DA 26-223
FCC regulatory notice DA 26-223 setting the 11 May 2026 statutory reply deadline for Autel's Covered List petition.
Last refreshed: 21 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What legal clock did DA 26-223 start ticking for Autel's challenge to the U.S. drone ban?
Timeline for DA 26-223
Mentioned in: Autel takes FCC to court over secret evidence
Drones: Industry & Defence- What is FCC docket DA 26-223 and what does it decide?
- DA 26-223 is an FCC public notice from March 2026 that opened the comment and reply process for Autel's and DJI's challenges to their Covered List designations, setting a final reply deadline of 11 May 2026.Source: FCC DA 26-223, March 2026
- Why did Autel file its FCC reply after the DA 26-223 deadline?
- Autel's reply landed on 19 May 2026, eight days after the 11 May deadline set by DA 26-223. The reason for the late filing has not been publicly explained; the FCC has discretion over whether to accept late-filed replies.Source: Autel FCC reply, 19 May 2026
Background
DA 26-223 is a Public Notice issued by the Federal Communications Commission on 6 March 2026, opening the formal comment cycle for DJI's petition for reconsideration and Autel's Application for Review of their respective Covered List designations. The notice set an opposition deadline of 6 April 2026 and a reply deadline of 11 May 2026, under FCC docket ET 26-23. Autel filed its reply on 19 May 2026 — eight days after the statutory deadline — arguing that the Covered List designation rests on classified evidence never disclosed to Autel and on allegations imported from the parallel DJI proceedings.
The notice is a standard FCC procedural instrument rather than a substantive ruling. Its significance lies in the timing: the designations it addresses arose from the FCC updating its Covered List one day before the Section 1709 deadline in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act, adding all foreign-made drone hardware and components. DA 26-223 set the clock on what became the most legally substantive challenge to the Covered List since its creation.
Sourcing note: DA 26-223 is a brief procedural public notice. The public PDF is available on the FCC document server. Direct verification of full docket text was not possible during this enrichment. The definition, deadline dates, and ET 26-23 docket reference are corroborated by secondary reporting and Autel's own May 2026 filing. The editor should verify the exact PDF against the FCC's document server if precision is required.