After You Pass the Part 107 Test
Passing the FAA knowledge test does not make you a remote pilot on its own. You still apply for the certificate in IACRA, register and mark each drone, meet the Remote ID rule, and then keep your knowledge current every 24 calendar months. Here is each step, with the rule or FAA guidance behind it.
Step 1: Apply for your certificate in IACRA
Under 14 CFR 107.63 you apply for the remote pilot certificate, and the application must include evidence that you passed the initial knowledge test. AC 107-2A calls the online application in IACRA, the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, "the fastest and simplest method."
- Log in at iacra.faa.gov with the account you made for your FAA Tracking Number (FTN), which every applicant needs before taking the test.
- Click "Start New Application", then choose Application Type "Pilot", Certifications "Initial Remote Pilot", "Other Path Information" and "Start Application".
- When asked, select your knowledge test, or enter the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID from your knowledge test. AC 107-2A notes that "Knowledge Test Reports upload immediately to the IACRA system."
- Sign the application electronically and submit it.
You can also apply on paper (FAA Form 8710-13, mailed with your original test report), but AC 107-2A warns that a paper applicant who does not hold a Part 61 pilot certificate gets no temporary certificate.
Step 2: Security vetting, then your temporary certificate
After you submit, the FAA's Airman Registry confirms your information with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). AC 107-2A: "Once completed, the applicant receives a confirmation email allowing the applicant to log into the IACRA system and print a copy of the temporary certificate."
A temporary certificate is issued for up to 120 calendar days (§ 107.64(a)). It expires on the date shown on it, when your permanent certificate arrives, or when you receive notice that the certificate is denied or revoked (§ 107.64(b)). You receive the permanent certificate once the FAA's other internal processing is complete.
Step 3: Register every drone you fly under Part 107
AC 107-2A: "A small unmanned aircraft must be registered, in accordance with part 47 or part 48, prior to operating under part 107." Online registration under Part 48 is at FAADroneZone.
- Under Part 107 a drone must be registered however light it is: the 0.55-pound exception in § 48.15 covers only drones flown exclusively under the recreational rules of 49 U.S.C. 44809.
- The fee is $5.00 per aircraft (§ 48.30), and a registration "expires 3 years after the date of issue unless it is renewed" (§ 48.100(c)).
- Display the registration number (or the serial number, if the FAA authorizes it) legibly on an external surface of the drone (§§ 48.200, 48.205).
Step 4: Meet the Remote ID rule
After September 16, 2023, unless the FAA authorizes otherwise, a drone that is registered, or must be, may fly only if it meets the Remote ID rule in one of three ways (§§ 89.101, 89.105):
- It is a standard Remote ID drone, which must broadcast the Remote ID message, including its identification and position, from takeoff to shutdown (§ 89.110).
- It carries a Remote ID broadcast module. The module's serial number must be listed on the drone's Certificate of Aircraft Registration, and the person at the controls must be able to see the drone at all times (§ 89.115(a)).
- It has no Remote ID equipment, and both the drone and the person at the controls stay inside an FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA), with that person able to see the drone at all times (§ 89.115(b)).
A standard Remote ID drone's serial number also goes on its registration certificate, and AC 107-2A adds: "The serial number may only be listed on one Certificate of Aircraft Registration at a time."
On every flight: certificate, authorization, permission
Carry your remote pilot certificate and identification whenever you use its privileges, and show them when the FAA, the NTSB, the TSA or a law enforcement officer asks (§ 107.7(a)). Before flying in Class B, C or D airspace, or inside the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, get prior ATC authorization (§ 107.41). AC 107-2A: "Information concerning the current authorization process is available at https://www.faa.gov/uas/." Inside a prohibited or restricted area, you need permission from the using or controlling agency (§ 107.45).
If you move, or after an accident
If you move, notify the FAA of your new permanent mailing address. After 30 days without notice, you may not use the certificate's privileges (§ 107.77(c)). An accident with serious injury, loss of consciousness, or more than $500 of damage to other property must be reported within 10 calendar days (§ 107.9).
Stay current: every 24 calendar months
Under § 107.65 you may not act as remote pilot in command unless, within the previous 24 calendar months, you passed an initial knowledge test or completed recurrent training. Part 61 pilots with a current flight review can instead complete the § 107.74 training. The FAA lists recurrent training as the ALC-677 online course, at no cost, and ALC-515 for Part 61 pilots with a current flight review.
The deadline falls at the end of a month. In AC 107-2A's example, a pilot who passes the initial test on September 13, 2020 must complete recurrent training "no later than September 30, 2022."
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Try these practice questions
After applying, a new remote pilot is issued a temporary remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. For up to how long is a temporary certificate issued?
- 90 calendar days.
- 120 calendar days.
- 60 calendar days.
Show the answer
Answer: B. A is wrong: 90 days is not in § 107.64; it is the waiver lead time the AC encourages. B is correct: 14 CFR 107.64(a) issues the temporary certificate for up to 120 calendar days. C is wrong: 60 days is not the § 107.64 figure.
Why the other answers miss
- A. 90 days is the waiver application lead time in the AC, not the temporary certificate.
- C. 107.64(a) says up to 120 calendar days.
A remote pilot passed the initial knowledge test 26 calendar months ago and has done no recurrent training since. May she act as remote PIC today?
- Yes; holding the certificate is all that is required.
- Yes; recurrent training is due every 36 calendar months.
- No; her 24-calendar-month recency has lapsed.
Show the answer
Answer: C. A is wrong: Holding the certificate is not enough; 107.65 adds a 24-calendar-month recency requirement. B is wrong: 107.65 uses the previous 24 calendar months, not 36. C is correct: 14 CFR 107.65 says a person may not exercise remote PIC privileges unless they passed the initial test or completed recurrent training (or the 107.74 training) within the previous 24 calendar months. 26 months exceeds that.
Why the other answers miss
- A. Holding the certificate is not enough; 107.65 adds a 24-calendar-month recency requirement.
- B. 107.65 uses the previous 24 calendar months, not 36.
A remote pilot plans to fly a 0.5-pound small UA under Part 107 to take paid photos for a real estate agent. Does the aircraft need to be registered?
- No; any small UA weighing 0.55 pounds or less on takeoff is exempt from registering.
- Yes; the 0.55-pound exception is only for flying exclusively under 49 U.S.C. 44809.
- No; a small UA this light needs registration only to fly in controlled airspace.
Show the answer
Answer: B. B is correct: under 14 CFR 48.15(b) the weight exception applies only when the aircraft is operated exclusively in compliance with 49 U.S.C. 44809 and weighs 0.55 pounds or less on takeoff. A Part 107 flight for pay is not exclusively under 44809, so the owner must register and mark it under 48.15(a). A is wrong: weight alone is not enough; both conditions must be met. C is wrong: 48.15 contains no airspace-based exception.
Why the other answers miss
- A. The weight exception also requires flying exclusively under 49 U.S.C. 44809; Part 107 work does not qualify.
- C. 48.15 has no exception based on airspace class.
A remote pilot writes the aircraft's registration number inside the battery compartment, which opens without tools. Does this meet the marking requirement?
- Yes, because the compartment can be opened without tools.
- No, because the number must be legibly displayed on an external surface.
- Yes, as long as the registration certificate is carried during the flight.
Show the answer
Answer: B. B is correct: 14 CFR 48.200(b)(1) makes the registration number a unique identifier, and 48.205(c) requires the unique identifier to be legibly displayed on an external surface of the small unmanned aircraft. A is wrong: an internal compartment is not an external surface, however easy it is to open. C is wrong: 48.205 sets no alternative to external marking; the marking rule stands on its own.
Why the other answers miss
- A. Ease of access does not matter; 48.205(c) requires an external surface.
- C. 48.205 offers no substitute for external marking.
A remote pilot flies a 0.5-pound small UA for a paid real estate job under Part 107. Which statement about Remote ID is correct?
- It is exempt, because it weighs 0.55 pounds or less.
- It must comply, because Part 107 requires registration.
- It must comply only when flying over people.
Show the answer
Answer: B. A is wrong: the weight exception applies only where registration is not required. B is correct: AC 107-2A para 5.17.1 says aircraft of 0.55 pounds or less must comply when flown under an operating part that requires registration, and § 107.13 requires registration. C is wrong: Remote ID applies to the operation as a whole, not only over people.
Why the other answers miss
- A. The weight exception only helps where registration is not required, not under Part 107.
- C. Remote ID is not limited to flights over people.
A remote pilot installs a Remote ID broadcast module on an older small UA. Which operating condition does § 89.115(a) impose?
- The pilot must be able to see the aircraft at all times.
- The aircraft must stay within 400 feet of the pilot.
- The aircraft may fly only inside a FRIA.
Show the answer
Answer: A. A is correct: § 89.115(a)(2)(ii) requires the person manipulating the controls to see the aircraft at all times. B is wrong: no distance limit appears in § 89.115(a). C is wrong: FRIAs are a separate option in § 89.115(b) for aircraft with no Remote ID.
Why the other answers miss
- B. 89.115(a) sets a see-it-at-all-times rule, not a distance.
- C. FRIAs are for aircraft with no Remote ID; a module may fly elsewhere.
Every question in the app has an explanation like these. Practice more for free.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my Part 107 certificate after passing the test?
Apply online in IACRA with FAA Form 8710-13. Your knowledge test report uploads to IACRA. After TSA vetting, you get an email and can print a temporary certificate from IACRA. The permanent certificate follows once the FAA finishes processing (AC 107-2A).
How long is a temporary remote pilot certificate valid?
It is issued for up to 120 calendar days. It expires on the date shown on it, when the permanent certificate arrives, or on notice that the certificate is denied or revoked (14 CFR 107.64).
Do I need to register a drone under 0.55 pounds to fly it under Part 107?
Yes. The 0.55-pound exception in 14 CFR 48.15 applies only to drones flown exclusively under the recreational rules of 49 U.S.C. 44809, and AC 107-2A says a small unmanned aircraft must be registered before operating under Part 107.
How often do I need recurrent training?
Within every 24 calendar months. 14 CFR 107.65 lets you act as remote pilot in command only if you passed an initial knowledge test or completed recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months.
Sources
- FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Small UAS)
- 14 CFR Part 107, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (eCFR)
- 14 CFR Part 48, Registration and Marking Requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft (eCFR)
- 14 CFR Part 89, Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft (eCFR)
- FAA, Become a Certificated Remote Pilot