Drone registration 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.

• Registration requiredConditional
• Weight threshold0.2495 kgConditional
• Operator registrationConditional
• Aircraft registrationConditional
• Identifier displayConditional
• Renewal or validity periodConditional
• Digital registrationConditional
• Registration exceptionsConditional
• More than one registration regimeNot resolved

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the recreational category of operation.

• other

  Renewal window at or below 6 months

• pilot certification

  Pilot age at or above 13 years

• pilot certification

  Pilot age below 13 years

• time of day

  Time at or below 60 days

• time of day

  Time period at or below 14 days

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Aircraft Registration and Marking

  The aircraft must be registered and marked in accordance with chapter 441 of this title, and proof of registration must be made available upon request.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Aircraft Registration Serial Number Requirement

  The aircraft's serial number must be included in its Certificate of Aircraft Registration or provided to the FAA in a notice of identification prior to operation.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Applicability to Registered Unmanned Aircraft

  The remote identification requirements of this subpart apply to persons operating unmanned aircraft registered or required to be registered under part 47 or 48.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Carriage and Production of Confirmation of Identification

  Operators of foreign registered civil unmanned aircraft must obtain a Confirmation of Identification, keep it at the control station, and present it upon request to the FAA or law enforcement.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Deadline to Petition for Reconsideration of Rescission

  A petition for reconsideration of a decision to rescind acceptance of a declaration of compliance must be submitted within 60 calendar days of the publication of the notice of rescission in the Federal Register.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Display of Unique Identifier Required for Operation

  No person may operate a registered small unmanned aircraft unless the aircraft displays a unique identifier in accordance with § 48.205.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Events Terminating Registration Effectiveness

  A Certificate of Aircraft Registration is effective only until it is revoked, canceled, expired, ownership is transferred, or specific termination events occur.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exclusion of Part 91 Operations with Airworthiness Certificate

  Part 107 does not apply to any operation that a person elects to conduct under part 91 of this chapter with a small unmanned aircraft system that has been issued an airworthiness certificate.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• 49 U.S.C. 44809 - Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft — Federal Aviation AdministrationOpen
• 14 CFR Part 48 - Registration and Marking Requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft — Federal Aviation AdministrationOpen

Known limitations

• Binding law and official guidance disagree on registration.display_identifier; the binding position is published.
• 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Other drone rules in United States

• 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.
• Can I fly a drone at night in United States?Night flying in United States is regulated rather than simply allowed or banned: published lighting, category and authorisation conditions below decide whether a given flight may take place after dark.
• 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