AlteX droneHUB
Basic and Advanced ground school plus flight training and reviews, running since 2014 with Seneca and Centennial college partnerships.
Visit website ↗These schools train drone pilots in Canada, from first flights to commercial work. Programs, schedules, and pricing change often, so contact each school directly for current details.
Pilots first register their drone through the Drone Management Portal. For Basic Operations, minimum age 14, the only requirement is passing the online Small Basic Exam; there is no flight review and no stated fee. For Advanced Operations, minimum age 16, pilots must pass an online exam with an 80 percent threshold and complete an in-person flight review at an approved site, for a $25.00 CAD fee; Advanced certificate holders can also perform Basic operations.
Level 1 Complex Operations, minimum age 18, require the Advanced exam plus 20 hours of ground school at an approved flight school, a separate Level 1 exam and flight review, and a $125.00 CAD fee. None of these certificates expire.
Civil drone operation in Canada is regulated by Transport Canada under Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems), which applies to drones between 250 grams and 25 kilograms flown within visual line of sight. The same rules apply regardless of whether the flight is recreational or commercial. Every drone weighing 250 grams or more must be registered through the Drone Management Portal, including custom-built or kit-assembled aircraft.
Transport Canada sorts operations into risk-based categories: Basic and Advanced Operations, plus a newer Level 1 Complex tier for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights that builds on the Advanced certificate. Any flight that falls outside all three categories requires a Special Flight Operations Certificate for RPAS.
This page is for general orientation and may not reflect the latest regulatory changes. It is not legal advice: confirm current rules, fees, and permitted zones with your country's civil aviation authority before you fly.
A listing in this directory is not an endorsement, accreditation, or certification of any school, and does not indicate affiliation with or vetting by us. Confirm a school's credentials and authorizations directly with the school and the relevant authority.
Drone pilot certification in Canada is federal. Transport Canada issues the same Basic, Advanced and Level 1 Complex certificates everywhere in the country, so there is no Ontario drone licence or Alberta drone licence to get separately. Searching for one of those will lead you to the same federal certificate.
What does change between provinces is where you can take off and land. Provincial parks and municipal by-laws set their own rules on launching from the ground they control, and those sit on top of the federal flight rules rather than replacing them. Check the land manager for the specific park or municipality you plan to fly from, because Transport Canada's rules do not answer that question.
| Small Basic exam | No fee shown on Transport Canada's exam page | |
| Pilot Certificate, Basic Operations | No fee shown | |
| Advanced exam | No fee shown on Transport Canada's exam page | |
| Pilot Certificate, Advanced Operations | 25.00 | |
| Level 1 Complex exam | 50 | Effective 1 April 2025 |
| Pilot Certificate, Level 1 Complex Operations | 125 | Effective 1 April 2025 |
| RPAS Operator Certificate (RPOC) | 125 | Effective 1 April 2025 |
| Drone registration, per aircraft | 10 | Increased 1 April 2025 |
| Flight review | Set by the flight school or reviewer | Not set by Transport Canada |
| SFOC-RPAS, very low complexity | 20 | Effective 4 November 2025 |
| SFOC-RPAS, low complexity | 75 | Effective 4 November 2025 |
| SFOC-RPAS, medium complexity | 900 | Effective 4 November 2025 |
| SFOC-RPAS, high complexity | 2,000 | Effective 4 November 2025 |
Budget the Level 1 Complex route as more than the certificate fee alone. The exam, the certificate and the operator certificate are three separate charges.
No. Transport Canada issues one set of certificates that is valid across Canada. What varies by province is where you are allowed to take off and land, which is set by provincial parks and municipal by-laws rather than by Transport Canada.
The certificate fee is 25.00 Canadian dollars. The in-person flight review is priced separately by the flight school or reviewer, not by Transport Canada.
The Small Basic exam is 35 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes and you need 65% to pass. The Advanced exam is 50 questions in 60 minutes and you need 80%.
14 for Basic, 16 for Advanced, and 18 for Level 1 Complex.
No. Transport Canada states that the pilot certificate does not expire.
You wait 24 hours and take it again. There is no limit on attempts, and each attempt carries the same fee.
Basic and Advanced ground school plus flight training and reviews, running since 2014 with Seneca and Centennial college partnerships.
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RPAS certification training since 2010, with an online ground school and flight reviews in Langley, BC.
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Advanced Drone Program covering DJI aircraft and industrial platforms up to the 10 kg class.
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Basic, Advanced, and Level 1 Complex certificate training, with a site fully available in French.
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Basic, Advanced, and OCN1 training, offered in person in Montreal, Levis, Gatineau, and Trois-Rivieres.
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A 15-week Professional RPAS Certificate delivered through SAIT's Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems.
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Online and instructor-led Basic and Advanced training, with flight reviews and ROC-A radio-license prep.
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RPAS Small Advanced Education Course with flight review training.
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Coastal Drone provides online ground school and flight training to help individuals earn their Transport Canada drone pilot certification.
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Volatus Academy offers expert-led drone pilot training, from entry-level certification to specialized defence and GIS programs.
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Yukon University offers a Transport Canada-accredited Advanced RPAS/Drone Pilot ground school course covering air law, aircraft systems, human factors, meteorology, navigation, and flight operations.
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The Canadian Drone Institute offers Transport Canada Basic and Advanced Flight Certificate drone pilot training plus an Introductory SFOC course.
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RPAS Centre offers free Basic and Advanced RPAS courses, live drone exam prep, and Drone Flight Review preparation aligned with Transport Canada regulations.
Visit website ↗Drone training and inspection services in Saskatchewan; offers basic through advanced training, roof and building inspections, thermal imaging, and agricultural assessments.
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Basic and Advanced drone courses for recreational, commercial, and professional pilots; corporate group training available.
Visit website ↗In-person drone pilot training for commercial applications: filming, survey, public safety work; covers small drones up to 25 kilograms; Toronto-area campuses.
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Drone pilot training courses in Edmonton, Alberta.
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If you run a drone training program anywhere in the United States or Canada, we would like to include it. Send us the school name, website, and a short description; listing is free.
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