Drone filming permits in New Zealand: airspace, landowners, councils and DOC

Echo Valley · 10 November 2026 · 7 min read

Permissions are the part of a drone shoot you can’t fix on the day. They come in layers – the aviation rules, the people and property under the drone, and whoever manages the land – and each layer has its own process and lead time. This guide maps them out. Rules, fees and timeframes change, so check the current requirements with each agency before you rely on them.

Layer 1: the aviation rules (CAA)

Every drone flight in New Zealand falls under Civil Aviation Authority rules. Most flying happens under Part 101, which in summary means:

• staying within 120 m of the ground
• keeping the drone in the pilot’s own line of sight
• having the consent of people you fly over, and of the owners or occupiers of property you fly over
• getting an air traffic control clearance before flying in controlled airspace
• meeting extra conditions to fly at night or near aerodromes

Operations outside Part 101 need an operator with a Part 102 certificate whose approvals cover them. Clearances for controlled airspace are requested through AirShare, and they can come with conditions on the day. Your drone operator should handle this layer. CAA’s summary of the rules is worth a read, and here’s what Part 102 changes.

Layer 2: people and property

Under Part 101 you need consent from anyone you fly above, including people on boats, and from the owners or occupiers of the property you fly over. On a film shoot that means:

• writing drone use into your location agreements, including the airspace above neighbouring properties if the shot crosses them
• briefing cast and crew who will be under the flight path
• planning how members of the public will be kept clear, or working with a Part 102 operator approved to fly over people

Layer 3: councils, maunga and roads

Councils look after parks, reserves and beaches, and most need to give permission for commercial drone use on their land. Policies vary from district to district, so check with the council or its film office for each location.

In Auckland:

• Public space and maunga. Auckland Council says you need a permit to fly drones over public space or maunga for commercial filming, and points productions to Screen Auckland for filming permits. Auckland Council: drone filming permits.
• Roads. You need Auckland Transport’s permission before flying a drone over a road, footpath, berm or other AT property. Auckland Transport: drones over the road corridor.

Auckland’s tūpuna maunga are co-governed with mana whenua through the Tūpuna Maunga Authority. Treat any maunga, marae or wāhi tapu with care: talk to mana whenua early, ask about tikanga, and allow time for the conversation.

Layer 4: conservation land (DOC)

A drone is an aircraft, and DOC requires a permit for commercial drone use whenever the drone takes off, lands or hovers on public conservation land or water. If the drone is part of a wider shoot on conservation land, the production may also need a filming permit from DOC.

DOC sorts conservation land into zones on its commercial drone map:

At the time of writing (November 2026), processing fees start at $180 for green and red zones and $2,450 for orange zones, with a management fee and activity fees on top. Check the current zone and fees on DOC’s commercial drone page for each location.

A planning timeline

Start the land-side permissions as soon as locations are locked. The aviation approvals can often be turned around faster, but controlled airspace clearances still depend on traffic on the day.

How we help

We handle the aviation side of every Echo Valley shoot, and our established contacts and experience with DOC mean we can help with your DOC drone permit. Send us the locations early and we’ll tell you which layers apply. Our services.