Maui-based professional drone spraying service focused on serving local farmers with DJI T50 and T40 agricultural drone platforms
Drone Spraying
Price on request
Drone Spraying in Hawaii: Licensing, Rates & Operators (2026)
By Eugen Manoli, Founder and Editor · Updated
Hawaii requires Category 4 (Aerial Pest Control) plus a separate RUP Aerial Permit (Form P-23) for restricted-use applications. Primary drone markets are coffee, macadamia nut, tropical fruit and invasive species management. Rates run $20 to $40 per acre.
FAA Part 137 operators in Hawaii
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6
Listed operators
$20 to $40/acre
Rate range / acre
Coffee/Macadamia
Top crop
Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal and Biocontrol (DAB)
Licensing agency
Drone operators serving Hawaii
Hilo, HI
World-class Hilo ag and conservation drone company with 30+ combined years experience; one of only fully licensed drone aerial applicators in Hawaii; contracted by DLNR for coqui frog control
FAA Part 137 ✓FAA Part 107 ✓
Price on request
Maui and Kauai, HI
Multi-agency coalition using drones to deploy ~500,000 Wolbachia-carrying male mosquitoes weekly per island to combat avian malaria threatening endangered honeycreepers
FAA Part 107 ✓
Price on request
Honolulu, HI
Honolulu drone services company listing precision agriculture, spraying and land management among service categories; also offers training and government contracts
FAA Part 107 ✓
Drone SprayingAerial MappingPilot Training
Price on request
Honolulu, HI
Hawaii's leading enterprise drone provider since 2014. Lists agriculture among services alongside LIDAR and mapping. Closed retail store in 2022; now online-only for enterprise drone sales and commercial services.
FAA Part 107 ✓
Aerial MappingPilot TrainingEquipment Sales
Price on request
Big Island / Maui, HI
Drone imaging and geospatial services company on Big Island and Maui. Provides LiDAR and multispectral aerial data for agricultural optimization. Not a spraying operation.
Aerial MappingCrop Scouting
Price on request
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Drone spraying licensing in Hawaii
Licensing agency
Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal and Biocontrol (DAB)
Official site →Aerial category
Category 4: Aerial Pest Control. RUP Aerial Permit (Form P-23) also required.
Core + Category 4. $50/exam. $100 initial cert card.
Renewal & CE
5-year cycle
CET credits vary. 75% online cap.
Hawaii aerial pesticide licensing is administered by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture Division of Animal and Biocontrol (DAB) under Category 4 (Aerial Pest Control). Operators must pass Core ($50) and Category 4 ($50) exams, plus pay a $100 initial certification card fee. For restricted-use products, a separate RUP Aerial Permit (Form P-23) is required in addition to applicator certification. RUP buffer zones apply near residential areas, schools and water bodies.
Renewal is on a 5-year cycle with a 75% cap on online CE credits. No reciprocity with mainland states, all operators must test in Hawaii. Island logistics (equipment shipping, inter-island travel) add meaningful overhead to each job.
Hawaii-specific rules operators must know
- •RUP Aerial Permit (Form P-23) required for restricted-use aerial applications, separate from applicator certification.
- •RUP buffer zones apply.
- •75% cap on online CE credits.
Top crops for drone spraying in Hawaii
Drone spraying guides by crop in Hawaii
Region
Great Plains
Hawaii is part of the Great Plains agricultural region. See rates, crops and operators across the region.
Drone spraying in Hawaii, frequently asked questions
Form P-23, a separate permit required for any aerial application of restricted-use pesticides in Hawaii. This is in addition to your Category 4 applicator certification. Standard permits are for individual applications.
Coffee (Big Island), macadamia nuts, tropical fruit (papaya, banana, pineapple) and seed corn operations on Maui and Molokai. Invasive species management on conservation lands is a growing niche.
$20 to $40 per acre. Island logistics (shipping equipment, inter-island travel) and small field sizes push rates well above mainland averages.
Yes. Hawaii applies RUP buffer zones for aerial applications near residential areas, schools and water bodies. These apply to drones as well as manned aircraft.
No. All operators must test in Hawaii regardless of mainland credentials.
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