Part 107 Night Flying Rules: Civil Twilight and Anti-Collision Lights
Last updated October 5, 2026
You can fly a drone at night under Part 107 if two things are true: you completed an initial knowledge test or training under 14 CFR 107.65 after April 6, 2021, and the drone has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles, with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision (14 CFR 107.29(a)). In civil twilight (outside Alaska, the 30 minutes before official sunrise and the 30 minutes after official sunset) only the lighting rule applies (14 CFR 107.29(b) and (c)). You may dim the light for safety, but you may never turn it off.
The rules at a glance
| Fact | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What counts as night | From the end of evening civil twilight to the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in The Air Almanac, converted to local time | 14 CFR 1.1, quoted in AC 107-2A, para 5.7 |
| Civil twilight (outside Alaska) | 30 minutes before official sunrise until sunrise, and sunset until 30 minutes after official sunset | 14 CFR 107.29(c)(1) and (2) |
| Daytime | No anti-collision lighting required (you may use it if you want) | AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2.2 |
| Civil twilight | Lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles, with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision | 14 CFR 107.29(b) |
| Night | The same lighting, plus an initial test or training under 107.65 completed after April 6, 2021 | 14 CFR 107.29(a) |
| Dimming the light | You may reduce its intensity for safety, but you may not extinguish it | 14 CFR 107.29(a)(2) and (b) |
| Can the lighting rule be waived? | Yes, 107.29(a)(2) and (b) are on the list of waivable rules | 14 CFR 107.205(b) |
| Minimum visibility (day or night) | 3 statute miles from the control station | 14 CFR 107.51(c) |
Sources: 14 CFR part 107 (current eCFR text as of October 2026), Advisory Circular 107-2A (the FAA’s guidance on part 107, editorial update of May 2022), the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA-H-8083-25C, and the Remote Pilot ACS, FAA-S-ACS-10B.
What changed in 2021
The FAA added night operations to the Part 107 knowledge test on April 6, 2021, along with operations over people and Remote ID. Passing the test on or after that date meets the requirement for night privileges (FAA notice, April 5, 2021).
The regulation itself says you need an initial knowledge test or training under 107.65 completed after April 6, 2021 (14 CFR 107.29(a)(1)). The AC explains what that means: you get night privileges only after a knowledge test that includes night physiology and night visual illusions, or after the recurrent training, which covers the same topics (AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2.1).
If your last test or training was before that date, complete recurrent training (or pass the test again) before you fly at night. Our guide to Part 107 recurrent training covers how that works.
Old night waivers no longer count: after May 17, 2021, no one may fly at night under a waiver issued before April 21, 2021 (14 CFR 107.29(d)).
Civil twilight: lights, but no extra training
Civil twilight is not night, so the training requirement in 107.29(a)(1) does not apply, but the lighting rule does (14 CFR 107.29(b)).
Outside Alaska, the rule gives fixed times: from 30 minutes before official sunrise until sunrise, and from official sunset until 30 minutes after (14 CFR 107.29(c)). In Alaska, civil twilight is whatever The Air Almanac says for that place and date (14 CFR 107.29(c)(3); AC 107-2A, para 5.7).
The anti-collision lighting rule in detail
The rule has three parts, and the test likes each one:
- Visible for at least 3 statute miles. The same number appears in both 107.29(a)(2) and 107.29(b).
- A flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision. The rule sets no number of flashes; it sets a purpose (14 CFR 107.29(a)(2) and (b)).
- Dim, never off. If you decide that, because of operating conditions, it is in the interest of safety, you may reduce the intensity of the lighting, but you may not extinguish it (14 CFR 107.29(a)(2) and (b)).
The AC’s example: a bright light or strobe very close to you could stop you judging the drone’s location, speed, attitude or altitude accurately (AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2.2).
You may rely on the manufacturer’s statement that a light is visible for 3 statute miles. But you remain responsible for checking that it works, is visible for 3 statute miles, and has a sufficient flash rate at your operating location (AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2).
If you cannot meet the lighting rule, you can ask for a waiver of it. You must fully describe the operation and show it can be done safely under a Certificate of Waiver (AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2.3; 14 CFR 107.200(b)). The lighting rule is on the waiver list (14 CFR 107.205(b)); the training requirement in 107.29(a)(1) is not.
Other rules that bite harder at night
- Visual line of sight. You still must be able to see the drone’s location, attitude, altitude and direction of flight (14 CFR 107.31). The AC says that in almost all night operations you may need to restrict the area you fly in, and that you cannot rely only on the anti-collision light, the telemetry on your controller, or both, to meet this rule (AC 107-2A, para 5.9.3).
- Visibility. Flight visibility from the control station must be at least 3 statute miles. At night it is measured by how far away prominent lighted objects can be seen and identified (14 CFR 107.51(c)).
- Preflight. Before any civil twilight or night flight, check that the anti-collision light works and consider its battery drain; you may need a shorter flight to keep power for the light and a normal landing (AC 107-2A, para 5.11.1, item 5; para 7.3.4, item 18).
- Operations over people. The categories and their limits do not change at night. If the drone is eligible for a category, you may fly over people at night under both 107.29 and 107.39 (AC 107-2A, paras 8.14 and 8.14.1).
Night vision: what your eyes do in the dark
The FAA’s April 2021 notice pointed test takers to chapter 17 of the Pilot’s Handbook (PHAK), pages 17-22 through 17-27 of the edition then current, FAA-H-8083-25B (FAA notice, April 5, 2021). The page numbers below are from the current edition, FAA-H-8083-25C.
- Rods and cones. Cones handle color and fine detail in good light. Rods handle dim light and movement, but cannot see color. The center of your vision (the fovea) has almost no rods, so in low light it is not very sensitive (PHAK, chapter 17, p. 17-20).
- Dawn and dusk are the riskiest. At dawn, dusk and in full moonlight your eyes use a mix of rods and cones (mesopic vision). The handbook calls this the most dangerous period for viewing, and advises off-center vision and proper scanning (PHAK, p. 17-21). That is exactly when civil twilight flights happen.
- Night blind spot. At night you can lose sight of an object you look straight at. Look 5 to 10 degrees off center so the rods pick it up (PHAK, p. 17-22). You can also lose depth perception and judgment of size (PHAK, p. 17-23).
- Dark adaptation. Rods can take about 30 minutes to fully adapt to darkness, and a bright light can destroy that adaptation completely (PHAK, p. 17-23).
- Off-center viewing. Look about 10 degrees above, below or to the side of an object, and do not hold any one point longer than 2 to 3 seconds, or the image can fade (PHAK, pp. 17-23 to 17-24).
- Scanning. Scan in stops about 30 degrees wide, no longer than 2 to 3 seconds each, overlapping the last stop by 10 degrees (Remote Pilot Study Guide, FAA-G-8082-22, chapter 9, p. 50; PHAK, p. 17-23).
- Protecting night vision. Wearing neutral density (N-15) sunglasses in bright sunlight before a night flight helps dark adaptation. Keep cockpit lighting as low as possible so it does not take over your night vision (PHAK, p. 17-24). Dimming your controller screen follows the same logic (our suggestion, not an FAA rule).
Night illusions the test asks about
Anticipating these illusions and staying aware of them is usually the best way to avoid them (PHAK, p. 17-26).
| Illusion | What happens | What helps | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autokinesis | Stare at a single light against a dark background and, after about 8 to 10 seconds, it seems to move on its own | Visual scanning (the most important fix); do not stare at a light for more than 10 seconds | PHAK, p. 17-26 |
| False horizon | With no clear natural horizon, bright stars and city lights are confused, or shoreline lights next to dark water are mistaken for stars | Awareness | PHAK, pp. 17-26 to 17-27 |
| Reversible perspective | An aircraft seems to be moving away when it is approaching | Watch its lights: brighter means approaching, dimmer means moving away | PHAK, pp. 17-26 to 17-27 |
| Size-distance | A light getting brighter or dimmer is read as approaching or retreating | Awareness | PHAK, p. 17-27 |
| Fascination (fixation) | Attention locks on one goal or object and orientation cues are ignored | Awareness | PHAK, p. 17-27 |
| Flicker vertigo | A light flickering at 4 to 20 cycles per second can cause nausea, vomiting and vertigo | Proper scanning | PHAK, p. 17-27 |
Autokinesis is worth special attention: at night your drone is often one point of light against a dark sky.
What the test covers
The Remote Pilot ACS lists night knowledge in several places (FAA-S-ACS-10B):
- Regulations: civil twilight operations and night operations (UA.I.B.K24 and K25, p. 4), and operations over people at night (UA.I.E.K2, p. 7).
- Airspace: operator equipment for night flight, ground structures and their lighting, unlit ground hazards, manned aircraft lighting, and small UAS lighting requirements (UA.II.B.K6 to K10, p. 10).
- Operations: procedures for operations at night (UA.V.C.K7, p. 16), physiological aspects of night operation and night illusions (UA.V.E.K8 and K9, p. 18), and preflight inspection for night operations (UA.V.F.K6, p. 19).
“Operation at night” is also one of the 13 knowledge areas in the regulation (14 CFR 107.73(m)). Practice by area on our Regulations, Airspace and Operations topic pages.
A short study plan
- Day 1: the rule. Read 107.29 in full (it is short) and 107.205(b). Write the three twilight and night conditions from memory.
- Day 2: the AC. Read AC 107-2A, paragraphs 5.7 to 5.7.2.3, 5.9.3 and 8.14. Note what the remote pilot is still responsible for.
- Day 3: your eyes. Read PHAK chapter 17, pages 17-20 to 17-27. Make a card for each illusion in the table above.
- Day 4: practice. Answer mixed questions and look up the source for every miss.
For the rest of the rules in one place, see the Part 107 rules cheat sheet.
Common mistakes
- Treating civil twilight as daytime. The 30 minutes after official sunset still need anti-collision lighting (14 CFR 107.29(b) and (c)).
- Thinking you can switch the light off. You may reduce its intensity, never extinguish it (14 CFR 107.29(a)(2) and (b)).
- Mixing up the two 3-mile rules. One is light visibility (14 CFR 107.29). The other is flight visibility from the control station (14 CFR 107.51(c)).
- Assuming the training requirement covers twilight. It applies to night only (14 CFR 107.29(a)(1) and (b)).
- Staring at the drone’s light. That invites autokinesis; keep scanning (PHAK, p. 17-26).
Try one: an original practice question
You passed the Part 107 initial knowledge test on March 15, 2021. Your most recent recurrent training was on November 18, 2024. Your drone has anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles with a sufficient flash rate. On October 20, 2026, may you fly it at night?
- A. No, because your initial test was before April 6, 2021.
- B. Yes, because training under 107.65 completed after April 6, 2021 meets the night requirement, and you are within 24 calendar months of it.
- C. Only during civil twilight, because night flying needs a new initial test.
Answer: B. The night rule asks for “an initial knowledge test or training” under 107.65 completed after April 6, 2021 (14 CFR 107.29(a)(1)), and the AC confirms that recurrent training covers the night topics (AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2.1). Your November 2024 training also keeps you current, because it is within the previous 24 calendar months (14 CFR 107.65(b)). Option A ignores the training route; option C confuses the civil twilight rule, which has no training requirement at all (14 CFR 107.29(b)).
Common questions
Can I fly my drone at night under Part 107 without a waiver?
Yes, as of October 2026, if you completed the initial test or training after April 6, 2021, and the drone has anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles with a sufficient flash rate (14 CFR 107.29(a)).
Is civil twilight considered night?
No. Night begins at the end of evening civil twilight (14 CFR 1.1, quoted in AC 107-2A, para 5.7). Civil twilight needs the anti-collision lighting, but not the post-2021 training (14 CFR 107.29(b)).
Do I need anti-collision lights during the day?
No. Part 107 does not require them in daytime, though you may use them (AC 107-2A, para 5.7.2.2).