Who Certifies Drones C0–C6: EU Notified Bodies and What They Mean for Buyers

The Class Does Not Come from the Box

A C0, C1 or C2 label on a drone is the result of a conformity assessment under EU Regulation 2019/945. The manufacturer assigns the class. An EU-type examination, however, involves an independent notified body: a laboratory that a member state has notified to the European Commission. The list of these bodies is public and kept by the Commission in the NANDO database.

What the classes mean for flying is explained in “Drone Classes C0–C6 and Subcategories A1, A2, A3 Explained for Buyers”, and catalogue models with their class are listed in the drones overview. This guide explains who stands behind the class label and what follows for buyers.

Active Notified Bodies According to NANDO

According to NANDO, five bodies were active under Regulation 2019/945 (as of 16 October 2026):

Modules B+C mean an EU-type examination plus conformity of production with the approved type. Three of the five bodies are in Spain. ALTER TECHNOLOGY TÜV NORD is the Spanish subsidiary of the TÜV NORD group and the only one of the five that does not cover classes C5 and C6. Droneport Europe also assesses accessory kits that turn a C3 drone into a C5 drone.

The large certification groups DEKRA, SGS, Bureau Veritas, Eurofins and TÜV SÜD do not appear in NANDO as bodies for Regulation 2019/945 (as of 16 October 2026).

Bodies That Are No Longer Active

NANDO also shows bodies that were notified but no longer are:

For the Institute of Aviation NANDO shows the status expired, although the same entry gives an end date of 26 September 2027. The institute held Modules B+C and Module H (full quality assurance), and its last confirmation dates from 18 November 2025. For EMITECH the entry gives an end date of 30 November 2029 despite the expired status.

Poland Without an Active Body

These data show that Poland currently has no active notified body for drone classes (as of 16 October 2026). Both Polish notifications, those of the Institute of Aviation and ICR Polska, are inactive in NANDO. Germany has one active body, TÜV Rheinland LGA Products.

For buyers this makes no practical difference. A certificate issued with a body from Spain, Germany or Hungary is valid across the EU. The lack of a Polish body matters more to Polish manufacturers who want a class for their own design: they have to commission the examination abroad.

What This Means When Buying

A drone's class decides the subcategory, the exam and Remote ID. So check it carefully when buying, not just in the model name.

1. Check the class label on the drone and in the documents. The class is marked on the body and in the documentation. A buyer cannot change it but can lose it, for example by fitting a heavier battery.

2. Check the model number of the specific bundle. The same model is often sold in several versions. The DJI Mini 5 Pro as MT5MFND has class C0, and as MT5MFNDB and MT5MFNDC class C1. EASA lists the DJI Mini 4 Pro as MT4MFVD with class C0 and MT4MFVDB with class C1 (Fly More Combo). According to DJI, the DJI Lito X1 is C0 with the standard battery and C1 with the Plus battery.

3. Watch the battery. The Antigravity A1 weighs 249 g with the standard battery and is class C0. With the high-capacity battery it weighs 291 g and becomes a C1 drone. That brings the A1/A3 exam and mandatory liability insurance. Details in “Drones Under 250 g in Poland”.

4. A drone without a class is not always a mistake. For the FIMI MINI 3 the manufacturer does not state an EU class. According to a Maison du Drone review, the Autel EVO Lite+ has no class label and flies in subcategory A3. A drone without a class placed on the EU market before 1 January 2024 may still fly in the open category: under 250 g under A1 rules, heavier only in A3.

5. C2 with low-speed mode. EASA describes the DJI Mavic 4 Pro in versions L3A and L3B as C2 with low-speed mode. It is this mode that lets the drone come within 5 m of uninvolved people in subcategory A2 instead of 30 m.

Classes C5 and C6 in Professional Bundles

In the professional segment the class often depends on accessories. ULC gives the example of the DJI Matrice 4: the C5 version has a flight termination system and a parachute and is limited to 5 m/s, the C6 version a flight termination system without a parachute and up to 50 m/s. Megadron sells the Matrice 4T in a bundle with the C5 accessory kit for EUR 8,697.20, and FlyStore lists the Matrice 400 C6 with the AP100 module for PLN 47,506 (≈ EUR 10,870), unavailable on the day of checking (as of 16 October 2026).

Since 1 January 2026 companies flying in the specific category need C5 or C6 drones for the STS-01 and STS-02 standard scenarios, or a ULC authorisation. For such a purchase, check whether the class applies to the whole bundle and not just the drone.

In Short

• The manufacturer assigns the class, and an EU-type examination involves a notified body from the NANDO database.
• There are five active bodies for drones: 0197, 0370, 2031, 2806 and 3045 (as of 16 October 2026).
• Poland currently has no active body; numbers 3125 and 2703 are inactive.
• Buyers check the class on the drone, in the documents and in the bundle's model number.

This guide summarises the rules, but it does not replace legal advice.