AC Form 1360-41 is not something you fill out. It’s an internal FAA business-reply envelope used to route airman certification paperwork between field offices and the Airmen Certification Branch in Oklahoma City, and the FAA restricts it to internal use by its own employees.1Federal Aviation Administration. Form AC 1360-41 – Env, Postal, White, Window, 9 1/2″ X 4 1/8″, AC Return If you landed on this form number after a checkride or while preparing an application, the documents that actually involve you are FAA Form 8710-1 (submitted through the IACRA system) and, after you pass, the Temporary Airman Certificate on Form 8060-4.
What AC Form 1360-41 Actually Is
The form is a pre-addressed white window envelope, 9½ by 4⅛ inches, described in the FAA forms database as an internal-use item for returning airman certification documents.1Federal Aviation Administration. Form AC 1360-41 – Env, Postal, White, Window, 9 1/2″ X 4 1/8″, AC Return You cannot request it, download it, or submit anything on it. It carries paper between FAA offices; that’s the entire function.
So if a checklist or forum post pointed you at “1360-41,” you’re looking at the wrong document. The rest of this article covers the forms and steps that do belong to you.
The Form You Actually Need: 8710-1 and IACRA
FAA Form 8710-1, the Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application, is the document that formally requests a new pilot certificate, rating, or additional privilege.2Federal Aviation Administration. Form FAA 8710-1 – Airman Certificate And/or Rating Application A paper version still exists, but the FAA strongly encourages applicants to use the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, known as IACRA, a web-based system that walks you through the same application, validates your entries against FAA databases, captures electronic signatures, and prints your temporary certificate at the end.3Federal Aviation Administration. IACRA – Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application
Federal regulations require a completed and signed application form before you can take a practical test, so this step happens before the checkride, not after.4eCFR. 14 CFR 61.39 – Prerequisites for Practical Tests In IACRA you create an account, receive a permanent FAA Tracking Number, and build the application with your personal information, the certificate or rating you’re seeking, any certificates you already hold, medical certificate data, and your aeronautical experience. Your Designated Pilot Examiner or FAA inspector pulls up the application on exam day, completes their portion after you pass, and IACRA forwards everything to the Airmen Certification Branch.
Your Temporary Certificate After the Checkride
Once you pass, your examiner issues a Temporary Airman Certificate on FAA Form 8060-4.5Federal Aviation Administration. Form 8060-4 Temporary Airman Certificate From that moment you can exercise every privilege of the new certificate or rating, provided you also carry your photo ID, medical certificate, and any required logbook endorsements.
The temporary is valid for up to 120 days. It expires on whichever comes first: the date printed on the certificate, the day you receive your permanent card, or a notice from the FAA that your application has been denied or the certificate revoked.6eCFR. 14 CFR 61.17 – Temporary Certificate
How Long the Permanent Card Takes
The Airmen Certification Branch in Oklahoma City reviews every application before printing and mailing the permanent plastic certificate. The FAA states the process takes roughly six to eight weeks.7Federal Aviation Administration. How Long Does It Take the FAA To Send Out a Permanent License (Certificate)? Backlogs sometimes push it longer. The FAA publishes a rolling status page showing which temporary-certificate issue dates are currently being processed, so you can check where the branch is working and estimate when your card should ship.8Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Certification
If more than eight weeks have gone by since your temporary was issued, the FAA recommends contacting the Airmen Certification Branch directly.9Federal Aviation Administration. I Completed the Test for a Remote Pilot
If the Temporary Expires First
Once the 120-day temporary expires, you have no valid certificate in hand and cannot legally act as pilot in command until the permanent card arrives or the situation is resolved. The regulation is strict: the temporary ends on its printed date.6eCFR. 14 CFR 61.17 – Temporary Certificate
Don’t wait for the deadline to pass. If you’re closing in on it without a permanent card, call the Airmen Certification Branch toll-free at (866) 878-2498 or locally in Oklahoma City at (405) 954-3261.10Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Certification – Contact Delays often trace back to something correctable, like a data mismatch or a missing document, and the branch can also advise whether a replacement temporary can be issued.
Keeping Your Address Current
One of the most common reasons a permanent certificate never arrives is an outdated address on file. Federal regulations give you 30 days after any change of permanent address to notify the Airmen Certification Branch in writing. After that 30-day window, you cannot legally exercise your pilot privileges until you have reported the new address.11eCFR. 14 CFR 61.60 – Change of Address If your address includes a P.O. box, you also need to provide your current residential address. Mail updates to the Airmen Certification Branch at P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.10Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Certification – Contact