Commercial drone financing and leasing.

Commercial UAV platforms, agricultural spray drones, LiDAR and mapping payloads, thermal and inspection cameras, surveying and photogrammetry kits, ground stations and controllers, batteries and charging systems, and full fleet packages. Payloads, batteries, and software licenses can be bundled with the aircraft on one agreement. Transactions run from a $15,000 usual minimum to $5 million and above.

Selectively. Startup programs typically want 700+ personal credit, verifiable experience in the work the aircraft will do (agriculture, surveying, inspection, or public safety), working capital after the purchase, and usually a down payment. We need a copy of the operator's FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate on every drone deal. Signed or pending contracts for the season make a much stronger file than a business plan alone. See the startup financing guide.

Yes. New, used, and refurbished equipment are financed from dealers, auctions, and private sellers. Used equipment is underwritten on its remaining useful life at the end of the term, and a private-party purchase adds a lien search, an inspection or appraisal on larger items, and funds paid directly to the seller rather than through you.

Expect 10% to 15% down on used equipment from a dealer and 15% to 25% on a private-party sale, with a rate roughly one to three points above the same equipment bought new. Used aircraft are underwritten on flight hours, battery cycles, and whether the manufacturer still supports the platform. See the private-party purchase guide.

Many established-business programs start around 600 FICO, and two or more years in business opens the broadest set of programs and the best pricing. Between one and two years narrows the field but stays workable; under one year the file is underwritten as a startup, which typically means 700+ personal credit, relevant industry experience, and working capital left after the purchase.

The score alone rarely decides it: cash flow, the equipment, and money down all move the answer. Full detail is in the qualification guidelines and the credit score guide.

Equipment finance agreements run 24 to 84 months and leases 24 to 60 months, with $1, 10%, or fair market value buyouts. The term cannot outrun the equipment's remaining useful life, so used equipment is often written on a shorter term than new.

Aircraft and sensors improve quickly, so a 24 to 48 month term, or a fair market value lease with an upgrade path, usually fits better than the longest term available; spray drones bought for a single season are often financed with the first payment deferred until the season starts. The lease vs. loan guide runs one machine through every structure with real numbers.

Most applications get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, with same-day options on qualified files and approvals in as little as 30 minutes on clean application-only files. Funding follows in as little as 24 to 48 hours once documents are signed.

Application-only decisions, with no tax returns or financial statements, are available up to $500,000 on qualifying files; above that, expect a full financial package. The application starts with a soft credit inquiry, which does not affect your score. Approvals are sized to seasonal windows, so an application in late winter for spring spraying is routine.

Usually, yes. For 2026 the Section 179 limit is $2,560,000 of qualifying equipment, phasing out above $4,090,000 of purchases, and bonus depreciation is 100%. New and used equipment both qualify, and financing does not change the deduction: equipment bought on an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease with nothing down is deducted the same as a cash purchase, as long as it is placed in service by December 31.

On a fair market value lease the funder owns the equipment, so you deduct the payments as rent instead. Run the estimate in the Section 179 calculator and confirm the treatment with your tax advisor.

Yes, as long as the deal reaches the usual $15,000 minimum. A smaller aircraft on its own can come in under that, so it usually makes sense to bundle it with the payload, spare batteries, a charging setup and the controller, or to add a second aircraft. Everything goes on one agreement with one payment.

Yes. Thermal and inspection cameras can be financed with the aircraft, or on their own when you're adding one to an aircraft you already fly, as long as the deal reaches the usual $15,000 minimum. Roof, solar, utility and public safety operators can put the thermal camera, aircraft, batteries and controller on one agreement, with terms of 24 to 84 months on a finance agreement or 24 to 60 months on a lease.

It can be either. An equipment finance agreement works like a UAV loan: you own the drone from day one and pay it off over 24 to 84 months. Drone leasing runs 24 to 60 months with a $1, 10% or fair market value buyout at the end. The fair market value lease has the lowest payment and makes it easiest to move up to newer aircraft when the term ends.

Run the numbers first in the Quote Builder: set the equipment cost, term, down payment, and structure and see an estimated payment in a few taps, with no credit pull. When it fits, one short application and a soft credit inquiry get you matched with a dedicated funding professional who manages the deal from application to funding.