for recreation (i.e., toys are lightweight, low-power, and designed to be limited in performance for safe use, with short control ranges, no GPS/lack of connectivity, etc.) and sophisticated drone technologies intended for commercial, industrial, or surveillance applications.
• The Toy Association also highlighted the fact that children’s toys are already subject to strict and comprehensive federal safety regulations (including ASTM F963 and other requirements) and must be evaluated and certified compliant with these regulations before entering the U.S. market.

Accordingly, the FCC change cites a Department of War determination that “unsophisticated, low-risk toys” do not pose the same national security concerns as more advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

“We are grateful for the FCC’s latest action, which provides important clarity for our members and preserves market access for a category of toys that do not present national security and other risks related to the drone technologies at issue,” said Kathrin Belliveau, chief policy officer at The Toy Association. “This outcome reflects TA advocacy across multiple federal agencies and policymakers to ensure toy drones were evaluated based on their actual capabilities and risk profile. We are pleased to have played a role in helping our members continue to innovate and successfully bring these fun and popular toys to market.”

The Toy Association will continue monitoring implementation of the policy and any future developments related to drone and connected product regulations. For additional questions, members may reach out to Joan Lawrence, senior vice president, standards and regulatory affairs.