How to Register Your Drone with ULC in 15 Minutes

Registration in three sentences (TL;DR)

Go to drony.gov.pl, log in via login.gov.pl (the trusted profile, e-dowód ID, or your bank), fill in the operator details, and confirm. The system issues an operator number in the POL-XXXXXXXXX format - that number goes on the drone. It is free and takes about 15 minutes.

Who it applies to, in one line: anyone with a drone of 250 g take-off mass or more, OR any drone carrying a camera, microphone, or other data-recording sensor - which is almost everything sold today.

When registration is mandatory and when it isn't

Two triggers apply, and either one is enough. The first is mass of 250 g and up. The second, easy to overlook, is any sensor that records data: a camera, microphone, or thermal imager. So a DJI Mini weighs under 250 g, yet its camera still puts it in scope. Air 3S, Mavic 4 - no debate there, you register on weight alone.

• Drone of 250 g or heavier - always register.
• Drone under 250 g but with a camera/microphone/sensor - register too.
• Exception - toy drones with no data-recording device: no registration.
• Myth to kill: "I register each drone separately." No. One operator number covers all your aircraft.

What to prepare before you register

To avoid stalling halfway through the form, keep your login method and basic data ready. An individual needs a trusted profile and a couple of contacts; a company supplies its registration data.

• A trusted profile (profil zaufany), e-dowód ID, or bank login - to authorise on login.gov.pl.
• Individual data: PESEL or date of birth, e-mail, phone.
• Company data: NIP, REGON, registered address - the account is set up as a legal entity.
• Minimum age for an independent operator is 18 (younger users register through a guardian).
• Mind the difference: the operator is the registered, responsible party; the pilot physically flies the drone.

Step by step on drony.gov.pl

1. Open drony.gov.pl. The home page shows a big login button and an operator-registration block.
2. Click "Zaloguj się" (Log in) - it redirects you to login.gov.pl. Pick a method: trusted profile, bank, or e-dowód.
3. First login - the system creates your account. Accept the consents and the terms.
4. Choose the account type: individual (osoba fizyczna) or institutional operator (a company).
5. Fill in the operator data and confirm. For a company you enter NIP, REGON, and the registered address here.
6. The system generates the POL-XXXXXXXXX number. It appears in the operator panel under your account data - copy and print it from there.

The POL operator number: what it is and where to stick it

Format POL-XXXXXXXXX. It is a single number for all your drones and valid indefinitely. Stick it on the fuselage - durably, so it reads without disassembly. Not on a removable battery and not on the propellers.

• One number for all drones. Don't open separate accounts per aircraft.
• Label on the body, legible, no disassembly needed. A waterproof sticker or an engraving is best.
• If the drone supports Remote ID, the number is also entered in the app/firmware.
• Changed address? Update your data in the panel. That is the operator's duty.

Still not done: the A1/A3 exam and mandatory OC

The operator number is only the first door. To fly legally you also need a certificate of competency and insurance. The A1/A3 exam is taken free online inside the system: 40 questions, a 75% pass threshold, indefinite validity. For class C2 drones up to 4 kg and flights closer to people you need the A2 certificate - a course plus an exam at an authorised centre, valid 5 years. We break the levels down in a separate post on the A1/A2/A3 certificate.

Common mistakes and questions

• Confusing operator registration with drone registration. You register the operator (a person or company), not each aircraft.
• No trusted profile. You set one up in minutes via online banking (mBank, PKO, ING, etc.) on login.gov.pl.
• Company or individual? Flying for yourself - individual. Issuing invoices under a NIP - institutional operator.
• Drone bought abroad, or flying in another EU country - the POL number works across the whole Union, no separate registration per country. Details in our article on ordering a drone in Europe.
• Flying without registration is a violation and risks a ULC fine on inspection.

Don't want the hassle? Hire an operator with the paperwork in place

For developers, agencies, solar companies, and wedding couples there is a simpler route - skip the bureaucracy and hire an operator who already holds everything. If you are vetting a subcontractor, ask for three things: the POL number, the A1/A3 (or A2) certificate, and a valid OC policy.

VisionAir in Warsaw is a registered operator: we hold a POL number, certificates of competency, valid OC, and experience clearing flights in the CTR EPWA (the controlled airspace around Chopin Airport). We shoot real estate, run inspections, cover weddings and events, and fly FPV. Pricing and the CTR clearance process in Warsaw are on the services page.

Registration is a fifteen-minute job and plenty of people stop there. Then ULC inspects, and there's no exam and no OC. Close all three at once, otherwise the number on its own is worth nothing.