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US Ag Drone Directory

Drone Spraying in Nebraska: Licensing, Rates & Operators (2026)

By Eugen Manoli, Founder and Editor · Updated

Nebraska classifies all drone pesticide application as aerial regardless of drone size, requiring Category 12 (Aerial Pest Control) and an Aerial Pesticide Business License. The NE PSC Precision Ag Grant Program provides funding for drone acquisition. Rates run $12 to $16 per acre across 9.8 million acres of corn.

FAA Part 137 operators in Nebraska

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32 verified operators serve Nebraska. Tell us your ZIP and crop. We will text you up to 3 matches within 24 hours.

  • 3 operators max, never more.
  • $12 to $16/acre per acre typical.
  • Operators pay us, not you. We never sell your info.
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Tell us your ZIP and crop. We will text you up to 3 verified Nebraska operators within 24 hours.

Typical row-crop application runs $12 to $18 per acre. Specialty and orchard work runs higher.

3 operators max, never more. Operators pay us, not you. We never sell your info.
32
Listed operators
$12 to $16/acre
Rate range / acre
Corn
Top crop
Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA)
Licensing agency

Drone operators serving Nebraska

Salina, KS
Featured

Great Plains wheat & corn specialist

Precision Air Ag serves wheat and corn producers across the Great Plains from our base in central Kansas. 5-drone fleet capable of 200+ acres per day. Our team handles wheat fungicide at heading, corn fungicide at tassel and cotton defoliation across Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. FAA Part 137 certified with $3M liability coverage.

Verified OperatorFAA Part 137 ✓FAA Part 107 ✓
Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingCrop Scouting
$12 to $16/acre
55K ac 5
Lincoln, NE
Featured

Nebraska wheat & corn · NDAA-compliant fleet

Great Plains Drone Co. operates an NDAA-compliant fleet of Hylio AG-272 drones across Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas. We serve large-scale grain producers with corn and wheat fungicide applications, and offer fall cover crop seeding programs across the northern Plains. Minimum booking: 40 acres. No travel charge within 100 miles.

Verified OperatorFAA Part 137 ✓FAA Part 107 ✓
Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingFertilizer Application
$12 to $16/acre
30K ac 4
Houston, TX
Featured

American-made NDAA-compliant ag drones & operator network

Hylio designs and manufactures the AG-272, the leading NDAA-compliant agricultural spray drone in the United States and supports a national network of certified Hylio operators. The company provides sales, training and operator support for federal programs, defense-adjacent ag operations and buyers requiring US-manufactured drone equipment.

Verified OperatorFAA Part 107 ✓NDAA Compliant ✓
Drone SprayingFertilizer ApplicationCover Crop Seeding+2 more
Price on request

Fairfield, Nebraska drone services operator. Newly approved FAA Part 137. Run by Chad Nelson. Fleet includes XAG P100 Pro, Talos T60X and DJI Agras T40. Services include spraying, granular spreading, crop monitoring, aerial mapping, cover crop seeding and pilot training across row crops, vineyards and orchards in NE.

Verified OperatorFAA Part 137 ✓
Drone SprayingFertilizer ApplicationCrop Scouting+3 more
$13/acre

Central Minnesota precision drone service covering six upper Midwest states. Can begin work same day as initial site visit.

Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingCrop Scouting
Price on request
Central, IL

Central Missouri drone spraying company providing liquid and dry application across nine states. Fully licensed and insured.

Drone SprayingCover Crop Seeding
Price on request

Major DJI ag drone dealer and training provider. FastPass program lets new operators spray under nuWay Part 137 while their own application is pending. Charges $14-17/acre in NE Ohio.

FAA Part 137 ✓FAA Part 107 ✓
Pilot TrainingEquipment Sales
Price on request

Veteran-owned. Founded 2023. 100000+ acres applied. Licensed operators in 8 states including Iowa Minnesota and Missouri.

FAA Part 137 ✓FAA Part 107 ✓
Drone SprayingCover Crop Seeding
Price on request
Nebraska City, IA

Founded 2023 by retirees. Operates DJI Agras T40 for aerial spraying and spreading in SE Nebraska and SW Iowa.

Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingFertilizer Application
Price on request
Nebraska, NE

NE PSC Precision Ag Grant recipient for XAG drone scouting and application.

Crop Scouting
Price on request

Browse Nebraska operators by city

Drone spraying licensing in Nebraska

Licensing agency
Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA)
Official site →
Aerial category
Category 12: Aerial Pest Control
General Standards + Category 12. $55/exam via Pearson VUE. License $90/3yr.
Renewal & CE
3-year cycle. Recertification training or re-exam.
Recertification training or re-exam every 3 years.

Nebraska pesticide licensing is administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) under Category 12 (Aerial Pest Control). A key NDA policy: all drone pesticide application is classified as aerial regardless of drone size, even sub-55-lb drones require Category 12 and a Nebraska Aerial Pesticide Business License.

Exams are $55 each through Pearson VUE with a $90 license fee for 3 years. Recertification via training or re-exam is required every 3 years. The NE Public Service Commission Precision Ag Grant Program provides state funding for drone acquisition, separate from USDA EQIP. Reciprocity exists with WY, WA, ND, TX, SD, MT, MO, KS, MN and MS.

Nebraska-specific rules operators must know

  • NDA classifies ALL drone pesticide application as aerial, regardless of drone size.
  • Nebraska Aerial Pesticide Business License required.
  • NE PSC Precision Ag Grant Program funds drone acquisition for farmers.
Reciprocity states
WY, WA, ND, TX, SD, MT, MO, KS, MN, MS

Top crops for drone spraying in Nebraska

9.8M acres

#3 corn state nationally

5.4M acres

Eastern Nebraska

1.1M acres

Winter wheat in western NE

Growing

Precision Ag Grant funding available

Drone spraying guides by crop in Nebraska

Region
Great Plains

Nebraska is part of the Great Plains agricultural region. See rates, crops and operators across the region.

Explore Great Plains

Drone spraying in Nebraska, frequently asked questions

No. NDA classifies all drone pesticide application as aerial regardless of size. Even a sub-55-lb drone applying pesticide requires Category 12 and an Aerial Pesticide Business License.

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Neighboring states