Events Terminating Registration Effectiveness

In plain language

Your drone's registration becomes invalid immediately if you sell it, register it in another country, scrap/destroy it, lose your U.S. citizenship (or resident alien status), or 30 days after the registered owner passes away.

Requirement as structured

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

Original regulatory text

Each Certificate of Aircraft Registration issued by the FAA under this subpart is effective, unless registration has ended by reason of having been revoked, canceled, expired, or the ownership is transferred, until the date upon which one of the following events occurs: (1) Subject to the Convention on the International Recognition of Rights in Aircraft when applicable, the aircraft is registered under the laws of a foreign country. (2) The small unmanned aircraft is totally destroyed or scrapped. (3) The holder of the Certificate of Aircraft Registration loses U.S. citizenship. (4) Thirty days have elapsed since the death of the holder of the Certificate of Aircraft Registration. (5) The owner, if an individual who is not a citizen of the United States, loses status as a resident alien, unless that person becomes a citizen of the United States at the same time. (6) The owner is a corporation other than a corporation which is a citizen of the United States and one of the following events occurs: (i) The corporation ceases to be lawfully organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or any State thereof; or (ii) The aircraft was not operated exclusively within the United States during the period of registration under this part.

Applies when

country

United States

operation

any purpose other than exclusively limited recreational operations under 49 U.S.C. 44809

regulatory area

registration

aircraft category

small unmanned aircraft (under 55 lb)

regulatory category

General