Part 107 is the FAA rule most pilots use for commercial and other non-recreational small-drone flight. The Remote Pilot Certificate lets you act as remote pilot in command under that rule. You must be at least 16 to get it. You also need to pass the FAA's knowledge test (about $175) and a TSA background check. The certificate never expires, but the FAA requires free online training every 24 calendar months. It is the starting credential, not blanket permission for a flight: registration, Remote ID, airspace, temporary restrictions, location permission, and operation-specific conditions still apply.
Key facts
- Who it's for
- Most non-recreational small-drone operations
- Minimum age
- 16 years old
- The test
- Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA testing center
- Background check
- TSA Security Threat Assessment (all applicants)
- Cost
- About $175 for the knowledge test; certificate issue is free
- Validity
- Certificate does not expire; complete recurrent training within every 24 calendar months
- Drone registration
- Required for every drone, regardless of weight ($5, 3 years)
- Altitude ceiling
- 400 ft AGL, or higher within 400 ft of a structure and no more than 400 ft above its top
A certificate is not flight clearance
Before each job, work the location and operation separately. Check airspace and temporary restrictions, confirm registration and Remote ID, and use the appropriate standing rule, authorization, or waiver for the mission.
Do you need Part 107?
The line is purpose, not payment. If a flight furthers any business or commercial interest, it is a Part 107 flight, even if no one pays you directly.
Needs Part 107
- Paid aerial photography or video
- Real-estate listing footage (even your own)
- Roof, tower, or infrastructure inspections
- Monetized YouTube or social content
- Mapping, surveying, or agriculture
Recreational instead
- Flying purely for personal enjoyment
- No business or compensation involved
- Following a community-based safety code
Recreational flyers use the Section 44809 exception and the free TRUST test instead.
How to get the certificate
- 1
Confirm you're eligible
Be at least 16, able to read, speak, write, and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly safely.
- 2
Get an FTN and schedule the test
Create an IACRA profile for an FAA Tracking Number, then schedule the Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA-approved testing center (about $175).
- 3
Pass the knowledge test
The UAG test has 60 scored multiple-choice questions plus 5 unscored validation questions, a 2-hour limit, and a 70% passing score. You can take the UAG test at 14, and you must be 16 before the FAA will issue the Remote Pilot Certificate.
- 4
Complete the TSA background check
Apply for the certificate through IACRA. The TSA runs a Security Threat Assessment on every applicant.
- 5
Receive your certificate
A temporary certificate is available once vetting clears; the permanent card follows by mail. Keep it accessible when you fly.
The core operating rules
The certificate is the entry fee. These are the standing rules you fly under once you hold it.
- 01Visual line of sight
- Keep the drone within your unaided visual line of sight at all times (corrective lenses are fine, binoculars are not). Beyond-line-of-sight needs a waiver; the broader Part 108 framework is still in rulemaking.
- 02Night and twilight
- You may fly at night if you passed the initial test or completed the training after April 6, 2021, and the drone has lit anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles. The same lighting is required during civil twilight.
- 03Weather minimums
- Keep at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility from the control station, and stay at least 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds.
- 04One drone at a time
- A single remote pilot may not operate more than one drone at once.
- 05Speed and weight
- Max groundspeed 87 knots (100 mph); the drone must weigh under 55 lbs including payload.
- 06Flying over people
- You may fly over people only if they are directly participating in the operation, are under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle, or the flight meets one of the four Operations Over People categories. People inside moving vehicles have their own conditions under 14 CFR 107.145.
- 07Right of way
- Yield the right of way to all aircraft, airborne vehicles, and launch and reentry vehicles, whether crewed or not.
- 08Moving vehicles
- Never fly from a moving aircraft. From a moving car or boat, fly only over a sparsely populated area and never while carrying someone else's property for pay.
- 09No careless operation
- No impaired operation and no dropping objects in a way that creates a hazard.
Recurrent training keeps you current
The certificate itself never expires, but your privileges lapse if you skip recurrent training. Complete the free online recurrent course within every 24 calendar months. There is no longer a paid recurrent test; it is an online training module.
Waivers extend what you can do
Several Part 107 rules can be waived if you show the FAA you can fly that operation safely. Waiver paths can include beyond visual line of sight, multiple aircraft, altitude, weather minimums, moving-platform limits, and operations over people or moving vehicles that do not fit a standing category. Operational waiver applications now use the FAA Aviation Safety Hub. Controlled-airspace access remains a separate LAANC or FAA authorization process.
Open the complete waiver and advanced-operations guideTool
Do I need a license?
Answer two questions and find out exactly what the FAA requires.
Related rule
Airspace & LAANC
Where you can fly, the 400 ft ceiling, night, and over-people categories.
Sources
Rules checked against 14 CFR Part 107 on October 24, 2026; verify at faa.gov/uas. Educational, not legal advice.