FAA Aircraft Ownership Transfer: Forms, Filing, and Records

Transferring aircraft ownership with the FAA is a separate paperwork step from the sale itself: after you and the seller close, you file a signed Aircraft Bill of Sale (AC Form 8050-2) and an Aircraft Registration Application (AC Form 8050-1) with a $5 fee to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City so the U.S. Civil Aircraft Register lists you as the owner. Until that filing is in, the aircraft cannot lawfully be operated in the United States.1eCFR. 14 CFR Part 47 – Aircraft Registration The seller doesn’t file a cancellation. The FAA treats your new application and bill of sale as the event that ends the previous certificate.2eCFR. 14 CFR 47.41 – Duration and Return of Certificate

Confirm You’re Eligible to Register

Federal law limits who can hold a U.S. aircraft registration, and the FAA will reject an application that doesn’t fit one of the categories.3GovInfo. 49 USC 44102 – Registration Requirements

  • An individual U.S. citizen.
  • A foreign citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
  • A partnership in which every partner, general or limited, is an individual U.S. citizen.
  • A corporation organized under U.S. or state law where the president and at least two-thirds of the board and managing officers are U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens own or control at least 75 percent of the voting interest.4eCFR. 14 CFR Part 47 – Aircraft Registration – Section 47.7
  • A non-citizen corporation organized and doing business under U.S. or state law, if the aircraft is based and primarily used in the United States.3GovInfo. 49 USC 44102 – Registration Requirements

Verify Clear Title Before You Close

Liens, security agreements, and other encumbrances recorded against the aircraft under 14 CFR Part 49 travel with the airframe. If a prior owner borrowed against the aircraft and never paid it off, that lender’s interest survives the sale into your hands.5eCFR. 14 CFR 49.17 – Conveyances Recorded

The FAA doesn’t run title searches for buyers. The Aircraft Registration Branch says directly that you’re expected to review the records yourself, hire an attorney, or use a private aircraft title search company.6Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Registration – Clear Title Once the deal closes, unwinding a title defect gets much harder.

The Two Core Forms

Bill of Sale (AC Form 8050-2)

The Aircraft Bill of Sale transfers all rights, title, and interest from seller to buyer. It must show the aircraft’s N-number, manufacturer, model, and serial number, along with the full legal names and addresses of both parties. The seller signs it.7Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Bill of Sale – FAA Form AC 8050-2

The FAA follows an unbroken chain of bills of sale back through prior owners. If a past transfer was never recorded, expect a rejection letter asking for the missing document. When the paperwork truly can’t be found, a sworn affidavit with supporting evidence and proof you attempted to contact the last known owner can substitute.8Federal Aviation Administration. Index to Aircraft Registration and Recordation Processes

Registration Application (AC Form 8050-1)

You fill out the registration application as the new owner. It needs the aircraft’s identifying details and your permanent mailing address. If your mailing address is a P.O. box or mail drop, you must also provide your physical address or location. The signer’s title has to match how they hold the aircraft, so “owner” for an individual, “president” or “managing member” for an entity as appropriate.9eCFR. 14 CFR Part 47 – Aircraft Registration – Section 47.13

Signature Rules

Ink and digital signatures are both accepted. A valid digital signature must display the signer’s name, show evidence of identity authentication (a “digitally signed by” notation with the provider’s seal or watermark and an execution timestamp), and remain legible in black-and-white. A scanned image of a handwritten signature without those authentication markers counts as a photocopy, not a digital signature, and will be rejected.10Federal Aviation Administration. About Aircraft Registration Digital Signature

Extra Paperwork for LLCs and Trusts

Buyers often use an LLC or a trust for privacy and liability reasons. Both add documents beyond the basic bill of sale and application.

An LLC must show it meets the same citizenship test as a corporation: management structure equivalent to a U.S.-citizen president and two-thirds citizen managing officers, with at least 75 percent of voting interest owned or controlled by U.S. citizens. Submit either the organizational documents showing members and management structure, or a written statement covering the LLC’s name, state and date of formation, members and their entity types, whether it is member- or manager-managed, and how the structure satisfies the citizenship rule. The signer’s title must match the actual management structure. A manager-managed LLC signs with a title including “manager,” a member-managed LLC with a title including “member.” Using “president” on a standard LLC will get the filing rejected.11Federal Aviation Administration. Limited Liability Companies Info Sheet

For a trust, the trustee registers as the applicant and submits a certified true copy of the complete trust instrument along with an affidavit about each beneficiary’s citizenship. If any beneficiary is not a U.S. citizen or resident alien, the affidavit must state that the trustee is not aware of any situation giving that person more than 25 percent control over the trustee’s authority. The trustee signs all documents with “trustee” following the name.12Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Registration – Trust Arrangements

Maintenance Records the Seller Must Deliver

14 CFR 91.417 requires certain records to move with the aircraft at the time of sale. This is not negotiable.13eCFR. 14 CFR 91.417 – Maintenance Records You should receive:

  • Total time in service for the airframe, each engine, each propeller, and each rotor.
  • Current status of life-limited parts on each major component.
  • Time since last overhaul on anything overhauled on a specified time basis.
  • Current inspection status, including what the last required inspection was and when it was completed.
  • Airworthiness directive compliance: each applicable AD number, the method of compliance, and when recurring actions are next due.
  • Copies of FAA Form 337 for each major alteration to the airframe and installed components.13eCFR. 14 CFR 91.417 – Maintenance Records

Missing logbooks are a serious warning sign. Reconstructing history and clearing unresolved airworthiness directives can cost more than the discount you negotiated. A pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic you choose is the best defense.

Where to Send It and What Flying You Can Do While You Wait

Mail the complete package to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch, P.O. Box 25504, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0504.7Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Bill of Sale – FAA Form AC 8050-2 Include:

  • The signed registration application (AC 8050-1).
  • The bill of sale (AC 8050-2) or other acceptable evidence of ownership.
  • A $5.00 registration fee payable to the Federal Aviation Administration.14Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Registration
  • Any entity documentation your ownership structure requires (LLC citizenship statement, trust instrument, affidavit).

Keep the carbon copy of the application, commonly called the pink copy. It is your temporary operating authority. Carry it aboard the aircraft. It remains valid until you receive the permanent Certificate of Aircraft Registration or the FAA denies your application.15eCFR. 14 CFR 47.31 – Certificate of Aircraft Registration

One trap worth flagging. If 12 months pass after the FAA received your first application and you have to submit a new one (to correct an issue that caused a rejection, for example), the replacement application does not carry temporary operating authority. The aircraft is grounded until the FAA processes it. Getting the initial filing right the first time matters more than most buyers realize.15eCFR. 14 CFR 47.31 – Certificate of Aircraft Registration

Processing Times

The FAA works applications in the order received, and the backlog is real. As of early 2026, the Registry was reviewing documents received roughly three to four months earlier.16Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Registration That is why the pink copy exists. It is also why a rejection stings: you get the letter months later and start over from the back of the queue.

Filing Online Through CARES

The FAA’s Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) system offers an online alternative to the paper package. Individuals, corporations, and LLCs can submit applications, upload supporting documents, sign digitally, pay online, and receive automated status updates.17Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA Civil Aviation Registry Online Partnerships, non-citizen trusts, and certain other entity types are not eligible yet and still file on paper. CARES accounts authenticate through Login.gov.18Federal Aviation Administration. Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services – CARES

Renewal and Other Ways Registration Ends

The Certificate of Aircraft Registration expires seven years after the last day of the month it was issued. You can apply for renewal on AC Form 8050-1B during the six months before that expiration date.19eCFR. 14 CFR 47.40 – Registration Expiration and Renewal Registration also ends if the holder loses U.S. citizenship, if 30 days pass after the holder’s death without a new registration, or if the aircraft is destroyed or registered in a foreign country.2eCFR. 14 CFR 47.41 – Duration and Return of Certificate Miss the renewal window and the aircraft cannot legally fly until you restore it.

State Sales and Use Tax Is a Separate Matter

FAA registration is federal paperwork and has nothing to do with taxes. Most states impose a sales or use tax on aircraft purchases, and the buyer owes it. Deadlines commonly run 15 to 30 days from the date of sale depending on the state. For out-of-state purchases you generally have to contact your state tax authority for the right forms. Some states will contact you on their own after spotting an aircraft based in state with no tax record. Rules vary widely, and some states add annual personal property tax on top. Talking to an aviation tax specialist before closing, not after, is how buyers avoid unexpected five- or six-figure tax bills.