Regulations
How to Register a Drone with the FAA
Five dollars, three years, and one exemption that catches nearly everyone who reads about it second-hand.
Key takeaway
Under Part 107 every drone must be registered regardless of weight. The under-250-gram exemption applies only to recreational flying, and a recreationally registered drone cannot legally be flown under Part 107.
Registering a drone with the FAA takes about ten minutes at FAADroneZone, costs $5, and lasts three years. The process is genuinely simple. What trips people up is which registration they need, because choosing the wrong one makes every commercial flight illegal.
Two registrations, and they are not interchangeable
| Part 107 | Exception for Limited Recreational Operations | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Any flight in furtherance of a business | Flying purely for fun |
| Scope | Per aircraft | Covers all drones you own |
| Cost | $5 per aircraft | $5 total |
| Validity | 3 years | 3 years |
| Weight exemption | None — every drone must be registered | Under 250 g (0.55 lb) need not be registered |
Read the bottom row carefully, because it is the single most misunderstood fact in drone regulation.
The under-250-gram exemption is a recreational exemption only. A sub-250-gram aircraft flown recreationally does not need registration. The same aircraft, flown for any commercial purpose under Part 107, does. Weight is irrelevant under Part 107.
And the routes do not convert. A drone registered under the recreational exception cannot legally be flown under Part 107. If you registered a fleet recreationally and later started taking paid work, those registrations do not cover it — each aircraft needs its own Part 107 registration.
What you need before you start
- A physical address and a mailing address if they differ
- An email address and phone number
- The make and model of the aircraft
- The Remote ID serial number from the manufacturer, where applicable
- A credit or debit card
The Remote ID serial is the one people go looking for mid-process. For an aircraft with Standard Remote ID built in it is the aircraft's serial number; if you are using a broadcast module it is the module's serial. Check with the manufacturer if you cannot find it — see FAA Remote ID explained for which applies to you.
The steps
- Create an account at FAADroneZone. This is separate from your IACRA account for the pilot certificate. Two systems, two logins.
- Choose "Fly under Part 107." Not the recreational option, however tempting the single fee looks.
- Enter the aircraft details, including the Remote ID serial number.
- Pay $5 per aircraft.
- Record the registration number. It is issued immediately, in the form
FAfollowed by a string of characters. - Mark the aircraft before you fly it.
You must be at least 13 years old to register. A younger operator needs someone 13 or older to register on their behalf — though note the remote pilot certificate itself requires 16.
Marking the aircraft
The registration number must be legible and readable on an exterior surface of the aircraft. Two points decide whether a marking passes:
It has to be on the outside. The rule changed in 2019. It was previously acceptable to place the number in a battery compartment, on the basis that anyone investigating could open it. That changed after concerns about first responders having to handle a damaged aircraft — potentially with a lithium battery involved — to find out whose it was. The number now goes where it can be read without opening anything.
It has to survive normal handling. Engraving, a durable label, or permanent marker all pass. A sticker that peels after a season does not.
Beyond that the FAA is not prescriptive. There is no required font, size or color, and no specified location beyond "an exterior surface." Legible is the standard.
What registration does and does not do
It does not authorize anything. Registration is aircraft paperwork. It does not give you a remote pilot certificate, it does not permit controlled airspace, and it does not satisfy Remote ID — although it is where you record your Remote ID serial number.
It does not transfer. A registration belongs to the aircraft and the registrant together. Selling the drone does not pass the registration to the buyer; they register it themselves and you cancel yours.
It does not renew itself. Three years from the date of issue it lapses, and nothing reminds you. Put it in a calendar the day you register, alongside your recurrent training deadline.
What happens if you do not register
Operating an unregistered aircraft that requires registration is a violation, and the penalties on the books are severe: civil penalties up to $27,500 and, for a knowing violation, criminal penalties up to $250,000 and three years' imprisonment.
Those are statutory maximums for the worst cases, not what a first-time paperwork lapse attracts. In practice the FAA's Compliance Program handles unintentional non-compliance through counseling and corrective action. The realistic risk to a working operator is different and more immediate: an unregistered aircraft is an uninsured aircraft in every practical sense, because a policy that requires lawful operation will not respond, and a client contract warranting FAA compliance is breached.
The cost of compliance is five dollars. There is no argument for the other side of this.
Registering a fleet
If you fly several aircraft, three habits save trouble later:
Register each one as you acquire it, not in a batch before a job. The registration is issued immediately, but tracking down a Remote ID serial for an aircraft already packed in a case is a bad use of the morning.
Mark the number the same day. An unmarked registered aircraft is still non-compliant, and an aircraft that has been registered but not marked is the easiest thing in the world to forget about.
Keep one record of expiry dates. Registrations run three years from issue, so a fleet acquired over two years expires across two years. One spreadsheet or calendar with each aircraft's registration number, Remote ID serial and expiry date takes ten minutes to build and prevents the situation where one aircraft in five has quietly lapsed.
Where it sits among the other requirements
Registration is one of four separate things a legal commercial operation needs, and they are frequently confused with one another:
| Requirement | What it covers | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Remote pilot certificate | You | Never expires; recurrent training every 24 calendar months |
| Aircraft registration | The aircraft | $5, every 3 years |
| Remote ID | The aircraft's broadcast capability | No separate registration or fee |
| Airspace authorization | A specific flight in controlled airspace | Per operation, via LAANC |
Frequently asked questions
How do I register my drone with the FAA?
Create an account at FAADroneZone, select the Part 107 registration option, enter the aircraft make, model and Remote ID serial number, and pay $5. The registration number is issued immediately and is valid for three years. You must then mark it on an exterior surface of the aircraft before flying.
How much does it cost to register a drone?
Five dollars per aircraft under Part 107, valid for three years. Recreational registration is also $5 but covers every drone you own rather than a single aircraft.
Do I need to register a drone under 250 grams?
Under Part 107, yes. The under-250-gram exemption applies only to recreational flying under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations. Any drone flown in furtherance of a business must be registered regardless of weight.
Can I fly a recreationally registered drone commercially?
No. A drone registered under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations cannot be flown under Part 107. It needs its own Part 107 registration, which is issued per aircraft rather than per owner.
Where do I put the registration number on my drone?
On an exterior surface, where it is legible without opening any compartment. Since 2019 it may no longer be placed inside a battery compartment. There is no required size, font or exact location.
How long does drone registration last?
Three years from the date of issue, for both the Part 107 and recreational routes. Nothing reminds you when it lapses, so record the date yourself.
Registration and marking sit inside Regulations, which is 48 percent of the current Part 107 exam. Find out where you stand with the free readiness assessment.
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