As of Monday February 25, 2019, the FAA’s Interim Final Rule requires drone pilots and model aircraft pilots to display their FAA-issued registration number on the outside surface of their aircraft. Many of our members have reached out with questions on how to comply with this new requirement, so we would like to provide additional guidance for our members through this informative video. In addition, we’ve posted clarification below to address recent questions and concerns.
I thought registration was overturned. Congress reinstated the registration requirement in December 2017 with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. Although this rule was flexible and allowed the registration marking to be placed in an enclosed compartment, law enforcement officials and FAA partners have expressed concerns about the safety risks a concealed explosive device could pose to first responders when opening a compartment to find a registration number. The recent Interim Final Rule does not change the original acceptable methods of external marking, nor does it specify a particular external surface on which the registration number must be placed. The requirement is simply that the registration number must be seen upon visual inspection of the aircraft’s exterior.
What is an Interim Final Rule? From the FAA’s website: “A rule that takes effect while also inviting public comment. The FAA issues interim final rules when delaying implementation of the rule would be impractical, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. In this case, the agency has determined the importance of mitigating the risk to first responders outweighs the minimal inconvenience this change may impose on small drone owners, and justifies implementation without a prior public comment period. The FAA will consider comments from the public on this Interim Final Rule, and will then review any submissions to determine if the provisions of the ultimate Final Rule should be changed.”
This rule seems to be for drones and your link to registration sends me to a drone zone – I do not fly drones. The FAA and many other entities group all unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) together and often use drone, UAS, quadcopter, or model aircraft interchangeably. The only model aircraft exempt from registration are: models weighing less than 250 g (about half a pound), free flight, control line, and indoor models.
I’ve never registered. Where do I begin? At https://faadronezone.faa.gov/#. We strongly advise you to avoid registering your model aircraft anywhere other than the official FAA website. . Please be aware of unofficial registration websites that charge exorbitant fees or require separate registration fees for each recreational aircraft. If you register under Section 336, there is a $5 fee for a three-year registration and hobbyists receive one identification number for all of their aircraft.
I registered prior to December 12, 2017 and my registration certificate has expired/will expire soon, but I do not see an option to renew on the FAA website. If you were already registered with the FAA as of 12/12/2017 and never requested to have the registration reversed, your registration was automatically extended through December of 2020. Go to https://faadronezone.faa.gov/#/ and click “Log In” in the upper right-hand corner. Use the email address you originally registered with to login. If you do not recall your password, click on the “Forgot Password” link. You’ll receive an email to walk you through resetting your password. Once in your account, you can print a copy of your UAS certificate.
As always, thank you for your continued support! You can find the answers to other frequently asked questions here and please reach out with any further questions or concerns at amagov@modelaircraft.org.