How to Check Where You Can Fly a Drone in Canada

To check where you can fly a drone in Canada, start with the NRC Drone Site Selection Tool to see airspace, aerodromes and parks, then confirm controlled airspace and request any authorization in NAV Drone, read the NOTAMs for temporary restrictions, and look up aerodrome details in the Canada Flight Supplement. Finish with the landowner and local rules, since no map covers those.

No single app gives a complete legal answer. Each tool covers one piece of the puzzle, and knowing what each one shows, and what it leaves out, is what keeps you legal. This guide covers the official tools one by one and ends with a planning workflow and a worked example.

Why one app is never enough

Drone rules in Canada come from several sources: the Canadian Aviation Regulations, temporary restrictions issued through NOTAMs, Parks Canada rules, provincial and municipal land rules, and the owner of the ground you launch from. Planning tools cover the aviation side well and the land side poorly. A flight can look green on an airspace map and still be illegal because the park bans drones or a wildfire restriction went up that morning.

Think of planning in layers:

1. Permanent airspace (controlled airspace, Class F, aerodromes)
2. Temporary airspace (NOTAMs, wildfire and emergency restrictions)
3. Land and local rules (parks, bylaws, private property)
4. Your own limits (certificate, drone, weather)

The NRC Drone Site Selection Tool

The Drone Site Selection Tool from the National Research Council Canada is the map Transport Canada points pilots to. It shows where flight is prohibited, where permission is needed and where you should take extra care.

Useful features:

• Operation category: pick Micro, Basic, Advanced or BVLOS, and the map adjusts what it highlights.
• Layers: national parks, provincial parks (data incomplete), aerodromes, airspace below and above 400 ft filterable by class, population density and BVLOS air-risk layers.
• Click for details: tapping a shape opens information on what it is and who controls it.
• Measuring tool: check distances to built-up areas or structures.

The NRC is clear about limits: the tool does not make an operation legal, provincial park data is incomplete, airport data is updated on a 56-day cycle, and it is not a NOTAM source. Treat it as a starting point, not a permission slip.

NAV Drone: confirm and request controlled airspace

NAV Drone is NAV CANADA’s app and web tool for drone pilots. It shows controlled airspace managed by NAV CANADA and lets Advanced pilots submit authorization requests for flights there. Transport Canada also notes it gives access to NOTAMs.

• Basic pilots can use it to confirm a site is outside controlled airspace.
• Advanced pilots submit the location, altitude, time and drone details, then wait for approval before flying.
• Military-controlled airspace is not handled by NAV CANADA; you must contact the military aerodrome authority.

The request process itself is covered in our guide to controlled airspace and NAV Drone authorization, so we will not repeat it here.

NOTAMs: temporary restrictions

A NOTAM (notice to airmen) announces changes that affect flight: temporary restricted airspace, airshows, obstacles, runway closures. Transport Canada reminds pilots that each NOTAM gives the time, location, zone and nature of the event.

What to look for as a drone pilot:

• Restrictions under section 5.1 of the Aeronautics Act: airspace closed by the Minister, for example for a security event or a VIP visit. Even microdrones must stay out without authorization.
• Forest fire restrictions: areas around wildfires, often published by NOTAM. Transport Canada says never to fly within 9.3 km (5 NM) of a wildfire.
• Airshows and special aviation events: low-flying aircraft in an area you might think is quiet.
• Drone or rocket activity: other operators may have published their own operations.

NOTAMs are available through NAV CANADA’s flight planning service and through NAV Drone. Check them the day of the flight, not the week before. Wildfire NOTAMs can appear within hours; our guide to drones near wildfires and emergency sites explains those rules.

Canada Flight Supplement and Water Aerodrome Supplement

The Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) is NAV CANADA’s directory of land aerodromes, and the Water Aerodrome Supplement (WAS) covers seaplane bases. For drone planning, they answer three questions:

1. Is the aerodrome certified? Certified sites are marked “Cert”. Certified airports and heliports trigger the 3 NM (5.6 km) and 1 NM (1.9 km) distances.
2. Is it military? The CFS gives authorization details for DND aerodromes, where a 3 NM buffer applies.
3. Who do I call? Operator contacts help you ask about traffic at small strips.

The full distance rules, including hospital helipads and float-plane bases, are explained in our guide to flying a drone near airports and heliports.

Restricted, advisory and danger areas (Class F)

Class F is special use airspace, and you will see it on the NRC map and on aeronautical charts with three prefixes:

Transport Canada confirms that drones of any weight, microdrones included, may not enter Class F restricted airspace without proper authorization. Each area’s limits, activity times and user agency are published in NAV CANADA’s Designated Airspace Handbook. Clicking a Class F shape on the NRC map usually shows the key details.

Land, parks and local rules: the part no map shows

Once the air side is clear, check the ground side:

• Parks Canada places: recreational drones are not allowed. The NRC map shows national parks, but the policy applies to national historic sites and marine conservation areas too.
• Provincial and municipal parks: rules vary; many cities control take-off from their land. See our guide to flying in Canadian parks.
• Private land: you need the owner’s permission to take off and land.
• Advertised events: an SFOC is needed, even for microdrones, and no map flags a weekend festival.

A step-by-step planning workflow

1. Define the flight: location, date, time window, maximum altitude and what you want to capture.
2. Open the NRC tool with your category selected and look for red, orange or yellow over your site and the area around it.
3. Click every shape touching your area to identify controlled airspace, Class F, aerodromes and parks.
4. Check aerodromes in the CFS/WAS: are any certified airports within 5.6 km, certified heliports within 1.9 km, or military fields within 5.6 km?
5. Confirm airspace in NAV Drone and, if you are an Advanced pilot inside controlled airspace, submit your request early.
6. Read NOTAMs for the day and time window.
7. Confirm land permission and local rules.
8. Check weather and match it to your drone’s limits; see our wind guide.
9. Re-check NOTAMs on site just before take-off, then carry on with your normal pre-flight checklist.

Keep a short record of what you checked: a screenshot of the map and the NOTAM search time. It helps if anyone questions the flight, and our guide to record keeping explains what you must log.

Worked example: a lakeside sunset shoot

Sam holds a Basic certificate and wants to film a sunset over a lake 25 km outside a mid-size city, at 120 m (about 400 ft) or lower, on a Saturday in July.

No single tool would have given Sam the whole picture. The NRC map flagged the seaplane base, NAV Drone ruled out controlled airspace, the NOTAMs ruled out the fire, and only the phone call settled the take-off spot.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NRC Drone Site Selection Tool official?

It is built by the National Research Council and recommended by Transport Canada, but it is for convenience only and does not authorize a flight. You remain responsible for checking all rules.

Do I need NAV Drone if I only hold a Basic certificate?

You cannot request authorization with a Basic certificate, but the app is still a useful way to confirm you are outside controlled airspace and to read NOTAMs.

Do manufacturer geofencing apps replace these checks?

No. Built-in maps may be out of date or differ from Canadian airspace data. Use the official sources.

How often should I check NOTAMs?

On the day of the flight and again just before take-off. Wildfire and security restrictions can be published on short notice.

Do these tools show city bylaws?

Not reliably. Check the city’s website or call the parks department.

Make the checks a habit

Planning a legal flight takes five to ten minutes once you know the tools: NRC map, CFS, NAV Drone, NOTAMs, then land and weather. Do it every time, even at familiar spots, because temporary restrictions change. New to the rules? Start with our Canada drone rules 2026 overview.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change: always check Transport Canada and local authorities before you fly.