Guide
Replacing DJI drones in a police or sheriff's department
The Mavic and Mini that patrol flies, what replaces them, and how to fund it.
Replacing DJI
Replacing your DJI drone, one job at a time.
Your DJI aircraft still flies. The next one cannot be a DJI if federal money touches it, and since September 3, 2026 an imported replacement costs up to twice what it did. These guides say what replaces each aircraft for each job, at a published price, and where nothing does yet.
Guide
Replacing DJI drones in a fire department
Scene overwatch, hazmat perimeters, and search, with the grant that funds the replacement.
Guide
Replacing DJI drones in a training program
Colleges, CTE, Part 107 schools, and Guard courses: the trainer that replaces a fleet of consumer drones.
Guide
Replacing DJI drones on a farm
What the Mavic did over a field, what replaces it now, and what the tariffs do to the alternative.
Guide
Replacing a DJI Mini, Mavic, or Matrice
By model: what each did, which EnCor aircraft matches the job, and where we do not.
The three facts every guide starts from
- December 22, 2025: all foreign-produced drones and critical components joined the FCC Covered List. No new authorizations; federal funds stopped buying them.
- May 2026: the FCC extended a waiver so existing foreign aircraft keep firmware and security updates through at least January 1, 2029.
- September 3, 2026: Section 232 tariffs took effect on imported drones and components. Small drones carry 25 percent; drones over 25 kilograms, any drone with thermal imaging, docking stations, and listed parts carry 100 percent.
What replaces what
| You fly | The job it did | Replace with | Status and price |
|---|---|---|---|
| DJI Mini or Mavic | Quick look at a scene, a roof, a field, a fence line; training | EnCor Corvin | Shipping now, $2,999 kit |
| DJI Matrice with thermal and zoom | Persistent inspection, response from a dock, search at night | EnCor Spector | In development, $34,999 bundle, reservations open |
| Fixed-wing or long-range mapping aircraft | Acreage, pipeline, right-of-way | EnCor Ranger | In development, $22,000 bundle, reservations open |
Questions buyers ask
Do I have to replace my DJI drone?
Not today. Aircraft you own stay legal to fly and keep receiving updates through at least January 1, 2029. What has changed: new foreign models cannot get FCC authorization, federal funds cannot buy them, and since September 3, 2026 imported drones and parts carry tariffs of 25 to 100 percent. Some states set their own replacement dates.
What replaces a DJI Mini or Mavic?
For the jobs those aircraft did in a small agency or a classroom, a Corvin complete kit at $2,999: a compact reconnaissance and training aircraft that ships now. For the camera-first jobs, no small US-built aircraft matches a Mavic's integrated optics at its old price, and we say so on the models page.
What replaces a Matrice?
A dock-capable, multi-sensor aircraft. EnCor's Spector is that aircraft, in development at a published $34,999 bundle price with reservations open. Until it ships, the honest answer for a Matrice mission is a premium US aircraft at a reported $16,000 to $25,000, or keeping the Matrice flying while you plan.
Is there money to replace them?
Grants for police, fire, schools, and farms are on the grants pages. A federal buyback bill has been proposed but is not law.
- Wiley, "FCC Adds All Foreign-Produced Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and UAS Critical Components to Covered List", December 2025.
- DroneDJ, "FCC just saved millions of DJI drones from going obsolete" (update waiver through 2029), 2026-05-18.
- Euronews, "US slaps 100% tariffs on drones to counter Chinese dominance", 2026-09-03.
- Forbes, "White House Slaps Tariffs On Imported Drones" (Section 232 proclamation), 2026-08-14.
- DroneXL, Skydio X10 reported public safety pricing, accessed 2026-09-05.
- EnCor, published prices, 2026-09-05.