FAR/AIM: Section 2. Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)

FAR/AIM > Aeronautical Information Manual > Chapter 11. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) > Section 2. Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)

Section 2. Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)

Part 107 sUAS and Recreational Flyers
1. Part 107 sUAS. A regulatory first step for civil non-recreational UAS operations. To fly under 14 CFR Part 107, the UAS must weigh less than 55 pounds and the operator (called a remote pilot) must pass a knowledge test. Also, the UAS must be registered. Part 107 enabled the vast majority of routine sUAS operations, allowing flight within VLOS while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations. Part 107 allows sUAS operations for many different purposes without requiring airworthiness certification, exemptions, or a COA for Class G airspace access. Part 107 includes the opportunity for individuals to request waivers for certain provisions of the rules, for example, Beyond Visual Line-Of-Sight (BVLOS). Part 107 also has specific restrictions which are not subject to waiver, such as the prohibition of the carriage or transport of Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT).
2. Recreational flyer UAS:
  1. The FAA considers recreational UAS to be aircraft that fall within the statutory and regulatory definitions of an aircraft, in that they are devices that are used or intended to be used for flight in the air. As aircraft, these devices generally are subject to FAA oversight and enforcement.
    REFERENCE-
    
    49 USC 40102, Definitions.
    14 CFR Part 1, Definitions and Abbreviations.
  2. Recreational aircraft may operate in Class G airspace where the aircraft is flown from the surface to not more than 400 feet AGL, and the operator must comply with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions. The only exception to this altitude restriction in Class G airspace is at FAA- recognized fixed sites and sanctioned events, with specifically approved procedures for flights above 400 feet AGL.
    NOTE-
    
    Higher altitude airspace authorizations for Recreational Flyers are obtained through the FAA's DroneZone website at: https://faadronezone.faa.gov/#/.
  3. The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) module was developed in consultation with multiple UAS stakeholders and through interested party feedback. TRUST is available electronically, has no minimum age limit, and is provided by volunteer test administrators, vetted by the FAA. See AIM, paragraph 11-5-1, UAS Pilot Certification and Requirements for Part 107 and Recreational Flyers, for further information on TRUST. Also, additional information regarding TRUST is available at the FAA's The Recreational UAS Safety Test website.
    NOTE-
    
    The FAA's The Recreational UAS Safety Test website may be viewed at: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/knowledge_test_updates/.
  4. Recreational UAS weighing more than .55 lbs must be registered. This can be done electronically through the FAA's DroneZone website. Owners must then label all model aircraft with their assigned registration number on the exterior of their aircraft so that the registration can be clearly seen and read from a reasonable distance. See paragraph 11-2-2, Registration Requirements, for more information on registering UAS.
    NOTE-
    
    The FAA's DroneZone website may be viewed at: https://faadronezone.faa.gov/#/.
Registration Requirements
1. Nearly all UAS flown in the NAS are required to be registered in the FAA aircraft registration database. UAS weighing 55 pounds MGOW or more must be registered under 14 CFR Part 47, Aircraft Registration, while UAS less than 55 pounds may be registered under the FAA's newer 14 CFR Part 48 online system.
  NOTE-
  
  The FAA's Aircraft Registration Unmanned Aircraft (UA) website may be viewed at: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/UA/.
  
  REFERENCE-
  
  14 CFR Part 47, Aircraft Registration.
2. Registering UAS under 14 CFR Part 47. For those UAS, which do not meet the weight stipulations for registration under 14 CFR Part 48, registration is accomplished under 14 CFR Part 47. 14 CFR Part 47 registration will result in an “N”-number like those assigned to manned aircraft. To learn more about the process and to register a UAS under Part 47, see the FAA's Aircraft Registration Unmanned Aircraft (UA) website. If desired by the owner, any UAS may be registered under 14 CFR Part 47.
  NOTE-
  
  The FAA's Aircraft Registration Unmanned Aircraft (UA) website may be viewed at: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/UA/.
3. Registering UAS under 14 CFR Part 48. For most operators of sUAS (those UAS weighing less than 55 pounds MGOW), registration under 14 CFR Part 48, Registration and Marking Requirements for Small UA, will be most expedient and the least expensive. 14 CFR Part 48 registrants are those UAS flyers operating under either of the following statutes:
  1. Part 107. Under the provisions of Part 107, all UAS must be registered regardless of weight. Operations under Part 107 are generally those involving commerce, but can be for recreation as well.
  2. Recreational Flyers. UAS that are flown exclusively for recreational purposes must be registered if they weigh more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams).
    NOTE-
    1. If you are not sure what kind of a drone flyer you are, refer to the FAA's User Identification Tool at: https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/user_identification_tool/, or visit the FAA Getting Started webpage at: https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/.
    2. Registrations cannot be transferred between 14 CFR Part 107 UAS and 49 USC 44809 UAS.
    REFERENCE-
    
    14 CFR Part 48, Registration and Marking Requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft.
4. How to register a UAS under 14 CFR Part 48:
  1. To register a UAS online under Part 48, refer to the FAA's DroneZone website. When registering a UAS online under Part 48, you will need to select registration in either Part 107 or the exception for recreational flyers.
  2. Registration fees for Part 107 registration are per sUAS, and the registration is valid for three years. Each Part 107 registered sUAS will receive a different number. Recreational flyer registration fees are per UAS and valid for three years, but the same registration number can be applied to any UAS in the registrant's ownership. The recreational flyer will receive one registration number that can be used for all UAS flown by that person. In order to register, a person must be 13 years of age or older and be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. If the owner is less than 13 years of age, another person 13 years of age or older must register the UAS and that person must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
  3. An FAA registration certificate will be issued after UAS registration. The registration certificate (either paper copy or digital copy) must be available for inspection during all flight operations. If an individual other than the registered owner operates a UAS, the registration certificate (either paper copy or digital copy) must also be available for inspection during all flight operations. Federal law requires registered UAS operators, if asked, to show their certificate of registration to any federal, state, or local law enforcement officer. Failure to register a UAS that requires registration may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500.
    NOTE-
    
    The FAA's DroneZone website may be viewed at: https://faadronezone.faa.gov/#/.
5. Labeling a UAS with a registration number. All UAS requiring registration must be marked with a registration number before being flown. The UAS registration number can be applied to the aircraft by engraving, a permanent label, or written on with a permanent marker. The registration number must be visible on the outside surface of the UAS.