FAA RC Plane Registration: TRUST Test, Remote ID, and Marking

To fly an RC plane legally in the United States, the FAA requires you to register the aircraft if it weighs 0.55 pounds (250 grams) or more, mark it on the outside with your registration number, and follow the rules that match how you fly it. FAA RC plane registration requirements cost $5, take a few minutes on the DroneZone website, and stay valid for three years. Recreational pilots also have to pass a free safety test called TRUST; commercial pilots need a Remote Pilot Certificate. Nearly every aircraft in U.S. airspace must also comply with Remote ID.¹

Who Has to Register

The threshold is takeoff weight, including batteries, cameras, and anything else attached. Reach 0.55 pounds and registration is required. Aircraft under that weight are exempt only when flown exclusively for recreation; fly a lighter aircraft for any business purpose and you still need to register.¹

The online system handles aircraft up to 55 pounds. Anything heavier goes through a separate paper-based process that DroneZone won’t accept.² Military aircraft are outside Part 48 entirely.

Recreational or Commercial: Two Registration Paths

Your reason for flying decides which pathway you use and what else you have to do besides register.

Recreational flyers register once under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations. A single $5 registration covers every RC plane and drone you personally own, and you’ll need to pass the TRUST safety test and follow the safety guidelines of a community-based organization.¹

Commercial operators register under Part 107 and pay $5 for each aircraft. They also need a Remote Pilot Certificate, which requires passing an aeronautical knowledge test and being at least 16.³

If you’re paid for a flight, hired to shoot aerial photos, inspect property, or do anything beyond personal enjoyment, that’s commercial use in the FAA’s eyes. Even a side gig counts. Flying commercially without a Remote Pilot Certificate is a federal violation.

How to Register on FAA DroneZone

All registration runs through the FAA’s DroneZone portal, where you create an account and choose either the recreational track or Part 107.⁴

Have these ready before you start:

Your physical address, mailing address if different, email, and phone number.
The make and model of your RC plane, plus the manufacturer’s Remote ID serial number if the aircraft has one.
A credit or debit card for the $5 fee.

The person registering must be at least 13. If the owner is younger, someone 13 or older has to register on their behalf.¹

Once you pay, the FAA issues a Certificate of Aircraft Registration and a unique registration number. Save or print the certificate. You have to carry proof of registration whenever you fly.⁵

Marking Your Aircraft

Before the first flight, the registration number has to appear on an external surface of the aircraft, legible during a visual inspection, and stay securely attached throughout each flight.⁶

Hiding the number inside a battery compartment used to be allowed. The FAA closed that option in 2019. The number must now sit on the outside.⁷ A permanent marker or a stuck-on label both work; the rule cares only that the number stays put and stays readable.

The TRUST Test for Recreational Flyers

Recreational pilots have to pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) before their first flight and carry proof of passing whenever they fly.⁸

The test is free, online, and short. It covers airspace rules, safety practices, and where you’re allowed to fly. Several FAA-approved administrators offer it through their websites.⁹ After you pass, download or print your completion certificate and keep it with your registration. TRUST doesn’t expire.

Remote ID Compliance

Remote ID is a digital identifier your aircraft broadcasts while flying. Since September 16, 2023, aircraft in U.S. airspace must comply, whether flown for fun or for work.¹⁰

There are three ways to satisfy the rule:

Fly a Standard Remote ID aircraft with the broadcast capability built in at the factory. Most drones sold today qualify.
Attach an aftermarket Remote ID broadcast module to an older aircraft. The module transmits identification and the takeoff location, and you must keep the aircraft in visual line of sight.
Fly inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA), a fixed geographic area where non-Remote ID aircraft are permitted. Both pilot and aircraft stay inside the FRIA boundaries, and visual line of sight is required.¹¹

If your RC plane predates Remote ID and you’d rather not buy a broadcast module, a FRIA (often at an established model aircraft club field) is your practical option. FRIA locations are listed through DroneZone.

Where You Can Fly

Registration lets you fly, but not anywhere.

Altitude and Line of Sight

Recreational flyers stay at or below 400 feet above ground level in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace.¹² Part 107 pilots face the same 400-foot ceiling and, on top of that, a minimum of 3 statute miles of flight visibility and cloud clearances of 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontal.¹³

Both groups have to keep the aircraft in visual line of sight at all times. A visual observer standing next to you and in direct communication is allowed, but binoculars, cameras, and first-person-view goggles don’t replace unaided eyesight.

Controlled Airspace Near Airports

Flying in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, or surface-area Class E) near an airport requires FAA authorization. The fastest route is LAANC, the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, which returns near-real-time approval for flights at or below 400 feet.¹⁴

Before any flight, the FAA’s B4UFLY service shows controlled airspace, temporary flight restrictions, and whether your chosen location is safe to fly.¹⁵

Part 107 Certification for Commercial Pilots

If you fly for any business purpose, you need a Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small UAS Rating on top of registration. Under Part 107:

You must be at least 16 years old.
You must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English, with limited medical exceptions.
You must not have a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe operation.
You must pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-authorized testing center.¹³

The knowledge test covers airspace classification, weather, loading and performance, and FAA regulations. Existing manned-pilot certificate holders (other than student pilots) with a current flight review can substitute an online training course. Part 107 flights are also capped at 100 mph ground speed, and night flying requires anti-collision lighting.

Accident Reporting

Part 107 pilots have to report an incident to the FAA within 10 calendar days if the aircraft causes serious injury, causes loss of consciousness, or damages property (other than the aircraft itself) with repair cost or fair market value over $500.¹⁶ The $500 threshold is low. A dented car door or a broken fence can meet it. Skipping the report adds a regulatory violation to whatever else happened.

Renewal and Penalties

Registration expires three years after issue. You can renew through DroneZone within the six months before your expiration month, and the new certificate runs three years from the old expiration date, so renewing early doesn’t shorten anything.¹⁷ The renewal fee is the same $5. During renewal you’ll verify your information and update anything that has changed.⁵

The penalties for flying an unregistered aircraft make the $5 fee look trivial. Civil penalties reach $27,500 for failing to register. Knowing violations can bring criminal fines up to $250,000 and up to three years in prison.¹⁸

Visitors Flying in the United States

Rules are tighter for non-U.S. citizens. A foreign-registered aircraft with FAA-compliant Remote ID can fly here, but the operator must submit a Notice of Identification to the FAA first. If the aircraft isn’t registered in the home country or lacks Remote ID, flying is limited to a FRIA.¹⁹

Commercial operations by foreign nationals require a foreign aircraft permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which takes about 30 days. The FAA doesn’t recognize any foreign Remote Pilot Certificate, so flying commercially as pilot in command means passing the knowledge test at a testing center located in the United States.

1
eCFR. 14 CFR Part 48 – Registration and Marking Requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft
2
Federal Aviation Administration. Registration Requirements for UAS Over 55 Pounds
3
eCFR. 14 CFR 107.12 – Requirement for a Remote Pilot Certificate With a Small UAS Rating
4
Federal Aviation Administration. FAADroneZone Access – Home
5
Federal Aviation Administration. How to Register Your Drone
6
eCFR. 14 CFR 48.205 – Display and Location of Unique Identifier
7
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Makes Major Drone ID Marking Change
8
Federal Aviation Administration. Recreational Flyers and Community-Based Organizations
9
Federal Aviation Administration. The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)
10
Federal Aviation Administration. Remote Identification of Drones
11
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs)
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 44809 – Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft
13
eCFR. 14 CFR Part 107 – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
14
Federal Aviation Administration. UAS Data Exchange (LAANC)
15
Federal Aviation Administration. B4UFLY
16
eCFR. 14 CFR 107.9 – Safety Event Reporting
17
eCFR. 14 CFR Part 48 Subpart B – Certificates of Aircraft Registration for Small Unmanned Aircraft
18
Federal Aviation Administration. Is There a Penalty for Failing to Register?
19
Federal Aviation Administration. Information for Foreign Operators