Drone operators in the UK could face a penalty of £1,000 ($1,290) if they fail to register under new rules which come into force on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) owners in the country would come under the purview of protocols set out by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), following several drone-related incidents near airports.

Individuals who own a drone or unmanned aircraft (including model aircraft) weighing between 250g and 20kg must register with the regulator online.

The operator must be over the age of 18 and pay a £9 ($11.60) annual fee while enrolled.

The CAA said that out of an estimated 130,000 drone users, only around 50,000 have registered since the procedures were put in place early November.

There is no age restriction for people wanting to fly a drone, provided they sit for a free 20-question online theory test and that the drone is registered by someone over 18. The theory test is free and renewable every three years.

According to the police, aside from paying a hefty fine, unregistered drone pilots risk facing criminal charges if they fly illegally or in a negligent manner.

The new rules have been introduced to help avoid large-scale disruptions to flight operations at airports and assist authorities in tracking misuse.

The department store John Lewis said it had stopped selling drones in May because of multiple reports of dangerous flying.

Last year, in the run up to Christmas, London's Gatwick Airport descended into chaos after drones were seen hovering near the runway.

Close to 1,000 flights had to be canceled or diverted for more than 36 hours, causing misery to more than 140,000 passengers.

Drone activity led to the suspension of flights for several hours at several other UK airports this year, including Heathrow.

In March, the no-fly zone for drones near airports was extended from one kilometer to five kilometers.

Jonathan Nicholson, CAA's assistant director of communications, said: "UK drone laws are changing and it's vital that drone users – whether they fly regularly or not – are aware of how the drone registration scheme will affect them.

"Registration becomes law from 30 November. If you are caught flying a drone from then, and unable to present proof of registration, you could be hit with a £1,000 fine."

An upside of the legislation is that it would help people recover lost UAVs, as they will be provided with a unique ID, which must be on clear display on the devices.