FAA Authority to Regulate Recreational Unmanned Aircraft

In plain language

The recreational exception does not stop the FAA from making rules for all drones, including recreational ones, on operating limits, registration and marking, Remote ID and other safety standards.

Requirement as structured

Nothing in 49 U.S.C. 44809 prohibits the FAA Administrator from promulgating rules generally applicable to unmanned aircraft, including aircraft eligible for the recreational exception, relating to the operational parameters in subsection (a), registration and marking, standards for remotely identifying owners and operators, and other standards consistent with maintaining the safety and security of the national airspace system.

Original regulatory text

(f) Exceptions . Nothing in this section prohibits the Administrator from promulgating rules generally applicable to unmanned aircraft, including those unmanned aircraft eligible for the exception set forth in this section, relating to (1) the operational parameters for unmanned aircraft in subsection (a); (2) the registration and marking of unmanned aircraft; (3) the standards for remotely identifying owners and operators of unmanned aircraft systems and associated unmanned aircraft; and (4) other standards consistent with maintaining the safety and security of the national airspace system.

Applies when

country

United States

operation type

recreational

regulatory category

General