BWI · Family-owned since 1977
Drone Insurance for Commercial & Recreational UAV Pilots
Tell us what you fly and how you use it. We’ll help you understand your drone insurance options.
Matt White · Owner & CEOA real team behind your next step.Real aviation insurance professionals behind you.Meet the BWI team 
What BWI customers say
Reviews of BWI’s aviation insurance service.
Great service great follow-up by Katie 11 years as customer
Emily is a fantastic agent. She's very knowledgeable and helpful. I would definitely recommend her for your aviation insurance needs!
If you are shopping for aviation insurance, you MUST speak with Katie! Helpful, knowledgeable and ready to go the extra Nautical Mile for you!
Find what you need.Start with the questions that matter to you.
Whether you’re flying a DJI Mini for fun or managing a fleet of commercial UAVs for agriculture, photography, or inspection, your drone is valuable, exposed, and vulnerable to risk. Drone insurance helps protect you from liability claims and helps cover physical damage to your UAV.
At BWI Aviation Insurance, we provide fast, flexible, and affordable drone insurance policies for Part 107 operators, drone-based businesses, creators, and enthusiasts. Since 1977, we’ve been a trusted name in aviation insurance—and today, we bring that same experience to the fast-moving world of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). If you operate commercially, you may also want to compare options for commercial aviation insurance.
Start with your drone and the work you do
Request a quote for your operation, or talk through the details with BWI before you start.
Before you begin: BWI currently requires a Part 107 certificate for drone quote requests, including recreational flying. Contact BWI if you need to confirm eligibility.
Continue to BWI’s drone insurance application.
Do You Need Drone Insurance?
Drone insurance isn’t federally required, but in today’s world, it’s often expected. If you fly drones professionally, sell footage, compete, or operate in public spaces, someone will eventually ask you: “Do you have insurance?”
Here’s when insurance becomes essential:
- You operate commercially under FAA Part 107
- Clients request proof of liability
- You work around people, structures, or critical infrastructure
- You’ve invested in high-end gear or payloads
- You fly in public venues or near spectators
- You compete in drone racing or exhibitions
- You want peace of mind when flying near risk
Even hobbyists and content creators should consider coverage, especially when the drone costs $1,000+ or flies near neighbors, property, or people.
What Does Drone Insurance Cover?
Drone insurance can be customized to include:
Liability Coverage
This is the most commonly requested coverage. It protects you if your drone causes property damage or bodily injury to someone else.
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Invasion of privacy (camera-equipped drones)
- Legal defense and settlement fees
Physical Damage (Hull) Coverage
This covers your drone if it crashes, is stolen, or suffers water damage, flyaway, or fire. If you also insure other aircraft exposures, explore aircraft insurance options through BWI.
- Covers the drone, gimbal, camera, or payload
- Can include spare parts or ground control stations
- Requires proof of value (purchase invoice or spec sheet)
Payload Coverage
This protects high-value attached equipment, like LIDAR, thermal cameras, or cinema gear. Especially useful for commercial or survey work.
Additional Options
- Ground equipment (laptops, tablets, base stations)
- Non-owned UAV liability
- Loss of use / mission interruption
- Cyber liability for advanced or software-integrated drones
- Worldwide flying endorsements (for travel or international ops)
- Theft and vandalism
Compare the quote behind the price
Use the same equipment list and description of work for each quote. Then check these details side by side before choosing.
| Check | Ask before you decide |
|---|---|
| Your work | Does the quotation describe every service and operating location I listed? |
| Your equipment | Which drones, cameras, sensors and ground equipment are listed, and at what values? |
| People and businesses | How are the owner, operating business, pilots and any contractors identified? |
| Limits and deductibles | Which limits, deductibles, conditions or exclusions differ between the options? |
| Your next job | Does the proposed policy address the client’s exact insurance requirements and the dates I need? |
Flag any difference you cannot explain. Ask BWI to walk through it with you rather than treating two different quotations as equivalent.
Real-World Example:
A real estate drone pilot is filming a luxury home. Mid-flight, the drone loses signal and crashes into a neighboring property, destroying a patio heater and damaging the roof. The client demands compensation. Liability insurance covers the damage, and hull coverage pays for the drone replacement.
Without insurance, that’s a $5,000–$10,000 loss out of pocket.
Who Needs Drone Insurance?
If you use drones for any of the following purposes, drone insurance is highly recommended (and often required by clients, venues, or contracts). If you regularly operate aircraft you don’t own, you may also want to review non-owned aircraft insurance.
- Aerial photography or cinematography
- Real estate marketing
- Land surveying or construction mapping
- Agriculture (crop health, NDVI, thermal)
- Infrastructure or utility inspection
- Solar panel or roof inspection
- Drone racing (FPV or commercial class)
- Event coverage (weddings, sports, festivals)
- YouTube creators and influencers
- Search & Rescue or public safety
- Environmental or wildlife monitoring
- Drone training businesses or schools
Whether you operate solo or manage a multi-UAV team, we’ll help you build the right policy.
Find the information that fits your operation
- Business work and fleets — start with the commercial drone page.
- Photography, surveying and inspections — describe the sites and services involved.
- Mapping and geophysical work — include the sensors and equipment you use.
- Crop monitoring and agricultural data — distinguish collecting information from applying products.
- Spraying, spreading and aerial application — identify the application work explicitly.
- Recreational flying — review this route alongside BWI’s current eligibility requirements.
More than one type of work? Include each activity in your inquiry.
Actual Drone Insurance Quotes from BWI Clients
Commercial Photographer – DJI Mavic Air 2
$1M liability only | Nationwide coverage
$639/year
Inspection Startup – DJI Matrice + Thermal Camera ($12k value)
$1M liability + hull + payload
$1,850/year
Mapping Company – 3 drones w/ LIDAR and FPV
Fleet liability + scheduled hull
$3,200/year
Cinematographer – DJI Inspire 2 + cinema camera
$2M liability + full hull + ground station
$2,750/year
Hobbyist Racer – Custom FPV drone (Canada ops)
$500k liability + worldwide endorsement
→ $575/year
These quotes are based on real BWI policies. Pricing varies by location, equipment value, use case, and pilot experience.
What Impacts Drone Insurance Cost?
Your premium is based on:
- Drone value (airframe + payload)
- Number of drones and operators
- Business type and mission complexity
- Location (urban, rural, restricted airspace)
- Flight environment (over people, near structures)
- Pilot experience and Part 107 status
- Claims history
- Liability limit and add-ons selected
If you want better pricing, keep clean records, use experienced pilots, and ask us about bundling liability + hull in one package.
Family-owned since 1977
BWI is a family-owned aviation insurance agency. Matt White is BWI’s owner and CEO.
Why Choose BWI for Drone Insurance?
We’ve been in the aviation insurance business for over 45 years. While many brokers are just getting into drones, we’ve already built a dedicated UAV insurance division and have issued 1,000+ drone-specific policies.
Here’s why drone pilots choose BWI:
- Aviation experts who actually understand drones
- Access to top UAV insurers in the U.S.
- Flexible policies for individuals and businesses
- Quotes in 24 hours or less
- No call centers—real humans with real answers
- Fast certificates and endorsement changes
- Coverage available in all 50 states
Whether you fly a single DJI drone or manage a team of surveyors with $100K in gear, we’ll get you covered, correctly and quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is drone insurance required by the FAA?
No. The FAA does not mandate drone insurance. However, most jobs, venues, and clients will require proof of liability coverage before you’re allowed to operate.
How much liability coverage do drone pilots usually carry?
Many commercial operators choose $1M in liability coverage because it’s a common contract requirement. The right limit depends on your jobs, locations, and risk exposure.
Does drone insurance cover flyaways?
Check flyaway explicitly when reviewing the quotation. Ask BWI whether the proposed physical-damage terms address it and which conditions or exclusions apply. Do not assume every hull quotation treats it the same way.
Does drone insurance cover the drone itself?
Not by default. Basic liability-only policies protect others, but not your drone. To cover damage to your UAV, you’ll need to add hull coverage.
Is personal injury or privacy coverage included?
Ask whether personal-injury or privacy coverage is included in the proposed policy and how its wording relates to your work. Describe filming, inspection or other data-collection activities rather than assuming the word liability answers every privacy question.
Can I get a policy without a Part 107 certificate?
Unfortunately, none of our carriers will provide quotes for operators who don’t hold a Part 107 license. We can secure quotes for recreational users, but only if they do have their Part 107—regardless of whether they fly commercially or purely for recreation.
What happens if I lose signal and crash?
Ask how the policy treats a crash following loss of signal, including any operating conditions, exclusions and deductible. Whether a particular claim is payable depends on the facts and policy terms; hull coverage alone does not answer that question.
Can I cover multiple drones under one policy?
Yes. We can quote fleet liability, scheduled equipment lists, and multi-operator teams with one master policy.
Do I need drone insurance if I only fly on private property?
If you fly near others, expensive gear, or structures, yes. Accidents can still result in lawsuits, injury, or damage, even on your own land.
When the job or equipment is different
What if I use a rented drone or a contractor’s equipment?
Identify each item and who owns it. Explain who will operate it and share any rental or subcontracting requirements. Ask BWI how the proposed insurance treats that arrangement; do not assume an equipment list answers the liability question as well.
What if my client asks to be added to the insurance?
Send the exact request, including the client’s legal name and the work involved. Ask what the insurer needs to review and what documentation can be provided. A request for a certificate and a request to change the policy should be discussed explicitly.
What if I add a new type of job after buying insurance?
Describe the new activity to BWI before you start it. Include changes in equipment, operators, locations or client requirements, and ask whether the insurer needs to review the change.
Give BWI a useful picture of your operation
Start with a short description you can adapt:
We use [drone models] for [services] in [locations]. [Number] operators fly them. We own or use [equipment and payloads], and we need to discuss insurance for [start date or upcoming job].
Keep these details with it:
- Each drone’s value, plus separate values for cameras, sensors and ground equipment.
- Who owns, rents or borrows each item, and the operators’ certificate details and experience.
- Relevant loss history, current policy details and requested limits.
- The client’s exact insurance wording, legal name, job location and dates.
Include a planned new service or unusual job even if it is not part of your everyday work.
How to Get a Drone Insurance Quote
Getting a quote takes less than 5 minutes:
1. Click “Get A Quote” and enter your drone, payload, and pilot info
2. A BWI drone insurance specialist will contact you
3. We shop your profile to multiple UAV underwriters
4. You choose your coverage, bind the policy, and fly insured, often same day
Want to bind coverage this week? Let’s go.
Helpful Pages You Might Also Like
- Aircraft Insurance
- Aviation Insurance
- Cessna 172 Insurance
- Aircraft Renters Insurance
- Cirrus SR22 Insurance
- Experimental Aircraft Insurance
- Helicopter Insurance
- Alaska Aircraft Insurance
Have questions? We’re happy to build a custom quote or explain your options.
Trusted by 9,000+ Aviation Clients Since 1977
BWI has helped drone operators, photographers, ag pilots, inspectors, and creative pros protect their gear, their people, and their businesses. Whether you fly one drone or 20, we’ll get you a policy that works, fast.
We’re licensed in all 50 states, and we know what it takes to keep you covered, competitive, and confident.
Get a Drone Insurance Quote Now or call us at 800-666-4359
A useful conversation starts
with your operation.
Get a drone insurance quote or give us a call today at 800-666-4359.
