Do You Need a Drone Permit for Real Estate Photography in Toronto? (2026 Rules Explained)

Short answer: yes, in almost every case. Most of the Toronto area sits inside controlled airspace, thanks to its proximity to Pearson International, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, and Downsview Airport. On top of that, nearly every real estate shoot happens near buildings or people. So pilots need an Advanced RPAS pilot certificate from Transport Canada, not the Basic one. This guide breaks down exactly what that means for agents, homeowners, and photographers booking aerial shots for a GTA listing in 2026.

Why This Isn't Optional for Real Estate Shoots

Transport Canada splits drone operations into two certificate levels. The difference has nothing to do with whether the flight is commercial or personal. Instead, it comes down to where the drone flies and how close it gets to people. A Basic Operations Certificate only permits flying in uncontrolled airspace, at least 30 metres from any bystander, and no higher than 400 feet. Real estate photography rarely fits that description. Listings sit in residential neighbourhoods, close to homes, driveways, and neighbours — and a large share of the GTA counts as controlled airspace to begin with.

Basic vs. Advanced: What's Actually Required

Here's the practical breakdown of what separates the two certificate levels, and why virtually every professional real estate drone operator in the GTA holds the Advanced certificate:

In short, a Basic certificate holder legally can't photograph most GTA properties from the air. Doing so almost always means flying within 30 metres of the house itself, neighbouring homes, or people on the property. It also frequently means flying in airspace that NAV CANADA controls.

Aerial drone photography for a GTA listing — this kind of shot requires an Advanced RPAS certificate and, in most GTA locations, NAV CANADA airspace authorization.

Why Most of the GTA Is Controlled Airspace

Toronto's airspace is unusually crowded for a North American city. Pearson International sits in Mississauga, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on the Toronto Islands right off the downtown core, and Downsview Airport covers a swath of the city's north end. Together, these three airports put a majority of the GTA's residential neighbourhoods — including large parts of Toronto, Mississauga, and North York — inside controlled airspace. As a result, pilots need NAV CANADA authorization before flying there, no matter which certificate they hold.

Visaro accounts for exactly this on every aerial shoot in Toronto and Mississauga, where Pearson's controlled airspace overlaps directly with residential listing areas.

How Airspace Authorization Actually Works

Advanced pilots use NAV Drone, NAV CANADA's official planning and authorization tool, before every shoot in or near controlled airspace. The app shows in real time whether a specific address is clear to fly (green) or needs a permission request (orange). NAV CANADA often approves low-altitude requests in lower-risk zones automatically. Anything closer to an airport's core operating area, however, needs a manual review, which can take up to two weeks. That's a scheduling factor worth building into any listing timeline that includes aerial photos near Pearson or Billy Bishop.

• Drone registration: Register any drone that weighs 250 grams or more with Transport Canada before flying it commercially.
• Liability insurance: Carry adequate coverage — most clients and brokerages expect at least $1M, and many require $2M or more.
• Site-specific checks: Check proximity to hospital heliports, event airspace, and temporary flight restrictions for every shoot. Never assume a nearby address's last approval still applies.

What Changed in November 2025

Transport Canada rolled out a fresh round of drone regulation updates on November 4, 2025. Most of the changes affect larger commercial operators — think new medium-drone classifications for 25–150 kg aircraft, expanded Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight privileges, and new SFOC fee structures. For real estate photography specifically, though, the core requirement hasn't changed. Advanced certification, drone registration, and NAV CANADA authorization in controlled airspace remain the baseline for any legal aerial shoot in the GTA. So the update is a good reminder: Transport Canada actively maintains and enforces these rules. They haven't faded into a formality.

What This Means If You're Booking a Shoot

If you're an agent or homeowner booking aerial photography, you don't need to hold the certificate yourself. But it's worth confirming your photographer does. Flying without it carries real liability exposure for everyone involved, including the property owner who authorized the flight. Before booking, it's reasonable to ask:

• Does the pilot hold an Advanced RPAS certificate, not just Basic?
• Is the drone registered with Transport Canada?
• What liability insurance coverage is in place?
• Has NAV CANADA authorization been checked for this specific address, given how much of the GTA sits in controlled airspace?

Visaro plans every aerial shoot around these exact checks. That's why aerial drone photography and video comes standard in the Elite package, not as an afterthought.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Transport Canada, Find Your Category of Drone Operation · Transport Canada, 2025 Summary of Changes to Canada's Drone Regulations · NAV CANADA, NAV Drone