CertboundWhat does Part 107 cover?
§ 107.1 applies Part 107 to the registration, airman certification and operation of civil small unmanned aircraft systems in the United States. § 107.3 defines a small unmanned aircraft as one "weighing less than 55 pounds on takeoff, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft."
Part 107 does not apply to aircraft flown under the recreational exception in 49 U.S.C. 44809, to air carrier operations, or to some exemption and Part 91 operations listed in § 107.1(b). If you fly only for fun, start with Do you need a drone license?.
Who needs a remote pilot certificate?
Under § 107.12, the remote pilot in command must hold a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating and meet the recency rule in § 107.65. Someone without a certificate may fly the controls only under the direct supervision of a certificated remote pilot in command who can immediately take direct control.
§ 107.7 requires you to carry the certificate and identification when you use its privileges, and to show them on request to the FAA, the NTSB, TSA, or a federal, state or local law enforcement officer. § 107.13 requires the drone to be registered.
What are the altitude, speed and weather limits?
§ 107.51 sets the operating limits:
- Fly no higher than 400 feet above ground level, unless the drone stays within a 400-foot radius of a structure and no more than 400 feet above the structure's "immediate uppermost limit."
- Keep groundspeed at or below 87 knots (100 miles per hour).
- Have at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility, observed from the control station.
- Stay at least 500 feet below clouds and 2,000 feet horizontally from them.
All four limits are on the FAA's list of rules that can be waived. Waivers are covered below.
What does visual line of sight mean under Part 107?
§ 107.31 requires the drone to stay visible throughout the flight, with vision "unaided by any device other than corrective lenses." Someone must be able to see it well enough to know its location, determine its attitude, altitude and direction, watch for other traffic and hazards, and make sure it does not endanger anyone.
That job falls either to the remote pilot in command and the person on the controls, or to a visual observer. If you use a visual observer, § 107.33 requires effective communication among the crew at all times. Under § 107.35, one person may not fly or act as remote pilot in command or visual observer for more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.
Can you fly at night or at twilight?
Yes, with conditions in § 107.29. At night, the remote pilot in command must have completed the initial knowledge test or training under § 107.65 after April 6, 2021. The drone also needs lighted anti-collision lighting "visible for at least 3 statute miles" with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision.
The same lighting rule applies during civil twilight. Outside Alaska, the rule defines civil twilight as the 30 minutes before official sunrise and the 30 minutes after official sunset. The remote pilot may dim the lighting for safety but may not turn it off.
Which airspace needs authorization?
§ 107.41 requires prior authorization from Air Traffic Control before you fly in Class B, C or D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport. The FAA's LAANC page describes one way to get access to controlled airspace at or below 400 feet.
Three more sections cover airports, restricted areas and flight restrictions. § 107.43 bans interfering with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport or seaplane base. § 107.45 requires permission from the using or controlling agency to fly in prohibited or restricted areas. § 107.47 applies the flight restrictions in §§ 91.137 through 91.145 and 99.7, which include temporary flight restrictions.
To practice reading these on a chart, use airspace practice and the sectional chart legend.
Who has the right of way?
Not the drone. § 107.37 says a small unmanned aircraft must yield the right of way to all aircraft, airborne vehicles, and launch and reentry vehicles, and may not pass over, under or ahead of them "unless well clear."
Three more limits sit nearby. § 107.23 bans careless or reckless operation and dropping an object in a way that creates an undue hazard. § 107.36 bans carrying hazardous material. §§ 107.52 and 107.53 prohibit flying with a transponder on or with ADS-B Out transmitting, unless the FAA authorizes it.
Can you fly over people or moving vehicles?
§ 107.39 allows flight over a person only if that person is directly participating in the operation, is under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle that gives reasonable protection, or the operation meets one of the four categories in Subpart D:
| Category | What the rule requires of the drone | Section |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weighs 0.55 pounds or less, including everything on board, with no exposed rotating parts that would lacerate skin | § 107.110 |
| 2 | Cannot cause injury as severe as an 11 foot-pound impact from a rigid object, has no exposed lacerating rotating parts or safety defects, and is listed on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance and labeled for Category 2 | §§ 107.115, 107.120 |
| 3 | Same as Category 2 with a 25 foot-pound threshold, declared and labeled for Category 3. Never over open-air assemblies, and over people only within a closed- or restricted-access site whose occupants are on notice, or without sustained flight over them | §§ 107.125, 107.130 |
| 4 | Holds an airworthiness certificate issued under Part 21 and follows its operating limitations | § 107.140 |
In Categories 1, 2 and 4, sustained flight over open-air assemblies of people also requires meeting the Remote ID broadcast rules in § 89.110 or § 89.115(a).
Moving vehicles have two separate rules. § 107.145 covers flying over people inside moving vehicles: in Categories 1 to 3, the drone must stay within or over a closed- or restricted-access site whose occupants are on notice, or must not maintain sustained flight over the vehicles. § 107.25 covers flying from a vehicle: never from a moving aircraft, and from a moving land or water vehicle only over a sparsely populated area and not while carrying another person's property for compensation or hire.
Does Part 107 require Remote ID?
Remote ID is in 14 CFR Part 89, not Part 107. § 89.101 applies it to drones that are registered or required to be registered, and § 89.105 requires compliance for flights after September 16, 2023. Because § 107.13 requires Part 107 drones to be registered, Remote ID applies to them.
The FAA's Remote ID guidance lists three ways to comply: a Standard Remote ID drone, a Remote ID broadcast module, or flying within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA). It also says Part 107 pilots must register each Standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module separately.
What do you have to check before each flight?
§ 107.49 lists the preflight duties of the remote pilot in command:
- Assess the operating environment, including local weather, local airspace and flight restrictions, people and property on the surface, and other ground hazards.
- Brief everyone directly participating on operating conditions, emergency and contingency procedures, roles and hazards.
- Make sure all control links work.
- Make sure there is enough power for the intended flight time.
- Make sure anything attached or carried is secure and does not affect controllability.
- For flights over people under Subpart D, confirm the drone meets its category's requirements.
§ 107.15 adds that you must check the system before each flight and must not continue once you know it is no longer in a condition for safe operation. Under § 107.19, the remote pilot in command is "the final authority as to the operation." § 107.21 lets that pilot deviate from Part 107 in an in-flight emergency, with a written report if the FAA asks for one.
What are the alcohol, drug and medical rules?
§ 107.27 applies § 91.17 and § 91.19 to the person on the controls, the remote pilot in command and any visual observer. Under § 91.17 you may not act:
- within 8 hours after drinking any alcoholic beverage;
- while under the influence of alcohol;
- while using a drug that affects your faculties in any way contrary to safety;
- with an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater in a blood or breath specimen.
§ 107.57 and § 107.59 make drug convictions, alcohol violations and refusing an alcohol test grounds for denying an application for up to 1 year, or for suspending or revoking a certificate. § 107.17 bars anyone from taking part who knows or has reason to know of a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe operation.
When must you report an accident?
§ 107.9 requires the remote pilot in command to report to the FAA within 10 calendar days after an operation that involves at least:
- serious injury to any person, or any loss of consciousness; or
- damage to property other than the drone, unless repair would cost no more than $500, or, for a total loss, the property's fair market value is no more than $500.
What does certification require?
Subpart C covers the certificate itself.
- § 107.61 sets eligibility. You must be at least 16 years old, be able to read, speak, write and understand English, have no known condition that would interfere with safe operation, and pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test. A Part 61 pilot certificate holder (not a student pilot) with a current flight review may complete training instead.
- § 107.63 covers the application, which must include proof of the passed test or the Part 61 training certificate.
- § 107.64 issues a temporary certificate for up to 120 calendar days before the permanent one.
- § 107.65 sets recency. To act as remote pilot in command, you must have passed the initial test or completed recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months.
- § 107.67 requires identification with your photo, signature, date of birth and permanent mailing address when you apply for the test. The FAA sets the passing grade.
- § 107.71 makes you wait 14 calendar days to retest after a failure.
- § 107.73 lists 13 knowledge areas for the test, including regulations, airspace, weather, loading, emergency procedures, radio, drugs and alcohol, airport operations, preflight inspection and night operation.
- § 107.77 bars you from using the certificate more than 30 days after a change of permanent mailing address unless you have notified the FAA.
For the steps in order, read How to get a drone license. For recency, the FAA's free ALC-677 course is covered in Part 107 renewal.
Which Part 107 rules can be waived?
§ 107.200 lets the FAA issue a certificate of waiver when a proposed operation "can safely be conducted under the terms of that certificate of waiver." The request must describe the operation and justify its safety, and the FAA can add limitations.
§ 107.205 lists the waivable sections: 107.25, 107.29(a)(2) and (b), 107.31, 107.33, 107.35, 107.37(a), 107.39, 107.41, 107.51 and 107.145. Waivers of § 107.25 and § 107.31 will not be issued to carry another person's property for compensation or hire. The FAA's Part 107 waivers page says applications now go through the Aviation Safety Hub, while airspace authorizations stay in FAADroneZone for now.
How do you study these rules for the test?
Regulations is the largest area of the UAG knowledge test. The PSI UAG bulletin puts it at 48%. Read the sections above in the source, then test yourself on unfamiliar wording.
Use the Part 107 study guide for a reading plan built on the FAA's free materials and the free Part 107 practice test to try the FAA's 46 published sample questions. Certbound is a practice tool, not an FAA affiliate, and this summary does not replace the regulation.