After your examiner submits the application through IACRA, the processing time for your permanent FAA certificate typically runs six to ten weeks, though the real-world wait depends on the current backlog at the Airman Certification Branch in Oklahoma City.1Federal Aviation Administration. I Completed the Test for a Remote Pilot – FAQ As of March 2026, the branch was working through applications with temporary certificates issued around February 12, 2026, which put the actual turnaround closer to four weeks during that period.2Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Certification You don’t have to wait to fly. The temporary certificate your examiner prints at the end of the checkride carries full privileges while the plastic card works through the queue.
Flying on Your Temporary Certificate
The moment your examiner submits the completed application in IACRA, the system generates a temporary airman certificate you can print immediately. It carries the same privileges as the permanent version.3Federal Aviation Administration. IACRA – Federal Aviation Administration For pilot, flight instructor, and ground instructor certificates, the temporary is valid for up to 120 days.4eCFR. 14 CFR 61.17 – Temporary Certificate Mechanic and repairman temporaries follow the same 120-day limit under Part 65.5eCFR. 14 CFR Part 65 – Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers
One requirement trips people up. You must carry government-issued photo identification with your temporary certificate whenever you exercise its privileges. A driver’s license, passport, military ID, or government identification card all qualify. Without photo ID in your possession or readily accessible in the aircraft, you cannot legally fly on the temporary, even if it’s otherwise valid.6eCFR. 14 CFR 61.3 – Requirement for Certificates, Ratings, Privileges, and Currency
Checking the Status of Your Application
IACRA itself does not offer a status tracker. The FAA’s own FAQ confirms that no further confirmation follows the submission screen your examiner saw at the checkride.7Federal Aviation Administration. Frequently Asked Questions – IACRA Two other tools give you a workable picture instead.
The FAA’s Airman Inquiry page lets you search your name in the airman database. If it reflects your new certificate or rating, the permanent card has already been printed and is on its way to you. If it still shows your prior information, your application is still in the queue.
The Airmen Certification page publishes a rolling processing date under “News & Highlights,” showing roughly which temporary certificate issue dates are currently being worked. Comparing that date to the one on your temporary tells you approximately how close you are to the front of the line.2Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Certification
Why Applications Get Delayed
When the Airman Certification Branch finds a problem, the application goes back to the examiner for correction and your wait effectively resets. A few issues account for most returns.
Name and Identity Mismatches
Your name in IACRA has to match your FAA records and identification documents exactly. The FAA requires your full legal middle name, not just an initial. If you have no middle name, enter “NMN” in that field. Suffixes like Jr. or III have to come from the dropdown rather than being typed into the name box.8Federal Aviation Administration. IACRA Help – Applicant Personal Information A discrepancy between the name on your knowledge test result and the name on your 8710-1 is one of the most common reasons an application comes back. The 8710-1 must show your full legal name even if the knowledge test used a shortened version.9Federal Aviation Administration. Application Paperwork Errors
Other frequent triggers include an incorrect date of birth, an unresolved medical certificate issue, or missing prerequisite documentation. Any mismatch between your legal identification and what was entered in IACRA is enough to stop the process.9Federal Aviation Administration. Application Paperwork Errors
Foreign License Verification
If you’re applying for a U.S. certificate based on a foreign license under 14 CFR 61.75, 61.77, or a similar provision, the Airman Certification Branch has to verify your foreign license and medical certificate with the issuing Civil Aviation Authority before anything else moves. That verification alone takes 45 to 90 days, and the FAA is explicit that you shouldn’t schedule a checkride or travel before you have the verification letter in hand. The letter is valid for six months unless the foreign authority sets a shorter period or your foreign license expires first. Applicants from Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom have to complete supplementary forms with their own Civil Aviation Authority before the FAA can begin verification.10Federal Aviation Administration. Verify the Authenticity of a Foreign License and Medical Certification
An Outdated Mailing Address
This is the easiest failure to avoid and it produces a permanent certificate mailed to an address where you no longer live. Federal regulation requires you to notify the FAA of any change to your permanent mailing address within 30 days. Miss that window, and you legally cannot exercise your certificate privileges until you update the address, even if the certificate itself is otherwise valid.11eCFR. 14 CFR 61.60 – Change of Address You can update online through the Airmen Certification page or by mailing a signed written request or Form AC 8060-55 to the Airman Certification Branch. A P.O. Box alone is not accepted as a residence address; if you want mail sent to one, you have to provide the residential address as well.12Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Certification – Update Address
If Your Temporary Certificate Is About to Expire
Most permanent certificates arrive comfortably inside the 120-day temporary window. If yours hasn’t and the expiration date is closing in, check Airman Inquiry first. If the database already shows your new certificate, the application has been processed. You can then request a free 60-day temporary authority through the FAA’s Airmen Online Services portal to keep flying while the card catches up.13Federal Aviation Administration. Airmen Services – Temporary Authority The same portal lets you order a replacement permanent certificate for $2 by credit card.14Federal Aviation Administration. Requesting Replacement Certificates Online
If Airman Inquiry does not yet show your new certificate, the application is still being worked. Call the Airman Certification Branch to ask about your specific file and discuss how to maintain flying authority in the meantime.
Contacting the Airman Certification Branch
The FAA suggests reaching out if your permanent certificate hasn’t arrived after eight weeks.1Federal Aviation Administration. I Completed the Test for a Remote Pilot – FAQ The branch is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Time.15Federal Aviation Administration. Contact the Airmen Certification Branch
- Toll free: (866) 878-2498
- Oklahoma City local: (405) 954-3261
- Email: available through the contact page on the FAA’s Airmen Certification website
Have your IACRA Application ID ready when you call. That number appears on the confirmation page from submission and on your temporary certificate.