In most cases, a felony conviction does not stop you from getting a pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration. The one clear exception is a drug- or alcohol-related conviction, which can block a new certificate for up to a year and threaten any certificate you already hold. Even when the FAA clears you, though, separate obstacles at the TSA, in medical certification, and at the airline hiring desk can still close off an aviation career.
Drug and Alcohol Convictions Are the One Hard Rule
Drug and alcohol offenses are the only category the aviation regulations single out by name. Under 14 CFR 61.15, a conviction under any federal or state law related to drug activity is grounds for denial of a pilot certificate for up to one year after the date of final conviction, and grounds for suspension or revocation of any certificate you already hold.1eCFR. 14 CFR 61.15 – Offenses Involving Alcohol or Drugs The same rule applies to operating an aircraft under the influence.
Read the language carefully. The regulation says “up to” one year, not “at least” one year, so the FAA has discretion to impose a shorter denial period or the full twelve months depending on the circumstances.
For felonies that don’t involve drugs or alcohol, the regulations set no specific waiting period. The FAA evaluates those convictions individually, weighing how serious the offense was, how long ago it happened, and what you’ve done since.2Federal Aviation Administration. Can I Get a Pilot License (Certificate) or Other FAA Certificate if I Have a Felony Conviction?
DUI Reporting Rules for Current Pilots
A DUI may not be a felony in your state, but it matters to the FAA. If you already hold a pilot certificate, you must report any alcohol- or drug-related motor vehicle action to the FAA in writing within 60 days. That includes a DUI conviction, a license suspension for impaired driving, or a driver’s license denial for an alcohol-related reason.1eCFR. 14 CFR 61.15 – Offenses Involving Alcohol or Drugs
Two motor vehicle actions within a three-year window create separate grounds for denial or revocation of your certificate, again for up to one year. Missing the 60-day reporting window is itself a basis for suspension or revocation. Pilots lose certificates over failure to report far more often than people expect. The written report goes to the FAA’s Civil Aviation Security Division and must include your name, certificate number, the type of violation, the conviction date, and the state that holds the record.
The Good Moral Character Standard for Airline Pilots
The “good moral character” requirement appears explicitly for one certificate level: the Airline Transport Pilot certificate, which airline captains and first officers hold. Under 14 CFR 61.153, an ATP applicant must “be of good moral character.”3eCFR. 14 CFR 61.153 – Eligibility Requirements: General Private, commercial, and instrument certificates don’t carry that phrase in their eligibility rules.
The regulation offers no checklist, which leaves the FAA substantial room to judge. A felony conviction raises questions under this standard without automatically failing it. Fraud, embezzlement, and violent crimes tend to draw the sharpest scrutiny because they speak directly to trustworthiness and judgment.
What You Have to Disclose, and Why Honesty Is Non-Negotiable
You disclose your criminal history on two separate forms. FAA Form 8710-1, the Airman Certificate and Rating Application, asks specifically about drug-related convictions. FAA Form 8500-8, the Application for Medical Certificate, asks about any non-traffic convictions or administrative actions.
Intentionally false statements on an FAA application are grounds for suspending or revoking every airman and medical certificate you hold, and for denying all future medical applications. That denial authority has no expiration date built into the regulation. Deliberately lying on a federal form can also lead to criminal prosecution. The FAA can work with a past felony. It cannot work with active dishonesty on the paperwork.
For each conviction you disclose, gather court records, the date and location of the conviction, the sentence imposed, and proof that you completed the sentence. A personal statement covering the circumstances, what you’ve learned, and what has changed since strengthens the application. The FAA weighs rehabilitation evidence heavily: steady employment, completion of treatment or counseling, community involvement, and reference letters from people who can speak to your character. Expect the review to take several months and expect follow-up requests for more documentation.4Reginfo.gov. Airmen and Drug- and/or Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Action(s)
The Medical Certificate Is a Separate Gate
A pilot certificate isn’t enough on its own. You also need an FAA medical certificate to exercise flying privileges, and the medical process has its own background review. Question 18(w) on Form 8500-8 asks about misdemeanor and felony convictions. A felony by itself doesn’t disqualify you medically, but the FAA uses the answer to screen for conditions that would.
A history of drug offenses can prompt investigation of whether you have a substance dependence diagnosis, which is independently disqualifying under the medical standards. Repeated violent offenses can prompt evaluation for personality disorders or other mental health conditions. The conviction is the flag; the medical condition is the actual barrier. Clinical evaluations showing that no disqualifying condition exists, or that a previously diagnosed condition is well managed, keep the medical certificate within reach.
TSA Clearance Can Block You Even After the FAA Says Yes
Here is where applicants with felony records often get blindsided. A valid pilot certificate and medical certificate still aren’t enough to work at an airline. You also need to pass a TSA Security Threat Assessment and hold a Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge for unescorted airport access. The TSA maintains its own disqualifying offense list, entirely separate from the FAA’s rules, and it is considerably longer and more severe.
Permanent Disqualifications
Some felonies permanently bar TSA clearance regardless of when they occurred: espionage, treason, sedition, federal crimes of terrorism, murder, crimes involving a transportation security incident, and unlawful dealing in explosives.5Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors No waiting period, no rehabilitation pathway, no waiver. If any of those appear on your record, an airline career is off the table even if the FAA issues you a certificate.
Interim Disqualifications
A much broader set of felonies disqualify you on a temporary basis. Under 49 CFR 1572.103, these interim offenses include firearms violations, fraud, bribery, smuggling, arson, kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, assault with intent to kill, drug distribution, and immigration violations, among others. An interim offense disqualifies you if you were convicted within seven years of your application, or released from incarceration within five years, whichever produces the longer wait.6eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses and Threat Categories
The TSA can also deny clearance based on extensive criminal history when the specific conviction isn’t on either list, or when a prison term exceeded 365 consecutive days.5Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors You could train, pass every checkride, earn your certificate, and still be unable to set foot in the secured area of an airport.
Airline Hiring and International Travel
Getting the certificate is the regulatory question. Getting hired is the business question. Major carriers conduct thorough background checks and tend to be the most selective. A felony conviction involving dishonesty, violence, or substance abuse can effectively end candidacy at many airlines regardless of what the FAA decided.
Regional carriers, cargo operators, and charter companies sometimes have more flexibility, but any crew member operating in secured airport areas still needs TSA clearance. Private flying, flight instruction at smaller airports, and certain agricultural or survey operations often don’t require SIDA access, which makes them more realistic pathways when a record blocks airline work.
Foreign travel is its own problem. Canada matters most for U.S. pilots because so many domestic routes cross Canadian airspace or land at Canadian airports. A person convicted of an offense that would also be a crime in Canada is inadmissible and can be denied entry. You can overcome inadmissibility through a formal rehabilitation application, but only after at least five years have passed since you completed your entire sentence, and processing takes over a year. For some offenses punishable by less than ten years in Canada, you may be “deemed rehabilitated” automatically once ten years have passed since sentence completion, with no application required.7Government of Canada. Rehabilitation for Persons Who Are Inadmissible to Canada Because of Past Criminal Activity Other countries impose their own entry restrictions, and pilots aren’t exempt because they’re operating a flight.
If the FAA Denies or Revokes Your Certificate
You have the right to appeal to the National Transportation Safety Board. The appeal must be filed within 20 days after you receive the FAA’s order.8NTSB.gov. How to File an Appeal A timely appeal suspends the FAA’s order until an administrative law judge issues a decision, so if you already held a certificate you keep it during the process. Filing starts with a Notice of Appeal sent to the NTSB’s Office of Administrative Law Judges, with a copy to the FAA attorney named on the order. The case is assigned to a judge, a prehearing conference is scheduled, and a full hearing follows. If the judge rules against you, you can appeal again to the full NTSB Board.
Most applicants retain an aviation attorney for these proceedings. Hourly rates for lawyers who specialize in FAA certificate cases generally run between $150 and $400, and contested appeals can take months to resolve.