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How to Get a Drone License: FAA Part 107 Step by Step

How to get a drone license: who needs the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, Part 107 requirements, each step from FTN to IACRA, and TRUST for hobbyists.

  • Part 107
  • 9 min read
  • Updated
On this page9 sections

To get a drone license in the United States, you get an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating under 14 CFR part 107: get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA, pass the initial knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center, apply online in IACRA, and clear a TSA security check, after which you print a temporary certificate and later receive the permanent one (AC 107-2A, paras 6.4.1 to 6.6). You must be at least 16 to hold the certificate (14 CFR 107.61(a)). If you fly purely for fun, you do not need it; you take the free Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) instead.

“Drone license” is the everyday name. The FAA’s own advisory circular says that in aviation, the FAA usually calls licensing “certification” (AC 107-2A, para 6.1). This guide walks through who needs the certificate, the rules for getting it, and every step in the order the FAA describes, as of October 2026.

Do I need a drone license?

It depends on why you fly, not on whether you get paid.

  • Flying for any non-recreational purpose: yes. No one may act as remote pilot in command of a small drone under part 107 without a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating and current knowledge (14 CFR 107.12(b)). The FAA says almost all non-recreational drone flying falls under part 107. Its examples include photos to help sell a property, roof inspections and pictures of a high school football game for the school’s website, and it says goodwill, such as volunteering to survey coastlines for a nonprofit, can also be non-recreational (FAA, Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations, updated October 14, 2026).
  • Flying purely for fun: no certificate, but a test. Part 107 does not apply to aircraft flown under the recreational exception in 49 U.S.C. 44809 (14 CFR 107.1(b)(2)). Recreational flyers instead must pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof (FAA, Recreational Flyers page).

The FAA is clear that payment is not the test: “Compensation, or the lack of it, is not what determines if a flight was recreational or not.” Its advice when you are unsure is to assume part 107 applies (FAA, Recreational Flyers page).

Recreational drone license: what TRUST is

The law requires every recreational flyer to pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test, and TRUST was developed to meet that requirement. It is free and online, given by FAA-approved test administrators, and you must pass it before you fly. You get a completion certificate to download, save or print; the administrators do not keep a record of it, so if you lose it you take TRUST again, and you must show it if law enforcement asks (FAA, The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), updated August 21, 2026).

TRUST is not a remote pilot certificate. The recreational exception also comes with its own conditions, including flying strictly for recreation, following a community-based organization’s safety guidelines, keeping the drone within visual line of sight, and staying at or below 400 feet in Class G airspace (49 U.S.C. 44809(a), as summarized in AC 107-2A, para 4.1, footnote 1). If any flight is not recreational, you need the part 107 certificate.

Part 107 license requirements

To be eligible for a remote pilot certificate, you must (14 CFR 107.61):

Requirement Detail Source
Age At least 16 years old to get the certificate 14 CFR 107.61(a)
Age to take the test At least 14 years old ACS FAA-S-ACS-10B, p. A-2
English Read, speak, write and understand English (the FAA may add operating limits if a medical reason prevents one of these) 14 CFR 107.61(b)
Physical and mental condition You must not know, or have reason to know, of a condition that would interfere with safe operation 14 CFR 107.61(c)
Aeronautical knowledge Pass the initial knowledge test, or (part 61 pilots with a current flight review) complete the online training 14 CFR 107.61(d)

There is no medical certificate on this list. A drug conviction, or committing an act prohibited by the alcohol and drug rules, can mean your application is denied for up to 1 year (14 CFR 107.57), and so can refusing an alcohol test or refusing to release the results (14 CFR 107.59).

How to get your Part 107 license, step by step

This is the process in AC 107-2A for anyone who does not hold a part 61 pilot certificate (or holds one without a current flight review). The rules require the application to be made “in a form and manner acceptable to the Administrator” (14 CFR 107.63).

  1. Get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA. Since January 13, 2020, every applicant must set up an FTN in IACRA (the FAA’s online certification system, iacra.faa.gov) before taking any FAA knowledge test. The FTN is printed on your test report (AC 107-2A, para 6.6).
  2. Book the knowledge test. With your FTN, register and schedule through PSI, the company that runs the FAA’s approved testing centers (AC 107-2A, para 6.6; PSI UAG Applicant Information Bulletin, effective September 29, 2025, p. 2). No instructor endorsement is needed to take this test (PSI bulletin, p. 4). Check the current fee when you book.
  3. Pass the initial knowledge test at the testing center. Bring valid, current identification that shows your photo, signature, date of birth and physical, residential address; a post office box does not count as a residential address (14 CFR 107.67(b); PSI bulletin, pp. 2 to 3). The test, called Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG), has 60 scored questions plus 5 unscored ones, 120 minutes, and a 70% passing score (PSI bulletin, p. 4).
  4. Apply in IACRA. Log in and choose “Start New Application,” then (1) Application Type “Pilot,” (2) Certifications “Initial Remote Pilot,” (3) “Other Path Information,” and (4) “Start Application.” When prompted, select your test information or enter the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID. Sign electronically and submit (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.1). This is FAA Form 8710-13, completed online.
  5. TSA security check. The FAA confirms your information with the TSA before generating a temporary certificate. If vetting fails, no certificate is issued (AC 107-2A, paras 6.4.1 and 6.5).
  6. Print your temporary certificate. You get a confirmation email, then log in to IACRA and print it (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.1). It is valid for up to 120 calendar days and ends when your permanent certificate arrives (14 CFR 107.64).
  7. Receive the permanent certificate once the FAA finishes its internal processing (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.1).

A paper application is also allowed, but the FAA notes that applicants without a part 61 certificate do not get a temporary certificate that way, so it recommends IACRA (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.1).

Your passing test report is valid for 24 calendar months for applying for the certificate, so do not leave the application too long (ACS FAA-S-ACS-10B, p. A-5). If you fail, you must wait 14 calendar days before retesting (14 CFR 107.71), and you bring the failed test report with you (PSI bulletin, p. 4).

What the knowledge test covers

The initial test covers 13 areas, from regulations, airspace and weather to radio procedures, airport operations and operation at night (14 CFR 107.73). Under the current PSI specification, Regulations is 48% of the questions, Operations 25%, Airspace 20%, Weather 5% and Loading and Performance 2% (PSI bulletin, p. 4). From October 26, 2026, the UAG test will include image-based questions not found in the test supplements, using images from the latest FAA charts (FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, September 2026, p. 6).

For the full breakdown, see our Part 107 test format and passing score guide, and for a study plan, the Part 107 study guide. The FAA’s free Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22) is arranged by the same knowledge areas (Study Guide, Introduction, p. 1), but it dates from August 2016, before the 2021 rules on night flight, flight over people and Remote ID, so check those topics against the current regulations.

If you are already a pilot (part 61)

If you hold a part 61 pilot certificate other than a student pilot certificate and your flight review under 14 CFR 61.56 is current, you can skip the testing center (14 CFR 107.61(d)(2)). The AC describes this path (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.2):

  1. Complete the online Part 107 small UAS training on the FAA Safety Team website (faasafety.gov) and get your completion certificate.
  2. Complete FAA Form 8710-13, normally online in IACRA, with proof of the training.
  3. Make an appointment with a certifying official (a Flight Standards District Office, a designated pilot examiner, an airman certification representative or a flight instructor) to verify your identity. Bring the application, your completion certificate and proof of your current flight review (also 14 CFR 107.63(b)).

A flight instructor cannot issue a temporary certificate; you print it yourself after the FAA emails you (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.2). The training covers 8 areas instead of 13, leaving out topics such as airspace, radio procedures and airport operations (14 CFR 107.74; AC 107-2A, para 6.7.1.1). You may also take the knowledge test instead if you prefer (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.2).

Registration and Remote ID are separate from the license

The certificate is for you. The drone has its own rules.

  • Registration. A small drone must be registered under part 47 or part 48 before you fly it under part 107. Part 48 is the quick online option, through FAADroneZone (AC 107-2A, para 5.4; 14 CFR 107.13).
  • Remote ID. After September 16, 2023, most drones that are registered or required to be registered must meet the Remote ID rules: a standard Remote ID drone, a broadcast module, or a flight inside an FAA-recognized identification area (14 CFR 89.101, 89.105 and 89.115; AC 107-2A, para 5.17.1). Our Part 107 Remote ID guide covers the three options.

Keeping your drone license current

Part 107 sets a currency rule: you may only act as remote pilot in command if, within the previous 24 calendar months, you passed the initial knowledge test or completed recurrent training (or, for part 61 pilots with a current flight review, the 107.74 training) (14 CFR 107.65). Recurrent training is training, not a second knowledge test (14 CFR 107.65(b); AC 107-2A, para 6.7.2). The deadline runs to the end of the month: the FAA’s example is a test passed on September 13, 2020, with recurrent training due by September 30, 2022 (AC 107-2A, figure 6-1). Details are in our Part 107 recurrent training guide.

Two more rules to remember once you are certified:

  • Carry your remote pilot certificate and identification whenever you fly as remote pilot, and show them on request to the FAA, the NTSB, law enforcement or the TSA (14 CFR 107.7(a)).
  • If your permanent mailing address changes, tell the FAA within 30 days, or you may not use the certificate’s privileges after that (14 CFR 107.77(c)).

Common mistakes

  • Booking the test before getting an FTN. You need the FTN from IACRA first (AC 107-2A, para 6.6).
  • Assuming unpaid flying is recreational. The FAA says goodwill flights, such as volunteering for a nonprofit, can be non-recreational (FAA, Recreational Flyers page).
  • Treating TRUST as a commercial license. It covers recreational flying only.
  • Forgetting the drone. Your certificate does not register the drone or cover Remote ID.
  • Letting currency lapse. Put your 24-month deadline in your calendar the day you pass.

Common questions

How long does it take to get a Part 107 certificate?

After you submit in IACRA, the TSA check comes before the temporary certificate, which you print once the FAA emails you (AC 107-2A, para 6.4.1). The AC gives no fixed processing time. The temporary certificate lasts up to 120 calendar days while the permanent one is processed (14 CFR 107.64).

How old do you have to be to get a drone license?

You can take the knowledge test at 14, but you must be 16 to be issued the remote pilot certificate (ACS FAA-S-ACS-10B, p. A-2; 14 CFR 107.61(a)).

Is a Part 107 certificate the same as an FAA drone license?

Yes. “FAA drone license” and “Part 107 license” are everyday names for the Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating (14 CFR 107.12; AC 107-2A, para 6.1).

Can someone without a certificate fly my drone?

Only under the direct supervision of a current remote pilot in command who can take immediate, direct control of the flight (14 CFR 107.12(a)(2)).

Where can I practice before the real test?

Try the free Part 107 mock test, a short timed practice test with an explanation and source for every answer, then review the topics you missed.

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