South America
Colombia
RAC 100 — Aerocivil/UAEAC regulation
Colombia regulates drones under Aerocivil's (UAEAC) RAC 100. Non-profit recreational flying falls under the 'categoría abierta' (open category): no pilot certificate is required, but the drone must be registered with the UAEAC (except under 200 g) and you must follow the maximum altitude, safety distances and no-fly zones published by the authority.
Limit of 400 feet (122 m AGL) for the open category. Flight must stay within visual line of sight (VLOS), within 750 m horizontally from the operator and at least 30 m from bystanders not involved in the operation.
Mandatory with the UAEAC for drones with a take-off weight ≥200 g, up to the open category's 25 kg limit; under 200 g no registration is needed.
For the open category (recreational use) no certificado de idoneidad (pilot certificate) is required: drone registration and following the regulation are enough.
Not required for recreational flying in the open category; civil liability insurance becomes mandatory only for commercial demonstrations or the specific category.
Zones to avoid
No-fly zones usually follow the same recurring categories (airports, military sites, protected areas, historic centers). For this country: Forbidden in prohibited, restricted, dangerous and training zones, and in the drone no-fly zones (ZNVD) published by the UAEAC. Minimum distance 2 km from wherever the President of the Republic is located, from military/police bases, prisons and critical infrastructure; 9 km from airports (between 6 and 9 km, maximum altitude 61 m); 3 km from heliports. Beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights, night flights not meeting the specific rules, and any commercial use in this category are also forbidden.
What isn't 100% confirmed yet
RAC 100 has since been updated by Resolución 3034 (December 2024) and Resolución 0998 (May 2025): the general framework is unchanged, but the specific text of these two updates wasn't re-read line-by-line in this check.
Verify officially before flying
Source: UAEAC — Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronáutica Civil (Aerocivil)
Last checked: 2026-09
Go deeper
Why registration exists
Operator registration exists for accountability: if a drone causes an incident or enters a restricted zone, the authority needs to be able to trace it back to whoever was flying it. You usually get an identification number (operator ID) to physically attach to the drone, valid for every drone the same person owns. The cost is often minimal or free, and it applies to visiting tourists too, not just residents. For Colombia, the official reference remains UAEAC — Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronáutica Civil (Aerocivil). Mandatory with the UAEAC for drones with a take-off weight ≥200 g, up to the open category's 25 kg limit; under 200 g no registration is needed.
How this usually works
Even where an exam isn't formally required, most aviation authorities still recommend a basic safety course: rules change often, and flying without the basics is a real risk even without a legal obligation. The exam and certificate are handled by UAEAC — Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronáutica Civil (Aerocivil). For the open category (recreational use) no certificado de idoneidad (pilot certificate) is required: drone registration and following the regulation are enough.
Informational content, not legal advice. Zones and rules change constantly: always check the country's official website before every flight.