Unmanned aerial vehicles have made a kind of technological revolution, which according to many can be compared to the appearance of the Internet and GPS. Although they were initially created as military equipment, they eventually abandoned these frameworks and became an integral part of the civil sector. The expansion of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - “drones” was so progressive that the legislation had not been set yet, in order to regulate their use. The current regulations at the level of individual countries represent a significant obstacle for research and development. In order to inform the scientific community about the importance of clearly defined legislation, this paper briefly discusses the current state of regulations in the Republic of Serbia and the region, and details the key elements of regulation. The methodology of work implies research synthesis of national regulations, a thorough review of literature, as well as a comparative analysis of legislation. Although legally undefined, drones have found application for commercial, recreational, professional and scientific purposes. Their use in forestry opens up a wide range of new possibilities, as they are an effective tool for monitoring and sustainable forest mana.