If you fly purely for enjoyment, you do not need a Part 107 license. You fly under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations, Section 44809 of U.S. law. The trade for skipping the license: you must pass the free TRUST test and follow eight specific rules. Break any of them, and you are no longer covered by the exception; you would need Part 107.
Key facts
- The exception
- 49 U.S.C. § 44809: Limited Recreational Operations
- Required test
- TRUST (free, online, open-book, cannot be failed)
- License needed
- No Part 107, but TRUST is mandatory
- Registration
- Only for drones 250 g (0.55 lb) and heavier ($5, covers your whole fleet, 3 years)
- Remote ID
- Required for any drone that must be registered
- Altitude
- 400 ft above ground level in uncontrolled airspace
- What counts as recreational
- Purely personal enjoyment: no business or compensation
The TRUST test
TRUST is The Recreational UAS Safety Test. It is the one mandatory step for every recreational flyer, and it is designed so you cannot fail.
Free
No cost, ever. Offered by FAA-approved test administrators online.
Open-book, can't fail
Wrong answers are corrected on the spot until you get them right.
~20–30 minutes
A short read-and-answer safety walkthrough.
Carry the certificate
Save the completion certificate; you must show it on request when flying.
TRUST is per-person, not per-drone
You only take TRUST once, and it never expires. Registration, by contrast, is tied to your fleet and renews every three years. Don't confuse the two.
The eight rules of recreational flight
To stay under the exception, every one of these must be true. Miss one and the flight falls under Part 107 instead.
- 1
Fly only for recreational purposes: strictly personal enjoyment.
- 2
Follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized community-based organization.
- 3
Keep the drone within your visual line of sight, or within sight of a visual observer beside you.
- 4
Never interfere with, and always yield to, any crewed aircraft.
- 5
Get prior authorization (LAANC) before flying in controlled airspace; in uncontrolled airspace, stay at or below 400 ft.
- 6
Pass the TRUST test and carry proof of completion when you fly.
- 7
Register your drone if it weighs 250 g or more, and mark the registration number on the exterior.
- 8
Do not operate the drone in a careless or reckless manner.
What counts as “recreational”?
The single test is whether the flight is for your own personal enjoyment and nothing else. The moment a flight touches a business purpose, you have left the exception.
Still recreational
- Flying around your yard or a park for fun
- Personal vacation footage you don't monetize
- Practicing flight skills as a hobby
Now it's commercial
- Footage for a client or your own business
- Monetized video (ads, sponsorships)
- Photos for a real-estate listing, even your own
These need Part 107 instead.
Tool
Do I need a license?
Two questions to confirm whether you're recreational or commercial.
Related rule
Registration
When the 250 g threshold kicks in and how to register at FAADroneZone.
Sources
Rules current as of June 2026; verify at faa.gov/uas. Educational, not legal advice.