Rules
Drone registration for Part 107 pilots: who, how much, how long
Any small drone flown under Part 107 must be registered, whatever it weighs. Under 14 CFR Part 48 the fee is $5 per aircraft, the certificate lasts three years, and you must update changes within 14 calendar days and keep a readable unique identifier on the outside of the aircraft.
Which drones must be registered under Part 107?
Section 48.100 covers small unmanned aircraft used for any purpose other than operating exclusively under the recreational statute, 49 U.S.C. 44809. A drone flown for work, even once, falls outside that statute, so it needs a Certificate of Aircraft Registration. Section 48.15 states the rule from the other direction: you may not operate an eligible small unmanned aircraft unless the owner has registered and marked it under Part 48, with two exceptions. One is an aircraft flown only under the recreational statute that weighs 0.55 pounds or less at takeoff, counting everything on board or attached. The other is an aircraft belonging to the Armed Forces.
That 0.55 lb exception is tied to recreational use. A 0.5 lb camera drone you fly for a paid real-estate shoot is a Part 107 aircraft and must be registered. See Part 107 vs TRUST for how the two rule sets differ.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.15 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.100 (eCFR); FAA: Recreational Flyers and Community-Based Organizations.
What does registration cost and how long does it last?
| Item | What the rule says | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $5.00 per aircraft to issue or renew a certificate for aircraft that are not recreational-only | 48.30(a) |
| Term | The certificate expires 3 years after the date of issue unless renewed | 48.100(c) |
| Effective date | The issue date shown on the certificate | 48.100(b) |
| Renewal window | Verify or update your information within the 6 months before the month of expiration | 48.100(c)(1) |
| Renewed term | A renewed certificate runs 3 years from the previous expiration date, not from the day you renewed | 48.100(c)(2) |
| Payment | Paid to the FAA through the web-based registration system or another method the FAA prescribes | 48.30(c) |
The fee is per aircraft for Part 107 drones. A fleet of four drones means four certificates and four $5 fees. Renewing early is useful: because the new term starts at the old expiration date, you lose nothing by using the six-month window.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.30 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.100 (eCFR).
What information does the application ask for?
Section 48.110 lists what you submit to the FAA Registry through the web-based system: your name (plus an authorized representative if you are not an individual), a physical address (or a mailing address if you cannot receive mail at a physical one), an email address and telephone number, and the aircraft manufacturer and model. For an aircraft with Standard Remote ID, you also give the manufacturer-issued serial number. For an aircraft that uses a Remote ID broadcast module, you give the module serial number, and you may list more than one module. Each of those serial numbers cannot appear on more than one active certificate.
That serial-number link is why Part 107 pilots register each drone separately. See Remote ID for Part 107 pilots for how the numbers are used on the air.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.110 (eCFR); 14 CFR 89.115 (eCFR).
Who can register, and is there an age limit?
Under 48.25, the owner normally registers the aircraft in their own name, but an owner younger than 13 cannot do it. Someone who is at least 13 years old must register it on the owner's behalf. Eligibility rules in 48.20 say the aircraft must not be registered in a foreign country and must be owned by a U.S. citizen, a lawfully admitted permanent resident, a qualifying U.S. business organized and doing business under U.S. law with the aircraft based and primarily used in the U.S., or a U.S. government body. Note what is missing: nothing in these sections requires the registrant to hold a remote pilot certificate. The owner of the drone and the person who flies it can be different people.
Worked example
Registering a drone owned by a 12-year-old
Say a 12-year-old owns a drone that is used under Part 107 by a parent who holds the certificate. The child cannot register it. A person at least 13 years old registers it for them under 48.25. Having the parent hold a remote pilot certificate does not change who may register; the age rule is the only gate. A free practice question in the app covers this exact trap.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.20 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.25 (eCFR).
How do I mark the aircraft?
Section 48.200 requires a registered aircraft to show a unique identifier. That identifier is either the registration number the FAA issued, or, only if the FAA authorizes it, the aircraft serial number you gave in the application. Section 48.205 sets three conditions: it must stay readable at all times, be attached by whatever method keeps it attached for the whole operation, and be clearly visible on an outside surface of the aircraft.
Practical points that follow from the wording: a printed label that peels off in the rain does not meet the attachment rule, and a number inside the battery bay with the cover shut is not visible on an outside surface. Put the identifier on the airframe itself, since a part you swap out can leave the aircraft unmarked.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.200 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.205 (eCFR).
What must I update, and by when?
Section 48.115 puts a continuing duty on every certificate holder to keep the 48.110 information correct. Updates go through the web-based system, and you must make them within 14 calendar days of either of these events: a change to the information you submitted (new address, email or phone), or a reason to cancel the registration, such as selling or transferring the aircraft, destroying it, or exporting it.
Worked example
Moving house
Say you moved on March 3 and your registered address is now wrong. The 14 calendar days run from the change, so the update is due by March 17. Calendar days include weekends, so a Friday move does not get you extra time on Monday.
The certificate also stops being effective on its own in some cases (48.100(d)): the aircraft is registered in a foreign country, it is totally destroyed or scrapped, the holder loses U.S. citizenship, 30 days pass after the holder dies, or an individual non-citizen owner loses resident alien status, unless they become a citizen at the same time.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.115 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.100 (eCFR).
What is the Part 47 option?
Section 48.1(b) says an eligible small drone in the United States can follow Part 48, or it can instead follow the registration rules in Part 47 plus the identification and marking rules in subparts A and C of Part 45. That is the traditional registration route for larger aircraft. Section 48.1(c) makes Part 47 mandatory in two cases: the drone is intended to operate outside U.S. territorial airspace, or it is registered through a trust or voting trust. Most Part 107 pilots flying in the U.S. use Part 48, because the web-based system is the simpler path and the $5 fee applies there. If you think you fall into the Part 47 cases, read the current requirements on the FAA registration pages before you apply.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.1 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.30 (eCFR).
What will the FAA or police ask to see?
Section 107.7 requires the remote pilot in command, the owner, or the person at the controls to keep their remote pilot certificate and identification with them whenever they exercise certificate privileges, and to show them on request to the FAA, the NTSB, a federal, state or local law enforcement officer, or a TSA representative. The same section requires giving the FAA any document or record that the rules require you to keep and letting the FAA inspect the aircraft and the people involved. Keep your registration confirmation where you can show it, and note that the marking on the aircraft is itself checkable at the scene.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 107.7 (eCFR).
What does the test ask about registration?
Expect scenario questions rather than recall of the full rule: who may register a drone for a young owner, what a recreational weight exception does and does not cover, and whether a drone flown for compensation needs registration. Keep three numbers straight: 13 (minimum age of the registrant), 14 (calendar days to update) and 3 (years). Everything else is easier to remember once you see the logic that the registry must always reach the current owner.
What are common registration mistakes?
- Assuming a light drone is exempt. The 0.55 lb exception in 48.15(b) is for aircraft flown exclusively under the recreational statute. Once you fly for work, it no longer applies.
- Letting the certificate lapse. The term is three years. Because a renewal extends from the previous expiration date, set a reminder for the start of the six-month window rather than the last week.
- Forgetting a sale or transfer. Selling or giving away a drone is a reason to cancel the registration, and you have 14 calendar days to update the system.
- Marking only the box or the case. 48.205 requires the identifier on the aircraft, readable and attached for the whole operation.
- Mixing up who registers. The owner registers. A 12-year-old owner needs someone at least 13 to do it for them.
Worked example
A three-drone fleet
Say a small business owns three drones: one for mapping, one for inspections and a spare. Each is a separate aircraft with its own certificate, so registration costs 3 x $5 = $15 for the term, and each has its own expiration date if bought at different times. When the spare is sold, that one certificate needs an update within 14 calendar days, and the other two are unaffected.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 48.15 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.30 (eCFR); 14 CFR 48.115 (eCFR).
Free practice questions on this topic
1 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.
Registration eligibility
1. A 12-year-old owns a drone that must be registered. Who may register it?
- A person who is at least 13 years old
- The 12-year-old, using a parent's email address
- Only a person holding a remote pilot certificate
Show answer and explanation
A. A person who is at least 13 years old
Under 14 CFR 48.25(b), an owner younger than 13 cannot register the aircraft; it must be registered by a person who is at least 13. Using a parent's email does not change the owner's age. Registration has nothing to do with holding a remote pilot certificate.
Source: 14 CFR 48.25(b)
Related guides
- Remote ID for Part 107 pilots
- Part 107 vs TRUST: which rules apply to your drone flight
- Part 107 operating rules: altitude, speed, visibility and clouds
- How to get a Part 107 remote pilot certificate
- All Part 107 guides
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Sources
- 14 CFR 48.15 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.100 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.30 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.110 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.25 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.115 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.200 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.205 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 48.1 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
How this page was made: written by Certloom Learning from the sources above, with the rules checked against the current regulation text. Practice items are original questions from the app's reviewed bank. Spot an error? certloomlearning@gmail.com.