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Part 107 recurrent training: how to stay current
You must complete the free FAA online recurrent course within the previous 24 calendar months to act as remote pilot in command. Most remote pilots take Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-677) on FAASafety.gov; Part 61 pilots with a current flight review take ALC-515.
What does 14 CFR 107.65 require?
You may not exercise remote pilot in command privileges unless within the previous 24 calendar months you passed an initial aeronautical knowledge test, completed recurrent training, or, as a Part 61 pilot with a current flight review, completed the training in 107.74. Source: eCFR 107.65, checked 2026-11-12.
Paragraph (d) adds a transition rule: someone who passed a recurrent test, or finished the Part 61 pilot training, before April 6, 2021 and within the previous 24 calendar months counted as current under the new wording (checked 2026-11-14). The word "privileges" is the key. The certificate stays yours, but without recency you cannot act as remote pilot in command.
Which course do I take?
| Who | Course | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Any Part 107 certificate holder, even if recency has lapsed | Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-677) | Free |
| Part 107 pilot who is also a Part 61 pilot with a current flight review | Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-515) | Free |
| Part 61 pilot with a current flight review getting a first Part 107 certificate (not recurrent) | Part 107 Small UAS Initial (ALC-451) | Free |
The FAA's "become a drone pilot" page, last updated June 9, 2026 when we checked on 2026-11-14, lists the ALC-677 and ALC-515 course names as shown here and says each is no cost. It words the ALC-677 line as "regardless of aeronautical knowledge recency," so a lapsed certificate holder takes the course and does not have to sit the knowledge test again.
Sources (checked 2026-11-12): FAA: Become a Certificated Remote Pilot; FAASafety.gov (recurrent training).
How do the 24 calendar months work?
Calendar months count by month, not by the exact day. FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A, section 6.7.2 and Figure 6-1, shows the pattern with dates (checked 2026-11-14): pass the initial test on September 13 and the recurrent training is due no later than September 30 two years later. Finish recurrent training early, on July 15, and the next one is due no later than July 31, two years on. Finish late, on October 5 after a September 30 deadline, and you may not exercise the privileges from October 1 through October 5, and the next training is due October 31 two years later.
| If you finish on | Next course due no later than |
|---|---|
| September 13, 2026 (initial test passed) | September 30, 2028 |
| July 15, 2027 (recurrent training) | July 31, 2029 |
| March 2, 2027 (recurrent training) | March 31, 2029 |
Worked example
Finishing early resets the clock to that month
Say your last course was on March 2, 2025, so you are current through March 31, 2027. If you take the course in January 2027, the FAA pattern in Figure 6-1 puts your next due date at January 31, 2029, not March 2029. The new two-year window starts from the month you finish, so the months you had left on the old window are not carried over. For a working pilot, a calendar reminder at 22 months, with the course done in month 23, is a simple rule. The dates in this example are made up to show the arithmetic; the pattern is from the AC.
Sources (checked 2026-11-12): FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A.
What can I do if my recency has lapsed?
Do not fly as remote pilot in command until you finish the course. The AC example above shows the lapse period running from the first day after the deadline until the day the training is completed. A lapsed pilot can still act as the person manipulating the controls, because section 5.2.2 of AC 107-2A says a person without a certificate, or a remote pilot who has not met recurrent training, may operate the small UAS under Part 107 if a remote PIC directly supervises and can take immediate, direct control (checked 2026-11-14). That is a supervision arrangement, not a way to keep working while lapsed as pilot in command.
What does the Part 61 version cover?
14 CFR 107.74 lists the areas for pilots who hold a Part 61 certificate (other than a student certificate) and meet the flight review rule in 61.56: regulations on small UAS privileges, limitations and flight operation; weather effects on performance; loading; emergency procedures; crew resource management; determining aircraft performance; maintenance and preflight inspection; and night operations. It leaves out airspace classification, radio procedures, airport operations, physiology and aeronautical decision-making, because Part 61 pilots already hold that knowledge. Source: eCFR 107.74, checked 2026-11-14.
For the first certificate, that same group takes ALC-451, completes Form 8710-13 in IACRA, and has their identity validated by a Flight Standards District Office, a designated pilot examiner, an airman certification representative or a flight instructor. Flight instructors cannot issue the temporary certificate (FAA, checked 2026-11-14). AC 107-2A section 6.8.1 also mentions that the FAA offers other options besides FAASafety.gov, such as an FAA-provided WINGS course specific to small UAS, so ask the FAA which options are open before relying on one.
Does Sectional Cue count as recurrent training?
No. It is independent study material and does not satisfy 14 CFR 107.65. Use the FAA course for recurrency. The app can still serve as a refresher before you take the course, since its practice questions cite the rule behind each answer.
Why does the night rule mention recurrent training?
14 CFR 107.29(a)(1) allows night flight only if the remote pilot completed an initial knowledge test or training, as applicable, under 107.65 after April 6, 2021, which includes the updated night content. The second condition is anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles with a flash rate that avoids collision. If your last test or course came before that date, the course you take next brings you inside the rule. Civil twilight, which runs 30 minutes before sunrise to sunrise and from sunset to 30 minutes after, also needs the lighting. See night operations, and the rule at eCFR 107.29, checked 2026-11-14.
What is a simple way to stay current?
- Write down the date of your last test or course and the last day of the 24th calendar month after it.
- Set one reminder about three months before that day.
- Take ALC-677 (or ALC-515 if you are also a Part 61 pilot with a current flight review) on FAASafety.gov.
- Save the completion record somewhere you can find it, along with your remote pilot certificate, which the FAA says must be easily accessible whenever you operate.
- Check any waiver or authorization conditions you fly under, since some documents have their own requirements.
Worked example
The surveyor who forgot
Say a roofer passed the test in May 2024, so recurrent training was due by May 31, 2026. He books a job for June 8, 2026, then notices the lapse. He cannot fly as remote PIC that day. He logs in to FAASafety.gov, completes ALC-677 (no cost), and from the date of completion he is current again. His next course is due by the end of the 24th calendar month after June 2026, so June 30, 2028. A coworker with a current certificate could direct the flight as remote PIC in the meantime, with the roofer on the controls, if the coworker can take over at once.
What does the test ask about recency?
Expect questions on the 24-month rule, on who may act as remote pilot in command, and on night flight eligibility. The wording can vary, so tie your answer to 107.65 and 107.29 rather than to a memorized phrase. Practice items are below, and the regulations practice questions page has more on this area.
What other questions come up about recurrency?
Do I have to retake the knowledge test? No. The FAA lists the free online recurrent course as the way to keep recency, and the ALC-677 line applies to any Part 107 certificate holder regardless of recency (checked 2026-11-14).
Do I need a flight review? Only the Part 61 route uses one. The ALC-515 option is for remote pilots who also hold a Part 61 certificate with a current flight review, and the first-certificate route for Part 61 pilots needs a flight review within the previous 24 months.
What should I carry? The FAA says the remote pilot certificate must be easily accessible to the remote pilot during all UAS operations. Keep your course completion record with your other paperwork, since it is the evidence that you are current if someone asks.
Does the 24-month clock restart when I take a waiver or authorization? No. A waiver or authorization is a separate document and has no effect on the recency date under 107.65.
When should I book the course? Before you accept a job that falls near the deadline, not after. You cannot act as remote PIC on the client's day if the 24th month has ended, and the course takes effort you do not want to squeeze into the night before. Keep a photo of the completion record in cloud storage as well as in your crew folder, so a lost phone does not cost you a repeat course.
Free practice questions on this topic
2 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.
Night knowledge requirement
1. What knowledge requirement does 107.29 place on a remote pilot in command who wants to fly at night?
- At least 10 hours of supervised night flight logged with a certificated flight instructor
- A certificate of waiver for night operations issued under 107.200
- Completion of an initial knowledge test or training under 107.65 after April 6, 2021
Show answer and explanation
C. Completion of an initial knowledge test or training under 107.65 after April 6, 2021
Section 107.29(a)(1) requires the remote pilot in command to have completed an initial knowledge test or training, as applicable, under 107.65 after April 6, 2021. Part 107 has no night flight experience requirement. A waiver is no longer the route for night operations, and older night waivers stopped authorizing night flight in 2021 under 107.29(d).
Source: 14 CFR 107.29(a)(1); 14 CFR 107.65
Limits of the certificate
2. What does a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating NOT authorize by itself?
- Flight in Class B, C or D airspace or a Class E surface area without ATC authorization
- Acting as remote PIC of a small UAS under Part 107
- Supervising another person who manipulates the controls
Show answer and explanation
A. Flight in Class B, C or D airspace or a Class E surface area without ATC authorization
The certificate lets the holder act as remote PIC under 107.12 and supervise a person manipulating the controls under 107.12(a)(2), as long as recurrent training is current. It does not grant access to controlled airspace; that requires separate prior ATC authorization under 107.41.
Source: 14 CFR 107.12; 14 CFR 107.41
Related guides
- How to get a Part 107 remote pilot certificate
- Part 107 night operations: lights, twilight and training
- Part 107 operating rules: altitude, speed, visibility and clouds
- Part 107 for Part 61 pilots: the ALC-451 path and what changes
- All Part 107 guides
Study the charts on your phone
Sectional Cue has 1150+ original questions with explanations, 27 FAA figures you can tap to read, and timed 60-question rehearsals. About 152 questions and three chart lessons are free.
Sources
- 14 CFR 107.65 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA: Become a Certificated Remote Pilot, checked 2026-11-14
- FAASafety.gov (recurrent training), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 107.74 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 107.29 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A, 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.