Part 107 Remote ID: Standard, Broadcast Modules and FRIAs
Last updated October 5, 2026
Under 14 CFR part 89, a drone that is registered or required to be registered may only fly if it meets Remote ID in one of three ways: it is a standard Remote ID drone, it carries a Remote ID broadcast module, or it flies inside an FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA) (14 CFR 89.101, 89.105, 89.110 and 89.115). The requirement applies to flights after September 16, 2023 (14 CFR 89.105). For the knowledge test you need to know which option applies when, what each one broadcasts, and the conditions that come with each.
Every rule here is from the current text of 14 CFR part 89 and 14 CFR part 107 as of October 2026, with notes from Advisory Circular 107-2A (AC 107-2A, the FAA’s guidance on part 107, editorial update of May 2022).
Remote ID at a glance
| Item | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who must comply | People flying drones registered or required to be registered under part 47 or 48, and people flying foreign civil drones in the United States | 14 CFR 89.101(a) |
| From when | After September 16, 2023 | 14 CFR 89.105 |
| Option 1 | Standard Remote ID drone (Remote ID built in) | 14 CFR 89.110 |
| Option 2 | Drone fitted with a Remote ID broadcast module | 14 CFR 89.115(a) |
| Option 3 | No Remote ID equipment, flown inside a FRIA | 14 CFR 89.115(b) |
| Broadcast stops in flight | Land as soon as practicable | 14 CFR 89.110(a)(2); 89.115(a)(4) |
Where Remote ID sits on the test
Remote ID is Task F of Area I, Regulations, in the Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standards (ACS). Its objective is knowledge of the operating rules of 14 CFR part 89, and it lists seven knowledge elements (ACS FAA-S-ACS-10B, Task I.F, p. 8):
| Code | Element |
|---|---|
| UA.I.F.K1 | Standard remote identification |
| UA.I.F.K2 | Alternative remote identification |
| UA.I.F.K3 | Operations for aeronautical research |
| UA.I.F.K4 | ADS-B Out |
| UA.I.F.K5 | Confirmation of identification |
| UA.I.F.K6 | Minimum message elements broadcast for remote identification |
| UA.I.F.K7 | Product labeling |
As of October 2026, Regulations is 48% of the questions on the Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG) test (PSI UAG Applicant Information Bulletin, effective September 29, 2025, p. 4). Remote ID is one task inside that area. Our Regulations topic page has practice questions across the whole area.
Who has to comply
The operating rules (subpart B) cover the people in the table above, except part 91 operations transmitting ADS-B Out under 14 CFR 91.225 (14 CFR 89.101).
Weight does not get a part 107 pilot out of it. AC 107-2A says drones that do not need registering under part 48, such as those weighing 0.55 pounds or less, must still comply with Remote ID “when operated under any operating part for which registration is required” (AC 107-2A, para 5.17.1). Part 107 is such a part: anyone flying under it must comply with the registration rule in 14 CFR 91.203(a)(2) (14 CFR 107.13).
Option 1: standard Remote ID drone
This is a drone with Remote ID built in. You may fly it to meet Remote ID only if (14 CFR 89.110):
- It broadcasts from takeoff to shutdown the message elements in 89.305 (14 CFR 89.110(a)(1)).
- You land as soon as practicable if it stops broadcasting (14 CFR 89.110(a)(2)).
- Its serial number is on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance, or it is covered by a part 21 design or production approval and meets subpart F (14 CFR 89.110(b)(1)).
- Its Remote ID equipment works from takeoff to shutdown and has not been disabled (14 CFR 89.110(b)(2) and (3)).
- Its serial number is on your Certificate of Aircraft Registration, or was given to the FAA in a notice of identification under 89.130 before the flight (14 CFR 89.110(b)(4)).
The design rules back this up. The drone tests its Remote ID before takeoff, cannot take off if the equipment is not working, and warns the pilot of a failure in flight (14 CFR 89.310(c)). It also cannot take off unless it is broadcasting (14 CFR 89.310(i)).
Option 2: Remote ID broadcast module
A drone without built-in Remote ID can comply by carrying a broadcast module (14 CFR 89.115(a)). AC 107-2A says the module may be integrated by the manufacturer (for example, an upgrade or retrofit) or be a standalone module the user secures to the drone before takeoff (AC 107-2A, para 5.17.3.1). The conditions are:
- Equipage. The module meets 89.320, and its serial number is on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance (14 CFR 89.115(a)(1)(i)).
- Registration. The module’s serial number is on the drone’s Certificate of Aircraft Registration, or the drone’s own serial number was provided to the FAA in a notice of identification under 89.130 before the flight (14 CFR 89.115(a)(1)(ii)).
- Broadcast. From takeoff to shutdown, the module broadcasts the 89.315 message elements directly from the drone (14 CFR 89.115(a)(2)(i)).
- Visual line of sight. The person on the controls must be able to see the drone at all times (14 CFR 89.115(a)(2)(ii)).
- Preflight. Before takeoff, the person on the controls makes sure the module is working (14 CFR 89.115(a)(3)). Preflight inspection is its own element in the Operations area (ACS FAA-S-ACS-10B, UA.V.F.K2), and our Operations topic page has practice questions on it.
- Loss of broadcast. Land as soon as practicable (14 CFR 89.115(a)(4)).
A module can move between drones flown under part 107. A serial number may be on only one Certificate of Aircraft Registration at a time, so before you fly you must also move the module’s serial number from the first drone’s registration to the second’s (AC 107-2A, para 5.17.1).
Option 3: FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA)
A drone with no Remote ID equipment may fly only if both the drone and the person on the controls stay inside the FRIA for the whole flight, and that person can see the drone at all times (14 CFR 89.115(b)). AC 107-2A notes this applies whatever the type of operation, for example part 91 or part 107 (AC 107-2A, para 5.17.3.2).
FRIA facts that part 89 sets out:
| Item | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who may apply | A community-based organization recognized by the FAA, or an educational institution (schools, trade schools, colleges and universities) | 14 CFR 89.205 |
| Changes to the application details | Report to the FAA within 10 calendar days | 14 CFR 89.220(a) |
| How long it lasts | 48 calendar months after FAA approval | 14 CFR 89.225(a) |
| Renewal | Request no later than 120 days before expiration | 14 CFR 89.225(b) |
What gets broadcast
This is the element (K6) where the two equipment options differ most. Compare the minimum message elements side by side:
| Message element | Standard Remote ID drone (14 CFR 89.305) | Broadcast module (14 CFR 89.315) |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Drone serial number or a session ID | Module serial number |
| Drone latitude and longitude | Yes | Yes |
| Drone geometric altitude | Yes | Yes |
| Drone velocity | Yes | Yes |
| Control station latitude, longitude and geometric altitude | Yes | No |
| Takeoff location latitude, longitude and geometric altitude | No | Yes |
| Time mark (UTC) | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency status | Yes | No |
A standard Remote ID drone must report a control station location that corresponds to the location of the person on the controls (14 CFR 89.310(a)). A module instead must be able to work out the takeoff location (14 CFR 89.320(a)).
Performance numbers for both types: drone position within 100 feet of true position and drone geometric altitude within 150 feet, each with 95 percent probability; position broadcast no later than 1.0 seconds after measurement; and at least 1 message per second (14 CFR 89.310(h) and 89.320(h)). For a standard drone, control station altitude must be within 15 feet (14 CFR 89.310(h)(2)).
The other Task F elements
- Aeronautical research (K3). The FAA may authorize operations without Remote ID when the operation is solely for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations (14 CFR 89.120).
- ADS-B Out (K4). ADS-B Out equipment cannot be used to comply with Remote ID (14 CFR 89.125). Separately, unless the FAA authorizes otherwise, you may not fly under part 107 with ADS-B Out in transmit mode (14 CFR 107.53).
- Confirmation of identification (K5). To fly a foreign-registered civil drone with Remote ID in the United States, you must first submit a notice of identification to the FAA (14 CFR 89.130(a)). The FAA then issues a Confirmation of Identification, which is not United States registration (14 CFR 89.130(b)). You must keep it at the control station and show it on request to the FAA or a law enforcement officer (14 CFR 89.130(c)).
- Product labeling (K7). Standard Remote ID drones produced under 89.515 and broadcast modules produced under 89.520 must display a label showing they meet part 89, in English, legible, prominent and permanently affixed (14 CFR 89.525).
Remote ID and operations over people
Remote ID also appears in subpart D of part 107. In Categories 1, 2 and 4, you may not make sustained flight over open-air assemblies of people unless the operation meets 89.110 (standard Remote ID) or 89.115(a) (broadcast module) (14 CFR 107.110(b), 107.115(b) and 107.140(a)(2)). A FRIA, 89.115(b), is not on that list. Category 3 operations are not allowed over an open-air assembly at all (AC 107-2A, para 5.8).
How to prepare
- Read part 89 subpart B in full. It is short (89.101 to 89.130). The FAA said the Remote ID knowledge test questions added in 2021 were drafted from the rule only (FAA notice, Changes to Testing for a Remote Pilot Certificate, April 5, 2021).
- Read AC 107-2A, para 5.17 for the plain-English version.
- Learn the message table above until you can say which elements a module does not send.
- Do not rely on the Remote Pilot Study Guide for this task. The Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22) is dated August 2016, and part 89 was published on January 15, 2021 (Amdt. 89-1, 86 FR 4505), so the Study Guide has no Remote ID material.
- Practice with original questions on the Regulations topic page, then review each miss against the section number it cites.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a module lets you fly out of sight. With a module or in a FRIA, the person on the controls must be able to see the drone at all times (14 CFR 89.115(a)(2)(ii) and (b)(2)). Part 107 requires visual line of sight anyway (14 CFR 107.31).
- Mixing up the two message sets. A module broadcasts the takeoff location, not the control station, and has no emergency status element (14 CFR 89.315).
- Leaving the pilot outside the FRIA. Both the drone and the person on the controls must stay inside it (14 CFR 89.115(b)(1)).
- Treating ADS-B Out as Remote ID. It cannot be used to comply (14 CFR 89.125).
Try one: an original practice question
A remote pilot fits a Remote ID broadcast module to an older drone that has no built-in Remote ID. Which location does the module broadcast that a standard Remote ID drone is not required to broadcast?
- A. The latitude and longitude of the control station
- B. The latitude and longitude of the takeoff location
- C. The latitude and longitude of the drone
Answer: B. A broadcast module sends the latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the takeoff location (14 CFR 89.315(e) and (f)). The control station location (option A) is a standard Remote ID element that is not in the module’s list (14 CFR 89.305(b) and (c); 89.315). The drone’s own latitude and longitude (option C) is broadcast by both (14 CFR 89.305(d); 89.315(b)).
The rest of the Part 107 rules are on one page in our Part 107 cheat sheet, and the test layout is in Part 107 test format and passing score.
Common questions
Does my drone need Remote ID if it weighs under 0.55 pounds?
If you fly it under part 107, yes. AC 107-2A says drones not required to be registered under part 48, such as those weighing 0.55 pounds or less, must comply with Remote ID when flown under any operating part that requires registration (AC 107-2A, para 5.17.1; 14 CFR 107.13).
Can I fly beyond visual line of sight with a broadcast module?
Not unless the FAA authorizes it. The person on the controls must be able to see the drone at all times throughout the flight (14 CFR 89.115(a)(2)(ii)).
Who can set up a FRIA?
Only a community-based organization recognized by the FAA or an educational institution, such as a school, trade school, college or university (14 CFR 89.205).
What if the Remote ID broadcast fails mid-flight?
Land as soon as practicable (14 CFR 89.110(a)(2) and 89.115(a)(4)).