The Civil Aviation Authority is tightening safety rules for the use of drones, Radio New Zealand reports.
International rules come into force in 2018, but the CAA hopes to get new rules in place next year.
Complaints over the use of drones are rising; in 2010, just one was lodged, but so far this year there have been 15.
CAA general manager Steve Moore said under the new rules, an owner would need an operators' certificate if a drone could pose a risk to people or become a hazard.
That process might include pilot training, hazard identification or other safety matters and would be judged on a case-by-case basis.
Recreational users may not face any changes under the proposed laws unless they want to fly above high buildings, at night or close to airfields.
Privacy Commissioner John Edwards said drones come under the same guidelines as CCTV footage, but breaching the Privacy Act would specifically require the individual to be identified.
The commissioner said police could consider a criminal charge of making an intimate visual recording.
