Do You Have to Register a Drone

FAA drone registration for Part 107 and Hobby Drone Use

FAA drone registration is required on all drones that weight more than 0.55 lbs. and less than 55 lbs. FAA Drone Registration is required for all recreational and commercial drone use. So, whether you’re flying your drone under Part 107 for commercial drone use purposes, or you’re simply a hobbyist drone pilot who wants to fly his or her drone in the back yard, you need to register your drone.

What is the FAA Drone registration process? The whole process takes just 5 minutes.

  1. Go to the FAADroneZone website
  2. Create an account if you haven’t already set one up under the appropriate drone flight use
    1. Fly sUAS under Part 107 (commercial drone use)
    2. Fly model aircraft (e.g. drone) under Section 336 (hobbyist drone use)
  3. Login to the FAADroneZone website if you already have an account
  4. Click on the manage sUAS Inventory button
  5. Click on the add UAS and fill out the boxes
  6. Pay via a credit cart the $5 Cost
  7. You will receive an UAS registration number via an email.
  8. Affix the registration number to the outside of your drone, as it must be visible
  9. You can either engrave the number on your drone, or use a permanent label or permanent marker. The drone registration marking must be in a visible place on the exterior of the drone. No longer is it allowed inside the drone, such as in the battery cavity area.

You must be at least 13 years old to register your drone. If you are less than 13 years old, a responsible adult must register in your place.

The registration is good for 3 years. After that period of time you’ll need to re-register the drone.

Also, the phrase “drone registration” is a bit of a misnomer for hobbyist, or modeler, drone flight operators/operations. These type of drone operators are what the FAA describes as “Flying a model aircraft under Section 336”.

For these types of drone operations, it is actually the drone modeler, or hobbyist, pilot that is registering with the FAA, and not the drone. Thus, the drone pilot who is only flying the drone for hobbyist use need only obtain one FAA registration number, even if they own and fly multiple drones. The same drone registration number marking can be affixed to every one of the drones the hobbyist/modeler drone pilot flies.

Lastly, it is important to understand this point regarding the importance of registering your drone. Failure to register an unmanned aircraft that is required to be registered may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500, and criminal penalties can include fines up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.” So, register your drone before even its first flight.

And again, FAA Drone Registration is required for all recreational and commercial drone use.