Unmanned Aircraft (UAS) Registration Rules

[DMAT]

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a streamlined and user-friendly web-based aircraft registration process for owners of small unmanned aircraft (UAS) weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) including payloads such as on-board cameras

Registration is a statutory requirement that applies to all aircraft. Under this rule, any owner of a small UAS who has previously operated an unmanned aircraft exclusively as a model aircraft prior to December 21, 2015, must register no later than February 19, 2016. Owners of any other UAS purchased for use as a model aircraft after December 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. Owners may use either the paper-based process or the new streamlined, web-based system. Owners using the new streamlined web-based system must be at least 13 years old to register.

Owners may register through a web-based system at http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration

Registrants will need to provide their name, home address and e-mail address. Upon completion of the registration process, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.

Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.

The normal registration fee is $5, but in an effort to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly, the FAA is waiving this fee for the first 30 days (from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016).

The online registration system does not yet support registration of small UAS used for any purpose other than hobby or recreation – for example, using an unmanned aircraft in connection with a business. The FAA is developing enhancements that will allow such online registrations by spring of 2016.

The full rule can be viewed here: http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/media/20151213_IFR.pdf

http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/faqs/

[mk-Zero]

I heard about this this morning on NPR. Thanks for posting it along with the links. I'll register, I don't have any problem with it. Those yahoos that were flying over forest fires and preventing firefighter aircraft from flying are giving the rest of us that fly a bad name.

[alien3t]

FAA will get flooded. Now all the old timer plane and heli flyers in AMA are going to be pissed at the Multicopter guys.

So now i need to register my grandpas planes from the 60's lols

[RC104ever]

I wonder how this will work for people that live outside the US but go there for vacation / competitions? Would they have to register as well?

[RC10th]

If you accidentally crash your quad on the roof of the Chinese Embassy it will kindly be returned to you.

[Halgar]

If you accidentally crash your quad on the roof of the Chinese Embassy it will kindly be returned to you.

So THAT'S why we have to register them! At least it's for a good reason.

[DMAT]

@ alien: if your doing it recreational or hobby, you just register yourself. put w/e number they give you on the aircraft.

check out the Q&A link guys, tons of random stuff is addressed in there.

[Halgar]

Unless this is a form that is filled out at point of purchase and notarized by the seller that the info is genuine, I foresee a most just thumbing their nose at this.

[DMAT]

with no way to enforce registration, they will just fine the ever loving hell out of those that get caught.

[mk-Zero]

Yup ^

I wonder who will enforce this? Are they going to start having police officers who see someone flying an RC aircraft ask to see their registration?

[Halgar]

I wonder who will enforce this? Are they going to start having police officers who see someone flying an RC aircraft ask to see their registration?

Probably.

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

This may sound like a joke, but in all seriousness I believe the sky will one day be filled with computer gps guided drones. Everyone is going to have one that's basically like a personal assistant running errands for them. Picking up groceries, making beer runs and such. Maybe not in our lifetime, but one of these days. I dream of the day I can send my drone on a beer run. Amazon delivery is just the beginning of a new era. I'm not sure if anyone has seen one, but I think it would be a cool movie scene to have people walking around with 1000s of drones buzzing here and there overhead.

[alien3t]

AMA asks members to hold on registering model aircraft. http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2015/12/17/hold-off-on-registering-model-aircraft/

[Lowgear]

Yeah, I can't see how this can be enforced either. Just like how you're supposed to have an FCC operators license when using certain walkie-talkies.

[Fred19K]

It is a total waste of taxpayer $$. I can see permits (state, not federal) being issued to users in urban environments AFTER meaningful regulations are put into law, but making everyone register their hobby toy or farm tool is a big money grab. The FAA has made no case for what exactly registration is going to accomplish and until then, it should not be implemented. They really can only cause problems in densely populated areas or where they can conflict with airplane/helicopter flight paths.