Drone registration
Flying drones is a common hobby, but did you know the vast majority of drones must be registered before you fly them?
Flying an unregistered drone in the U.S. can lead to both regulatory and criminal penalties. Fines for civil penalties can be up to $27,500, with the potential for fines up to $250,000 and three years of jail time if a criminal penalty is warranted.
Luckily, it’s easy and inexpensive to register a drone. The information contained in this article relates to registering a drone in the United States, so you’ll need to check your local laws if you live in another country.
Do I need to register a drone?
In the U.S., all drones must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unless they weigh under 0.55 pounds and you only fly them under the exception for recreational flyers. So, if you have a drone under 0.55 pounds and you use it non-recreationally, you’ll still need to register it. But registration isn’t required if you only use it for fun.
The DJI Mini 2 and the Holy Stone HS110D are two such lightweight drones that don’t require registration.
Types of drone registration
There are two types of drone registration for different types of drone use: part 107 registration and the exception for recreational flyers. Keep reading to learn more about each and which type of registration is right for you.
Part 107
Part 107 drone registration is for any drone pilot who intends to use their drone non-recreationally. Some people believe that you only need part 107 registration if you operate your drone for profit or as part of your business, but this isn’t strictly the case. Non-recreational use can be any use that isn’t purely for your own enjoyment.
Some examples given by the FAA include using your drone to survey coastlines for a nonprofit organization as a volunteer or taking aerial photos of a high school sports game to be used on the school’s website. Essentially, if it isn’t just for fun, it requires part 107 registration.
Any drone pilots who want to register their drones under part 107 registration will first need to pass a test to get a Remote Pilot certificate. The Drone FAA 107 License Study Guide contains all the information you’ll need to pass the test.
Exception for recreational flyers
If you have a drone that weighs more than 0.55 pounds but you’ll only be using it recreationally, you can register it under the exception for recreational flyers.
This is a simpler registration process and doesn’t require the drone pilot to take any tests at the time of writing. However, there are future plans for anyone operating a drone recreationally to take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof that they’ve passed it whenever they fly their drone.
Online registration
Apart from a handful of exceptions, you’ll usually need to register your drone online via the FAA Drone Zone. You’ll see two different pathways for registration: one for part 107 registration and one for the exception for recreational flyers. In order to register your drone online you must be at least 13 (an adult can register on your behalf if you’re under 13). You’ll need a credit or debit card to pay a $5 registration fee, an email address to sign up with, a mailing address to send your physical license to and the make and model of the drone you’re registering.
Paper registration
You’ll need to register your drone using the N-number or paper registration process under a handful of scenarios. This form of registration is required for drones over 55 pounds, if you want to operate an unmanned aircraft outside the U.S., if you’re a drone owner that uses a voting trust to meet U.S. citizenship requirements or you hold title to a drone in trust. You’ll need to see the FAA website for details on how to register by paper, but only a tiny minority of drones will need to be registered in this manner.
After registration
After registration, you must wait until you receive your FAA registration certificate before you fly your drone, as you must have this certificate on your person (either in a physical or digital form) when you fly your drone. You’ll also need to label your drone with its unique registration number before flying it. We’d recommend using a label maker to create a label featuring the registration number that you can affix to your drone. However, you can also use clear tape to stick a piece of paper listing the registration number to your drone so you can still see the paper below the tape.
How long is registration valid?
Registration is valid for three years, after which time you’ll need to reregister your drone and pay another registration fee.
Flying in controlled airspace
Once you’ve registered your drone, you still need to make sure you abide by the FAA’s rules for drone operation, and arguably the most important of these is to only fly in controlled airspace with permission.
Controlled airspace is generally any airspace in the vicinity of an airport. In the U.S., if you’re flying a drone within five miles of an airport, you’re in controlled airspace and could get in trouble. You’ll need to ring the airport to ask permission to fly your drone in this area, or you’ll simply need to find a location further from the airport.
Remote ID
Starting on April 21, 2020, a new regulation went into effect requiring all drones to remotely broadcast their ID. New drones should have remote ID broadcasting capabilities while older drones will need to be retrofitted with a remote ID broadcast module. Drone owners have 30 months to bring existing drones up to standard, which means you have up until Oct. 21, 2023 to ensure your drones can broadcast their ID remotely.
Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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