The license, which the government hopes will be introduced in fiscal 2022, will be age-restricted, and will require operators to pass both a written and practical examination.
The licenses will be only valid for a certain period of time and will have to be renewed. Illegal drone use will lead to the cancellation or suspension of a license.
A public-private panel discussing how to facilitate the use of drones will propose the license system in a report to be complied Tuesday, the sources said.
The government plans to finalize the details and submit a bill to revise the civil aeronautics law to the Diet next year, they said.