Getting an FAA remote pilot certificate

Who can sit the Part 107 knowledge test

The FAA sets four conditions before you can fly under Part 107, and none of them involve a company.

You must be at least 16 years old, able to read, speak, write and understand English, in a physical and mental condition to fly safely, and you must pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam called "Unmanned Aircraft General - Small". That is the whole eligibility list.

A business cannot sit it for you. The certificate the exam leads to attaches to the person who passes it, which is the point this whole trade turns on. If you are deciding whether the business needs its own paperwork too, read the pilot-and-company page alongside this one.

16 years oldPart 107 remote pilot eligibility requires being at least 16 years old, reading, speaking, writing and understanding English, being in condition to fly safely, and passing the initial knowledge test. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

Booking and passing the knowledge test

The test is taken in person at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center, booked through the Airman Certificate Testing Service run by PSI, and a fee applies.

Bring a government-issued photo ID. Before you can book, create a profile in IACRA, the FAA's online certification system, to obtain an FAA Tracking Number.

The test covers the subjects you would expect for paid flying: regulations, airspace, weather, loading, emergencies, radio procedures, drugs and alcohol, decision-making, airport operations, maintenance, preflight inspection and night operations. Night operations is on the initial test since the Operations Over People rule, and it matters for the certificate later, as the night rules page explains.

fee requiredFirst-time pilots schedule the Part 107 knowledge test at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center through PSI, and the FAA notes a fee is required for the test. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

Knowledge test topic areas under Part 107 include airspace classification, weather, emergency procedures, radio communication, night operation and maintenance and preflight inspection procedures. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

Filing the application in IACRA

After passing, you complete FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA to apply for the remote pilot certificate.

In IACRA, start a new application with the type "Pilot" and certification "Remote Pilot". When prompted, enter the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID. The FAA notes it can take up to 48 hours after the test date for the knowledge test to appear in IACRA, so do not panic if the number is not there the same evening.

Sign electronically and submit. The exam ID links your application to your pass, which is why the FTN you created at the start has to be the same one on test day.

48 hoursAfter passing, applicants complete FAA Form 8710-13 in the IACRA system, and it can take up to 48 hours from the test date for the knowledge test to appear in IACRA. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

The TSA check and the two certificates

A confirmation email arrives once you have completed the TSA security background check, with instructions for printing a temporary remote pilot certificate from IACRA.

The permanent certificate follows by mail once FAA internal processing finishes. Until then, the temporary one works.

From that day, carry the certificate whenever you fly. The FAA states remote pilots must have the certificate and identification in their physical possession when operating, ready to present on request. That is a flight-day habit, not a filing, and it belongs on the preflight checklist.

After the TSA security background check, applicants receive an email with instructions to print a temporary certificate from IACRA, and the permanent certificate follows by mail. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

Small UAS operators must have their remote pilot certificate and identification in their physical possession when operating, ready to present to authorized individuals upon request. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

What to arrange while the paperwork moves

The certificate clock runs for weeks. Use the gap to set up the flying side, because none of it depends on the certificate arriving.

Register each drone you will fly commercially. Part 107 registration costs $5 per drone and lasts three years, and the number must be marked on the aircraft. The registration guide covers the Remote ID serial number you will need to enter, which is the one input that takes hunting for.

Start the business paperwork in parallel if you want a company around the flying. The state filings and the bank account do not wait on the FAA, and the setup guide sequences them so nothing blocks anything else.

$5 per dronePart 107 drone registration costs $5 per drone and is valid for three years, and the FAA requires the registration number to be marked on the aircraft before flight. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

What happens the day you are certificated

Nothing automatic. The certificate authorizes the flying, but staying current is a calendar item you own.

Every 24 calendar months you must complete the free online recurrent training, ALC-677, to keep operating under Part 107. Miss it and you cannot act as remote pilot in command until you complete it, certificate still in hand.

Set the first reminder now, before the first job, because two years is long enough to forget a deadline that has no renewal notice. The currency guide covers the details and what the night-operations half of the training means.

24 calendar monthsPart 107 certificate holders must complete online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to maintain recency, and the ALC-677 recurrent course is free. — Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved 2026-09-29

Questions