To qualify for an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107, you must be at least 16, meet the English-language requirement, have no known physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe drone operation, and demonstrate aeronautical knowledge through the applicable test or training route. Meeting those prerequisites makes you eligible to apply; acting as remote pilot in command also requires the certificate and current aeronautical knowledge. Eligibility rule.
For a learner, the first decision is which application route applies. For an employer, the useful distinction is between an eligible applicant, a certificated pilot, and a pilot ready for a particular flight.
In This Guide
- Check the personal prerequisites
- Choose the route that matches your existing certificate
- Turn eligibility into an issued certificate
- Verify the pilot's records before assigning a flight
- Check the aircraft and mission separately
Check the personal prerequisites
The minimum age is 16 for the certificate. You must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English. Section 107.61 permits the FAA to impose appropriate operating limitations when a medical reason prevents meeting an English-language requirement. That is an FAA determination, not an exception an applicant can grant themselves.
Part 107 does not require an airman medical certificate. However, illness, impaired vision, or medication effects can make a person unfit to participate in an operation. The FAA explains this distinction in AC 107-2A, section 5.6. Evaluate the ability to perform the actual duties safely, including seeing the aircraft, using its controls, and communicating with the crew.
The basic certificate eligibility rule does not prescribe a college degree or minimum logged flight hours. Practical training still matters: satisfying an entry requirement does not demonstrate aircraft-specific skill or judgment in an emergency.
There are also adverse eligibility provisions. Section 107.57 addresses specified drug convictions and prohibited alcohol or drug-related acts; section 107.59 addresses refusal of specified alcohol testing or release of results. These can support application denial for up to one year, or certificate suspension or revocation. Anyone affected should resolve their individual status with the FAA before treating a test pass as sufficient.
Choose the route that matches your existing certificate
The distinction is whether you hold a qualifying Part 61 pilot certificate, which covers conventional pilot certification, and meet the flight-review requirements of section 61.56. A student pilot certificate does not qualify for the alternate route.
| Your status | Knowledge route | Evidence needed for the application |
|---|---|---|
| No qualifying Part 61 certificate, including student pilots | Pass the initial Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) knowledge test | Passing knowledge-test record |
| Part 61 certificate other than student, with section 61.56 flight-review requirements met | Complete FAA initial training, currently ALC-451 | Initial course completion certificate and acceptable flight-review evidence |
| Part 61 certificate, but flight-review requirements not met | Use the initial knowledge-test route, or first meet the flight-review requirement before using the alternate route | Evidence for whichever route you complete |
Source basis: FAA application guidance, section 107.63, and AC 107-2A, section 6.4. Checked September 6, 2026. The table organizes those routes for applicant selection.
ALC-451 is the initial course for qualifying existing pilots. Taking it without the qualifying Part 61 status does not replace the UAG test. A commercial study-course completion certificate is also different from the FAA-issued Remote Pilot Certificate.
Turn eligibility into an issued certificate
For the initial-test route, the FAA commercial-operator sequence begins with a tracking number, test, and application:
- Establish your FAA Tracking Number through the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application system, IACRA.
- Prepare for and pass UAG at an FAA-approved testing center. Bring the required government-issued photo identification.
- Use your test record to complete FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA and submit the application.
- Follow the FAA's instructions after Transportation Security Administration screening to obtain your temporary certificate. The permanent certificate follows after processing.
The FAA's current instructions say test results may take up to 48 hours to appear in IACRA. If the record is missing immediately after testing, that delay alone does not mean you need another exam.
For the qualifying Part 61 route, complete ALC-451 and Form 8710-13, then arrange identity and flight-review verification with an authorized representative. Bring identification, your completed application, initial course certificate, and flight-review evidence. Section 107.63 identifies authorized application recipients, including the responsible FAA Flight Standards office, designated pilot examiners, airman certification representatives, and certificated flight instructors. The FAA notes that a flight instructor can process the application but cannot issue a temporary certificate.
A passing test report is not permission to serve as remote pilot in command. Wait for an issued temporary or permanent Remote Pilot Certificate. Under section 107.12, the pilot in command must hold the certificate and satisfy the knowledge-recency rule.
That section also allows someone without their own certificate to manipulate the controls under direct supervision when the remote pilot in command can immediately take direct control. This is a specific supervised-control provision. It does not make the learner the pilot in command, and a supervisor available only by telephone cannot satisfy the immediate-control requirement.
Verify the pilot's records before assigning a flight
Use separate checks for the certificate and knowledge recency. Under section 107.65, a qualifying knowledge test or training activity must fall within the previous 24 calendar months. A certificate card alone does not establish that condition. If recency has lapsed, restore it before exercising pilot-in-command privileges.
The FAA currently lists ALC-677 for any Part 107 certificate holder and ALC-515 for Part 107 holders who also meet the stated Part 61 and flight-review conditions. Initial certification and recurrent training serve different purposes.
An operator can use this compact record check:
| Check | What to inspect | What a mismatch means |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate and identity | Issued remote pilot certificate and identification belonging to the assigned person | Resolve identity or certificate status before assignment |
| Knowledge recency | Dated qualifying test or course record | Complete the applicable recurrent activity if outside the permitted window |
| Alternate training route | Qualifying Part 61 certificate and flight-review evidence when relying on that route | Reassess whether the selected training satisfies section 107.65 |
| Mission preparation | Aircraft familiarization and relevant practice records | Arrange suitable practical preparation before assigning unfamiliar work |
The first three rows consolidate the certificate, recency, and inspection rules; the fourth is an operator training recommendation. Section 107.7 requires the certificate and identification to be in the person's physical possession and readily accessible when exercising certificate privileges. It also requires specified records to be available for FAA inspection.
Keep a backed-up copy of training evidence and record the next recency deadline in the operator's training register. Label company proficiency checks separately so they cannot be mistaken for federal knowledge training.
Check the aircraft and mission separately
A qualified pilot still needs a lawful, safe operation. The FAA commercial-operator guidance distinguishes pilot certification from aircraft registration and operating requirements. Check the aircraft's registration and marking, whether Part 107 fits the intended operation, and any needed airspace authorization or waiver. Night flights and operations over people have additional conditions; the pilot certificate does not remove them.
Confirm the aircraft's Remote ID compliance. The FAA describes three principal routes: a Standard Remote ID aircraft, an appropriate broadcast module, or operation within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area under its conditions. Owning a certificate does not satisfy the aircraft's Remote ID requirement.
Before launch, section 107.49 requires the remote pilot in command to assess the environment and complete specific checks:
- Evaluate weather, airspace, flight restrictions, nearby people and property, and ground hazards.
- Brief participants on conditions, responsibilities, hazards, and emergency and contingency procedures.
- Verify functioning control links and sufficient power for the intended flight.
- Ensure attached or carried items are secure and do not impair controllability.
- For operations over people, confirm the aircraft meets the applicable category requirements.
For example, a newly certificated employee may have current knowledge and still need a supervised aircraft familiarization session. Equally, an experienced drone operator with lapsed knowledge recency cannot rely on recent flying to satisfy the federal training rule. Those are different gaps with different remedies.
Start by selecting the correct application route. Before assigning the first flight, verify the issued certificate, knowledge recency, personal fitness, and aircraft and mission requirements independently. That sequence prevents an eligible applicant from being mistaken for a ready pilot in command.
Sources
- 14 CFR 107.61: Eligibility. Regulatory text establishing personal prerequisites and knowledge routes.
- FAA: Become a Certificated Remote Pilot. Agency instructions for applications, screening, certificates, and current course identifiers.
- 14 CFR 107.63: Certificate issuance. Regulatory application evidence and verification requirements.
- FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A. Agency guidance on medical fitness and certification routes, especially sections 5.6 and 6.4.
- 14 CFR 107.57: Alcohol or drug offenses. Grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation.
- 14 CFR 107.59: Alcohol-test refusal. Additional grounds affecting eligibility and certificate status.
- 14 CFR 107.12: Certificate requirement. Pilot-in-command and directly supervised control requirements.
- 14 CFR 107.65: Knowledge recency. The 24-calendar-month requirement and qualifying activities.
- 14 CFR 107.7: Inspection and compliance. Certificate, identification, and record-access obligations.
- FAA: Commercial operators. Agency overview separating pilot, aircraft, and operational requirements.
- FAA: Remote Identification of Drones. Aircraft identification obligations and compliance routes.
- 14 CFR 107.49: Preflight actions. Required environmental assessment, crew briefing, and aircraft checks.
U.S. FAA requirements; the eCFR displayed Title 14 current through September 3, 2026.
Last checked: September 6, 2026.