Part 107 Requirements

Who is eligible

Good news if this feels daunting — the personal requirements are short. To earn your Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, you'll need to:

• Be at least 16 years old (no upper age limit).
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.
• Be in a physical and mental condition to safely operate a drone — there's no medical certificate required, just an honest self-assessment.
• Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test.
• Pass a TSA security background check (handled automatically when you apply).

The knowledge test, by the numbers

You take the test in person at an FAA-approved PSI testing center. It's a closed-book exam, but you're given an official supplement booklet with the charts and figures you'll need. For a full walkthrough of signing up and getting certified, see how to get your Part 107 license.

What the test covers

The exam pulls from the knowledge areas in the FAA's Airman Certification Standards. Expect questions on:

• Regulations — the rules of Part 107 itself
• Airspace — classification, operating requirements, and flight restrictions (heavy on sectional charts)
• Weather — sources, reports, and how weather affects drone performance
• Loading & performance — weight, balance, and what your aircraft can do
• Operations — preflight, emergency procedures, crew resource management, radio phraseology, airport operations, and aeronautical decision-making
• Physiology — effects of drugs, alcohol, and stress on a remote pilot

Heads up: with the test's new format, chart images are now embedded directly in the questions, so chart-reading skill matters more than ever.

Drone (aircraft) requirements

Separate from you, your aircraft has rules too:

• Register any drone weighing 0.55 lb (250 g) or more with the FAA — $5 per aircraft, valid for 3 years, through the FAA DroneZone.
• Mark the drone with its registration number on the exterior.
• Comply with Remote ID — your drone must broadcast identification, either built in or via an add-on broadcast module.

Keeping your certificate current

Your Remote Pilot Certificate doesn't expire like a passport, but to keep exercising its privileges you must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months. There's no second $175 test and no testing center for renewal — it's a free course you take from home. That's it.

Cost & timeline at a glance

All in, becoming a certified remote pilot typically costs $175 for the test plus $5 to register your drone — and study materials if you choose them. Most motivated people go from zero to certified in 2–4 weeks of focused study. The single biggest variable is how efficiently you prepare, which is exactly what good prep is for.

Frequently asked questions