To earn an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, you must be at least 16, able to read and speak English, physically and mentally fit to fly, and able to pass an aeronautical knowledge test. You also have to clear a TSA background check and, once certified, complete recurrent training every 24 months to keep the privileges active. The certificate itself is what 14 CFR Part 107 requires of anyone flying a drone under 55 pounds for commercial purposes in the United States, and flying without it can draw civil penalties up to $75,000 per violation under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.1Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Proposed $341,413 in Civil Penalties Against Drone Operators
Who Actually Needs the Certificate
The certificate is for commercial drone flight, which the FAA reads broadly as any operation “in furtherance of a business.” Real estate photographers, roof inspectors, agricultural surveyors, filmmakers, and contract search-and-rescue pilots all fall inside it. So does anyone whose footage ends up on a company website or whose flight data feeds a paid report.2Federal Aviation Administration. Become a Certificated Remote Pilot
You can fly commercially without holding the certificate yourself only if you fly under the direct supervision of a certificate holder who is physically present and can immediately take control of the aircraft. The certificate covers unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds at takeoff, including cameras, sensors, and any other payload.3eCFR. 14 CFR Part 107 – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Eligibility Requirements
Four baseline requirements apply to every applicant under 14 CFR 107.61:4eCFR. 14 CFR 107.61 – Eligibility
- Be at least 16 years old.
- Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English. If a medical condition affects one of those abilities, the FAA may add operating limitations rather than deny the certificate outright.
- Be in a physical and mental condition to safely operate a small unmanned aircraft.
- Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test (or use the Part 61 alternative described below).
The physical and mental fitness standard is self-certifying. Unlike manned aircraft pilots, Part 107 applicants do not need a formal FAA medical certificate. You simply must not know, or have reason to know, that a condition would interfere with safe flight. The TSA screening later in the process does check for certain mental health adjudications that can disqualify an applicant.
The Aeronautical Knowledge Test
The initial test is a 60-question, multiple-choice exam given at FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Centers. You have two hours. You need at least 70% to pass. The fee is approximately $175.5Federal Aviation Administration. How Much Does It Cost to Get a Remote Pilot Certificate Fail it and you wait 14 calendar days before retaking.6Federal Aviation Administration. Aeronautical Information Manual – Section 5. UAS Pilot Testing, Certification and Responsibilities
The subject matter is set by 14 CFR 107.73 and covers:7eCFR. 14 CFR 107.73 – Knowledge and Training
- Airspace classification and flight restrictions, including reading sectional charts and knowing when controlled airspace requires authorization
- Aviation weather sources and how weather affects drone performance
- Loading and performance effects of payload
- Emergency procedures, including loss-of-link scenarios
- Crew resource management
- Radio communication procedures
- Airport operations and traffic patterns
- Physiological effects of drugs and alcohol
- Aeronautical decision-making
- Maintenance and preflight inspection
- Night operations
Most first-time applicants find airspace classification and weather interpretation the hardest sections, mainly because both require reading materials (sectional charts, METARs) that feel foreign without an aviation background. The FAA publishes free study materials, and commercial prep courses generally run $100 to $200.
Alternative Path for Part 61 Pilots
If you already hold a pilot certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 61 (private, commercial, airline transport, or similar) and have completed a flight review within the previous 24 months, you can skip the proctored test. Instead, complete the free Part 107 Small UAS Initial online training course (ALC-451) on the FAA Safety Team website.2Federal Aviation Administration. Become a Certificated Remote Pilot
After the course, you still submit FAA Form 8710-13 through IACRA and have your identity validated in person. A Flight Standards District Office, a designated pilot examiner, an airman certification representative, or an FAA-certificated flight instructor can validate you. A flight instructor can process the application but cannot issue a temporary certificate, so if you need to fly right away, use one of the other three.
Application and TSA Background Check
Whether you took the proctored test or the online course, the paperwork runs through the same system. Create an account in the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) at iacra.faa.gov. The system issues you an FAA Tracking Number (FTN), a permanent identifier you keep for your entire aviation career.8Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Tracking Number (FTN) Frequently Asked Questions You need the FTN to schedule the knowledge test.
Once you pass the test, you receive a knowledge test report with an exam ID. Return to IACRA and complete Form 8710-13, the formal Remote Pilot Certificate application.9Federal Aviation Administration. Form FAA 8710-13 – Remote Pilot Certificate and/or Rating Application Enter the exam ID, your legal name, date of birth, and address, confirm your identity with a government-issued photo ID, and submit.
Submission triggers a Transportation Security Administration security screening. The FAA sends a confirmation email once it clears.2Federal Aviation Administration. Become a Certificated Remote Pilot Most applicants clear within a few days; some take longer.
TSA maintains two lists of disqualifying offenses. Permanent disqualifications include convictions for espionage, treason, federal crimes of terrorism, murder, and explosives-related offenses. Interim disqualifications cover convictions within the past seven years, or release from incarceration within the past five, for offenses such as arson, robbery, firearms violations, controlled substance distribution, and fraud. Applicants involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility or found incompetent to stand trial are also disqualified.10Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors
Getting the Certificate
After the TSA screening clears, a temporary electronic certificate appears in your IACRA profile for download. You can start flying commercially immediately with that temporary document. The permanent plastic card typically arrives by mail in six to eight weeks, though the FAA notes it can occasionally take up to ten.11Federal Aviation Administration. How Long Does It Take the FAA to Send Out a Permanent License (Certificate) If yours hasn’t arrived after eight weeks, contact the Airmen Certification Branch. A replacement for a lost or damaged card costs $2 and can be ordered online.12Federal Aviation Administration. Requesting Replacement Certificates Online
Staying Current
The certificate itself does not expire. Your authority to fly under it does, if you fall behind on recurrent training. You must complete recurrent training within every 24-calendar-month period.13eCFR. 14 CFR 107.65 – Aeronautical Knowledge Recency The FAA offers the recurrent courses free through the FAA Safety Team website, with separate versions for Part 107-only holders and for pilots who also hold a Part 61 certificate.14Federal Aviation Administration. Recurrent Training Courses for Drone Pilots Available Online
Keep the certificate of completion from each recurrent course. The FAA can ask for it during any inspection or investigation, and without it your flights are legally unauthorized no matter how skilled you are. If your currency lapses, you simply retake the recurrent training to reactivate; you do not have to retake the initial proctored knowledge test.
Part 107 does not require a formal flight logbook, but keeping records of your flights, airspace authorizations, maintenance actions, and recurrent training completions is worth doing. If the FAA investigates an incident and you cannot produce documentation showing you were operating legally, the absence of records works against you.