To reserve an N-number, confirm you’re eligible to register a U.S. aircraft, pick a number that follows the FAA’s format rules, check that it’s available in the FAA registry, and submit a request with a $10 fee through the FAA’s online portal or by mail to the Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City. The reservation holds your chosen number for one year and can be renewed annually. Processing typically takes about three to four weeks.
Check Availability Before You Do Anything Else
The FAA’s N-Number Availability Inquiry tool at registry.faa.gov lets you search instantly. A number can show as unavailable for three reasons: it’s currently assigned to an aircraft, someone else already has it reserved, or it’s inside a five-year hold following a cancelled assignment.1eCFR. 14 CFR 47.15 – Application for and Assignment of a Special Registration Number
That last one catches people. When an N-number is cancelled and the previous owner doesn’t reserve it at the moment of cancellation, it becomes unavailable to anyone for five years. There’s no way to shorten that wait.1eCFR. 14 CFR 47.15 – Application for and Assignment of a Special Registration Number If your first pick is in that limbo, move on and try alternates.
Format Rules Your Number Has to Follow
Every U.S. registration number starts with “N” followed by up to five additional characters. Valid combinations are: one to five numbers, one to four numbers followed by a letter, or one to three numbers followed by two letters.2Federal Aviation Administration. Forming an N-Number
A few things are off-limits:
- The character right after the “N” can’t be zero.
- The letters “I” and “O” aren’t allowed because they look like the numbers one and zero.
- N1 through N99 are reserved for FAA internal use and never available to the public.2Federal Aviation Administration. Forming an N-Number
Because popular short combinations disappear quickly, it’s worth working out several valid choices before you file. The online application lets you rank up to five in order of preference, and if your top pick gets claimed while your request is in the queue, the FAA will assign the next available one on your list.3Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft N-Number Reservation
Who Can Reserve One
Only people and entities eligible to register a U.S. aircraft can reserve an N-number. That means U.S. citizens, foreign citizens who are lawful permanent residents, and corporations organized under federal or state law with the aircraft based and primarily used in the United States.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 U.S. Code 44102 – Registration Requirements
LLCs and trusts can hold registrations, but the FAA requires additional documentation confirming the entity qualifies as a U.S. citizen under federal law. For an LLC, that generally means at least two-thirds of the managers or managing members are U.S. citizens and at least 75 percent of voting interests are owned or controlled by U.S. citizens, supported by organizational documents or a Statement in Support of Registration. For a trust, the trustee submits a certified copy of the trust instrument and an affidavit about the citizenship of the beneficiaries.5Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Under Personal Family
Submitting the Request
The fastest path is the FAA’s online reservation portal. You’ll provide your full legal name, a permanent mailing address, your ranked N-number choices, and confirmation that you meet the eligibility requirements. The $10 fee is paid by credit card at the time of submission.3Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft N-Number Reservation
If you’d rather send it by mail, write a letter with the same information and enclose a $10 check or money order payable to the FAA. Mail it to:
FAA Aircraft Registration Branch
P.O. Box 25504
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-05046Federal Aviation Administration. Contact the Aircraft Registration Branch
Either way, expect around three to four weeks for the FAA to verify availability, confirm the format is valid, and mail you a written confirmation showing which number was reserved. If your first pick got taken during processing, the confirmation will tell you which one on your list you actually got.
What the Reservation Does and Doesn’t Do
A reservation holds the number in your name. It doesn’t put it on an aircraft, and it doesn’t authorize you to fly anything. To use the reserved number, you still have to register an aircraft to it by submitting AC Form 8050-1 (Aircraft Registration Application), which is a separate process with its own fee and paperwork.7Federal Aviation Administration. Form AC 8050-1 – Aircraft Registration Application Reserving early makes sense when you’re waiting on a purchase, a build, or a title transfer. It doesn’t make sense as a substitute for registration.
Renewing the Reservation
A reservation lasts one year from the date it’s granted.1eCFR. 14 CFR 47.15 – Application for and Assignment of a Special Registration Number You can renew it for additional one-year periods, as many times as you need, at $10 per renewal through the FAA online system.8Federal Aviation Administration. Special N-Numbers, Changing N-Numbers
The FAA does mail a renewal notice before the expiration date, but don’t rely on it as your only reminder.8Federal Aviation Administration. Special N-Numbers, Changing N-Numbers Miss the window and the number goes back into the pool for anyone to claim. There’s no grace period and no priority for the previous holder. Set a calendar reminder about a month out.