To get an FAA Tracking Number before the Part 107 test, register as an Applicant in the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application system, known as IACRA. Complete the profile and save the FTN displayed after registration. If you already have an IACRA account, recover that account and retrieve your existing number. The FAA requires the FTN before knowledge-test registration. FAA certification process.
Finish this step with a number you can retrieve and identity details that match when you book. An FTN alone does not certify you to fly.
Before you register: check for an existing record
The FAA describes the FTN as an identifier that follows you through your aviation career. It differs from an FAA certificate number. If you previously received an airman certificate, you already have an FTN, even if you have never used IACRA. FAA FTN frequently asked questions.
Choose the appropriate starting point:
- You already use IACRA: Sign in and retrieve the number. For forgotten login details, use the site's recovery link.
- You hold an FAA airman certificate but have no IACRA account: Register and enter your certificate information accurately so the system can identify your existing record.
- You have neither: Register as a new Applicant and leave the existing-certificate section blank.
Those branches follow the FAA's FTN guidance and IACRA registration FAQ. Recover an existing account before attempting another registration.
Also confirm which certification route you need. Review the Part 107 eligibility requirements if you already hold another pilot certificate or are unsure whether the initial knowledge-test route applies.
Register as an Applicant and save your FTN
Have your personal details, a working email address, and any existing FAA certificate available before you begin. Keep your identification nearby so you can check your name consistently across the process.
1. Open the production IACRA site
Use the FAA's IACRA portal, then select
Register. Check the address carefully: the production service uses iacra.faa.gov.
Avoid entering personal information into a practice site or a third-party form that only
promises to help with registration.
The IACRA privacy statement says providing a Social Security number is optional. Follow the current form's choices; do not invent a number to complete a field.
2. Select the Applicant role
Choose Applicant, review the terms, and continue to the user profile. The IACRA New User Guide identifies this as the role for a person applying for a certificate. You do not need an instructor, examiner, or FAA-employee role to get started.
3. Enter your identity and certificate details carefully
Use your full legal name, including the applicable suffix. The FAA specifically warns that the name must match the knowledge-test record. If you do not hold an existing certificate, leave that section blank. If you do, copy its number and issuance date accurately rather than substituting a drone serial number or registration identifier.
For names that do not fit a simple first-middle-last pattern, use the form's help. IACRA field instructions explain that both last names belong in the last-name field, and that an applicant without a middle name should use the corresponding checkbox. A suffix belongs only when it is part of the legal name.
Review every personal detail before submitting. For example, do not shorten a legal first name in the booking form just because you normally use a nickname. If your identification and FAA record disagree, resolve that discrepancy before booking.
4. Finish registration and keep the confirmation
Create your login using the current on-screen requirements, complete the security questions, and select Register. Correct any reported missing information. After successful registration, IACRA displays the FTN and also emails it, according to the New User Guide.
Copy the number exactly, then sign back in before closing out the task to confirm that you can recover the record. Retain the confirmation email and store your login securely. Avoid keeping recovery answers in a shared training spreadsheet or posting screenshots of your profile to ask for help.
You do not have to start the Remote Pilot certificate application merely to obtain the FTN. Registration produces the identifier; the first-time knowledge-test route reaches the certificate application after passing the exam.
Check the handoff to the testing provider
IACRA maintains your FAA application record; the FAA-linked testing service handles scheduling. The FTN connects those stages. The FAA's FTN requirement notice explains that consistent identity information reduces returned certification files and that the FTN appears on the Airman Knowledge Test Report.
Before booking, compare the FTN and name in IACRA with what you enter in the scheduling system. Once those match, follow the Part 107 knowledge-test scheduling steps to select Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG) and check the appointment requirements. The FAA instructs applicants to bring government-issued photo identification to the test.
Keep these records distinct:
| Record | What it is for | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| FTN | Identifies your FAA record across the process | Before booking and when referencing your FAA record |
| IACRA login | Accesses your application account | Registration follow-up and certificate application |
| Testing-service login | Accesses the separate scheduling account | Booking and managing the exam appointment |
| Knowledge Test Exam ID | Identifies the knowledge test used in your application | After passing, when IACRA requests the test result |
Source basis: FAA FTN FAQs, FTN requirement notice, and remote-pilot certification instructions, checked September 9, 2026. The organization above is a practical recordkeeping aid.
The FAA's certificate instructions call for a 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID after the test and allow up to 48 hours for the result to appear in IACRA. That result-transfer interval is separate from obtaining an FTN. Do not substitute your FTN into the test-ID field.
Recover from a missing number or mismatched details
Work on the system reporting the problem before creating anything new.
Lost FTN: Return to IACRA to view it. The FAA FTN FAQs say losing the number does not require a new one.
Forgotten IACRA username or password: Use Forgot Username or Password? on the official portal. The IACRA FAQ directs users to self-service recovery first, rather than calling the help desk for a routine reset.
Existing certificate cannot be verified: Compare the certificate number and issuance date with the certificate itself. IACRA explains that the entered information must match the FAA record. If the problem remains, use the assistance contacts in its FAQ instead of altering accurate identity details to make the form accept them.
Testing service cannot find your FTN: Check the number, first name, and last name against IACRA exactly. The FAA FTN FAQs direct applicants to PSI assistance if those details match and account creation still fails. Use the support route shown in the FAA-linked scheduler; a name change or a new FTN is not a troubleshooting shortcut. Keep any error wording and the step where it occurred, without sharing login secrets.
Page navigation behaves unexpectedly: Use IACRA's own navigation controls. Its FAQ warns that browser Back and Forward buttons can interfere with saving and validating application data.
Finish with a booking-ready record
Before leaving this task, confirm that you can retrieve the FTN, access the correct account, and recognize the same identity information in the scheduling process. Keep the registration confirmation now, the appointment confirmation when booked, and the test report after testing. These are recommended organizational habits, not a separate FAA-prescribed filing system.
Administrative readiness does not establish exam readiness. Use the Part 107 study sequence to prepare the knowledge you will need. After passing, return to IACRA for Form 8710-13 and the remaining certification steps. An employer should track obtaining an FTN separately from holding a Remote Pilot Certificate.
Sources
- FAA: Become a Certificated Remote Pilot: official order of application, testing, identification, and certificate steps.
- IACRA New User Guide: Applicant registration and FTN confirmation.
- FAA FTN Frequently Asked Questions: existing numbers, recovery, scheduling linkage, and identity matching.
- FAA Tracking Number Requirement: identity continuity and the FTN on the test report.
- IACRA Frequently Asked Questions: certificate-record matching, login recovery, assistance, and navigation.
- IACRA Field Help: name fields, certificate details, and registration help.
- IACRA Production Portal: official entry point, registration/recovery links, and privacy statement.
Last checked: September 9, 2026.