The regulator said it was seeking the opinion of industry experts on the guidelines before they become binding.
Wang Xiaobo, chief executive of privately owned drone maker Wuhan Airbird UAL Co Ltd, said the regulations were timely given the popularity of drones in post-disaster evaluation, cloud seeding and aerial photography, among other industries.
"We're already running drone pilot training sessions for our clients along with other partners," he said.
A civilian drone recently photographed a Chinese fighter jet mid-flight triggering widespread online debate about whether this constituted a security breach.
Two years ago, the air force shot down a drone that was photographing areas near Beijing airport. Three people were also arrested, the official People's Daily reported.