Flying a drone at night in United States

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of United States. "Not resolved" means the corpus does not answer it in a machine-checkable way — never that the law is silent.

• Night flight permittedConditional
• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Lighting requirementConditional
• Pilot requirementConditional
• Operational conditionsConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

• other

  Visibility at or above 3 sm

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Anti-Collision Lighting Requirement for Civil Twilight Operations

  The small unmanned aircraft must have lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles that has a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision during civil twilight.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Anti-Collision Lighting Requirement for Night Operations

  The small unmanned aircraft must have lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles that has a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Remote Pilot Training or Testing Requirement for Night Operations

  The remote pilot in command of the small unmanned aircraft must have completed an initial knowledge test or training, as applicable, under § 107.65 after April 6, 2021.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Required Knowledge Areas for Initial Test and Recurrent Training

  It is a condition of the cited provision that an initial aeronautical knowledge test and recurrent training does cover the thirteen specified areas of knowledge, including regulations, airspace, weather, loading, emergency procedures, crew resource management, radio communications, performance, physiological effects of drugs and alcohol, decision-making, airport operations, maintenance, and night operations.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Small UAS Training Curriculum for Part 61 Pilot Certificate Holders

  It is a condition of the cited provision that training for pilots holding a Part 61 pilot certificate (excluding student pilots) who meet flight review requirements does cover specific knowledge areas including regulations, weather, loading, emergency procedures, crew resource management, performance, maintenance, and night operations.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Termination of Pre-Existing Night Operation Waivers

  No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system at night in accordance with a certificate of waiver issued prior to April 21, 2021 under § 107.200 after May 17, 2021.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Waiver of Anti-Collision Light Requirements

  An operator may obtain a certificate of waiver to deviate from the anti-collision light requirements of § 107.29(a)(2) and (b) for night and civil twilight operations.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• GuidanceNational rule

  CBO Night Lighting Exception for Illuminated Areas

  CBO safety guidelines may permit recreational flyers to operate at night without unmanned aircraft lighting in sufficiently illuminated areas.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• 14 CFR Part 48 - Registration and Marking Requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft — Federal Aviation AdministrationOpen
• AC 91-57C - Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft — Federal Aviation AdministrationOpen

Other drone rules in United States

• Do I need to register my drone in United States?Registration in United States depends on the aircraft and the operation: it applies once the published conditions below are met, each cited to the rule that sets it.
• Do I need Remote ID in United States?Remote identification in United States is tied to the aircraft and the operating category: the published triggers below decide whether a flight must carry or broadcast an electronic identity.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in United States?Drone flights in United States are held to a published general height limit of 121.92 m AGL. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in United States?Drone flights near aerodromes in United States are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• Can I fly a drone over people in United States?Flight over uninvolved people is treated as a higher-risk operation in United States: it is available only where the published conditions below — class, mass, separation or authorisation — are satisfied.
• Is BVLOS drone flight allowed in United States?BVLOS in United States runs through a defined authorisation pathway rather than an open permission: the published conditions below set out what that pathway requires.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in United States?Whether an operation in United States needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in United States?Remote pilot competency in United States scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.

All drone laws in United States