BWI · Family-owned since 1977
Drone Insurance for Part 107 Pilots
Explore liability, hull and payload coverage for your operation. BWI helps Part 107 pilots compare annual drone insurance options for business or recreational flying.
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.
Drone insurance starts with two different questions: what happens if your operation injures someone or damages their property, and what happens if your own drone or equipment is damaged?
BWI helps you explore liability and optional physical damage coverage for your UAV operation. Tell us about your aircraft, cameras, sensors, pilots and the work you do. For recurring business work, fleets or client contracts, start with our commercial drone insurance guide.
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?
Liability and physical damage cover different risks. Build the quotation around the operation and equipment you actually need to insure.
Drone liability insurance
Liability coverage addresses covered claims for injury to other people or damage to their property arising from drone operations. Compare the limit, covered activities, exclusions and treatment of legal defense costs. Ask separately about personal-injury or privacy-related coverage if you film, inspect or collect data.
Hull or physical damage coverage
Optional hull coverage insures the drone itself under the policy's terms. Confirm its insured value, deductible and settlement basis. Check how the policy treats crashes, theft, water damage and flyaways rather than assuming every event is included.
Payloads and ground equipment
List cameras, thermal sensors, LiDAR equipment, controllers and ground stations with separate values. Ask which items must be scheduled and whether protection applies while attached, detached, stored or in transit.
Check exclusions and special operations
Tell BWI about rented or borrowed equipment, subcontractors, international jobs, indoor work, flights over people and new services. Spraying or spreading products needs an explicit discussion of drone aerial application insurance. These activities may require different terms or may fall outside the proposed coverage.
A liability-only quote does not insure your own drone. Coverage availability and any claim payment depend on the policy wording, underwriting and the circumstances of the loss.
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.
One accident, two coverage questions
Suppose a drone loses signal during a property shoot, damages a roof and breaks its camera. Damage to the roof raises a liability question; damage to the drone and camera raises a physical damage question.
Ask how the proposed policy treats each loss, including exclusions and deductibles. This example explains the distinction between coverages; it does not promise that a particular accident will be covered.
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).
- 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.
Compare quotes for your type of operation
- Photography or real estate: describe the properties, nearby people and equipment values, plus any client requirements.
- Inspection or mapping: include the site types, thermal or LiDAR payloads, operating locations and requested limits.
- Fleets and multiple pilots: provide the full aircraft and equipment schedule, the operating business and each pilot's role.
These are different insurance submissions, so their prices are not interchangeable. Request a current quotation using your own details instead of treating a sample premium as a price for your business.
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.
Work with BWI's aviation insurance team
BWI is a family-owned aviation insurance agency founded in 1977. Our team can help you describe your drone operation, understand a quotation and identify questions to resolve before choosing coverage.
- Discuss liability limits, equipment values and deductibles together.
- Bring client contracts and certificate requests into the conversation.
- Explain changes in aircraft, pilots or services before you rely on coverage for new work.
Meet the BWI team or call 800-666-4359 about your operation.
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
- Start the application with your pilot details, drone models, equipment values and the work you do.
- Share requested limits and any client insurance requirements with BWI.
- Review the quotation's coverage, deductibles, conditions and exclusions with the team.
- Confirm binding and the effective date in writing before relying on coverage.
Timing depends on your operation and underwriting requirements. Tell us if an upcoming job has a deadline.
Explore drone coverage for your work
- Commercial drone insurance: annual coverage and client requirements
- Survey, inspection and real estate drone insurance
- Construction drone insurance
- Agriculture drone insurance
- Drone aerial application insurance
Get a Drone Insurance Quote or call 800-666-4359.
Coverage is subject to policy terms and underwriting approval. Coverage is not effective until BWI confirms binding in writing.
A useful conversation starts
with your operation.
Get a drone insurance quote or give us a call today at 800-666-4359.
Before your next drone job, review the client's insurance wording
A client asking for proof of insurance may also request a particular limit, an additional insured endorsement or protection for a specific activity. Send the complete requirement with your quote inquiry so the proposed coverage can be compared against the job.
- Identify the legal business doing the work and the client requesting evidence.
- Describe the flight activity, site, equipment and dates. Include subcontractors or borrowed drones.
- Ask which requested terms appear in the offer, which need an endorsement and which remain unresolved.
Compare commercial drone insurance · Understand drone liability coverage
