Updated: 20th May 2026
Drone Insurance can provide peace of mind by covering third party injury and property liability, aviation liability, damage to your equipment, and more, but what’s covered depends on the policy you choose.
In this article, we look at 7 of the top questions you might want to ask yourself when buying Drone Insurance, whether you’re insuring a single drone or a fleet of drones, so you can make an informed decision about the cover that’s right for you.
1. How Often Will I Use My Drone?
Determining how often you will use your drone will help you choose the best policy for your needs. Many Drone Insurance providers offer annual policies as standard, but if you intend only to use your drone for specific periods of the year, you could end up paying for more cover than you need.
For example, at Coverdrone, we offer a range of policy durations, from as little as 1 day, which can be a cheaper option for infrequent flyers, but this might not be appropriate for more frequent users.* Assess how long your drone will spend in the air before considering different policy durations, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. For example, if you are flying your drone more than fifteen times spread across the year, you may benefit more from an annual policy.
2. What Will I Use My Drone For?
How you intend to use your drone will impact the Drone Insurance policy that’s most appropriate for you. For example, at Coverdrone, you can purchase Commercial Drone Insurance or Recreational Drone Insurance (sometimes called ‘hobby’ Drone Insurance).*
As a Recreational Drone Insurance policy holder, you can only operate your drone for fun or leisure without any potential commercial gain. The important point to remember here is that commercial gain doesn’t necessarily have to relate to the drone operator themselves.
For example, if you use your own drone to take aerial footage of an event at your child’s school, it wouldn’t matter if you carry this out as a favour to the school and receive no payment from them for the flight. The school would technically benefit commercially from the media (such as photos and videos) given to them, so you would need to be covered under a Commercial Drone Insurance policy to ensure you have the right level of protection in place.
Just be aware that definitions of commercial use may vary by insurer and regulator, so always ensure your policy aligns with your intended activity and meets the requirements of the regulator in the country within which you are operating.
3. How Much Will it Cost to Replace My Drone?
When purchasing a Drone Insurance policy, it’s worth looking into how much it will cost to replace your drone if you need to make a claim. You may need to pay an excess (or deductible) fee if you claim for a replacement drone through your insurance policy. If you have the option to claim for a replacement drone, this cover option (and any associated fees or excesses) should be clearly visible in your policy documentation.
Many Drone Insurance policies offer a like-for-like replacement in the event of a claim (also known as new-for-old cover). If your drone is discontinued or no longer available, your insurance provider may offer you the nearest alternative. However, with advances in drone technology, the closest replacement option may cost more to buy.
For example, at Coverdrone, your policy covers you up to the drone value(s) (known as ‘sum insured’) you declared when you took out your policy, so there could be a shortfall if your replacement drone is more expensive.*
It’s therefore important to set the correct ‘sum insured’ against your policy and regularly check and update it in line with the current replacement value of your drone(s).
4. Where Do I Want to Operate My Drone?
Not all Drone Insurance providers may offer worldwide cover as standard, so we encourage you to consider where you want to operate your drone. If you intend to operate your drone abroad, read your policy documents carefully to ensure you remain protected, compliant, and adequately covered for the country you wish to operate in, as regulatory requirements can vary by country.
At Coverdrone, we provide worldwide cover as standard, subject to certain excluded territories, so the level of protection you receive can apply internationally.*
5. When Will I Operate My Drone?
When purchasing your Drone Insurance policy, consider the time of day you want to operate your drone. For example, do you want to operate your drone in the day or at night? We encourage you to consider when you would realistically use your drone and for how long, to ensure you are fully covered.
At Coverdrone, our policies do not contain any restrictions on the time of day or number of hours you can operate your drone, provided you comply with all applicable local and national aviation regulations and policy conditions.*
6. Who Do I Want to Be Covered on My Policy?
This is a key question to ask, particularly if you require a Commercial Drone Insurance policy. Unlike recreational policies, which typically cover only a single policyholder, a commercial policy often needs to accommodate multiple operators.
At Coverdrone, we do not restrict the number of operators covered by a Commercial Drone Insurance policy. Once you have a Commercial Drone Insurance policy with us, provided the persons operating your drone do so safely and within the laws and regulations of the region you operate in, they can be covered under your policy.*
You may also want to check whether your insurance provider offers the option to add additional insureds to your policy. It might be needed when there is a contractual obligation to provide insurance coverage to the other party, such as a client/customer of yours receiving drone services from you. At Coverdrone, you can easily add an additional insured to your policy where required.*
Also, at Coverdrone, we can cover supervised drone use by minors (those aged 13-17) under recreational policies, provided the policyholder (the person supervising the minor) is legally responsible for the minor, such as a parent or guardian. The minor does not need to be named on your Coverdrone policy. The only person who needs to be named on your policy is you, the Policyholder, who needs to be aged 18 or over.*
7. How Many Drones Do I Want to Cover on My Policy?
When purchasing your Drone Insurance policy, you may also want to consider how many drones you want to add to your policy and ensure you choose an insurance provider that enables you to cover the number of drones you need to cover.
At Coverdrone, we don’t restrict the number of drones you can add to your policy, but it’s important to note that if you have equipment cover, the value of your equipment may affect the cost of your cover.* Ensure you provide accurate information when purchasing a policy so that you have enough cover for the way you fly.
Need to Ask More Questions
If you’re looking to purchase Drone Insurance and need more information, we have a wide range of FAQs organised into easy-to-navigate topics. Alternatively, at Coverdrone, we handle support and claims in-house, so if you ever need help or have any questions, our team of specialists is here to assist you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask a question.
About this Article
This article is intended to provide general information only and does not take into account your individual demands and needs. You should review policy documentation carefully to ensure any cover you purchase is suitable for your specific requirements.
* Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only. Cover is subject to policy terms, conditions, exclusions and underwriting criteria.
