Decoding the Decree of December 23, 2025, and Cerfa 15476*04: Professional access to the Open Category in urban areas and the strict 10-day notice requirement.

Cerfa 15476*04 and the Decree of December 23, 2025: The "Big Bang" of Professional Drone Flight in Cities is Here

It's official. The transition period is coming to an end, and European harmonization is entering its strict phase. With the publication of the new Cerfa No. 15476*04 and the decree modifying airspace rules, 2026 marks a radical turning point for all French operators. Between the long-awaited liberalization of the Open Category in urban areas and the drastic tightening of notice periods, Dronexperts.io decodes the new rules of the game for you.

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The End of the French Exception: S3 Makes Way

For years, the S3 scenario was the "golden ticket" for French operators working in cities. That era is over. The new prior declaration form for prefectures (Cerfa 15476*04) marks the transition to European standards. While the "Scenario S3" checkbox still exists on paper, it is now accompanied by a restrictive note: it only applies to acquired rights (granted before 12/31/2025) or specific state missions.

From now on, to operate in a populated area, the form offers two main paths:

1. STS-01: The legitimate successor to S3, requiring C5-marked (or C5-kitted) drones and STS practical training.
2. The Open Category: The true revolution of this text.

The Article 5 Revolution: The Open Category Finally Goes "Pro"

This was the long-standing French anomaly. The 2020 decree prohibited flying in the Open Category over public space in urban areas, forcing pros to use heavy, S3-certified machines for even simple real estate photography.

The Decree of December 23, 2025, removes this barrier. The modified Article 5 now explicitly authorizes flight over public space in urban areas "within the framework of the professional activity of its operator."

In practice: An operator can now declare a mission in the city to the prefecture using a simple Mavic 3 (C1) or a drone under 250g, without a circuit breaker, without a parachute, and without a complex Operations Manual (MANEX), provided they follow the rules of sub-category A1 (minimized overflight of people) or A2 (30m or 5m distance at low speed).

The Trade-off: The Notice Period Increases to 10 Days (Strictly Enforced)

While technical access to urban skies is becoming simpler, it is becoming administratively more rigid. An analysis of Cerfa 15476*04 reveals the pain point of this reform: the notice period for prefectural declarations has increased from 5 to 10 working days.

Beware the trap of calculating "full working days":

• The day of submission does not count.
• The day of the flight does not count.
• Weekends and public holidays are excluded.

In practice, a declaration sent on a Tuesday for a flight the following Monday will be late. You must now plan for two full calendar weeks of anticipation. The "Urgency" checkbox still exists on the Cerfa, but the instructions are clear: the flight can only take place after formal agreement from the prefecture. The "silence equals consent" rule for emergencies is officially over.

Simplified Night Flight: A Victory for Thermography

Another piece of good news hidden in the texts: the end of the systematic exemption request for low-altitude night flights. If you are flying at an altitude of less than 50 meters, with a drone weighing less than 8 kg equipped with a green flashing light, a simple declaration (via the same Cerfa or AlphaTango) is now sufficient, subject to the same 10-day notice period.

What to Change in Your Procedures Starting Now

For Dronexperts subscribers, here is your 2026 survival checklist:

1. Update AlphaTango: The platform has been updated to include classes C0 to C6 and the STS regimes.

2. Revise Your Terms & Conditions: Contractually integrate the incompressible 10-working-day delay to avoid conflicts with clients in a rush.

3. Verify Your Fleet: To declare STS-01 on the new Cerfa, you must check the "Class C5" box. If your drone does not have this marking (or a validated conversion kit), you are legally grounded... or you must switch to the Open Category if applicable.

4. Appoint a Field Contact: The new form requires the contact details of a person "who must imperatively be present and reachable during flights." No more providing the office receptionist's number: the remote pilot's mobile number must appear on the document so that law enforcement can resolve any doubts immediately.

Dronexperts' Take: This reform is a double-edged sword. It offers unprecedented hardware flexibility (goodbye mandatory parachutes on small drones in the city!), but imposes a planning rigor that will penalize last-minute missions. The professionalization of the sector no longer relies on the complexity of piloting, but on the mastery of administrative anticipation.