For a first-time applicant using IACRA, the temporary remote pilot certificate becomes available after the application is submitted and TSA security vetting is complete. Allow processing time after submission: FAA guidance describes about seven days in one guide and an expectation of issuance within 10 business days in another. Neither is a guaranteed delivery date. IACRA applicant guide, FAA Part 107 overview.
Eligible existing Part 61 pilots use a different application route and may receive a temporary certificate sooner. In either case, passing a test or submitting an application is only a step toward the issued certificate.
On This Page
- Which event starts the wait?
- Complete the application
- Existing Part 61 pilots
- Flying with the temporary certificate
- Delayed certificates
- Expiration
Which event starts the wait?
For the knowledge-test route, separate three events: passing the test, completing the application and receiving the temporary certificate. The processing estimate concerns a completed application, not simply the day you left the testing center.
The FAA's certification instructions say a test result may take up to 48 hours to appear in IACRA, while the detailed IACRA guide allows up to 72 hours. That is a test-record transfer delay before you can associate the result with your application. It is separate from the later certification wait.
The following timeline keeps the FAA's different estimates attached to the correct stage.
| Stage | Published timing or trigger | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Test result appears in IACRA | Up to 48 hours in the FAA overview; up to 72 hours in IACRA help | Find and associate the correct test record |
| Temporary certificate after a completed knowledge-test application | About seven days in IACRA help; FAA anticipates issuance within 10 business days | Monitor the Applicant Console and email after submission |
| Application validation | A separate FAA FAQ says within 10 days, without specifying business days | Treat this as agency guidance, not an individual deadline |
| Permanent certificate | FAA says processing typically takes six to 10 weeks after temporary issuance | Track the temporary certificate's actual expiration date |
Sources: IACRA knowledge-test guide, FAA certification instructions, FAA Part 107 overview, FAA application FAQ and FAA permanent-certificate FAQ. These are published estimates checked September 10, 2026, rather than a measured current queue time.
For job scheduling, leave room for delays and make certificate issuance a prerequisite for serving as remote pilot in command. A promised date from a training provider cannot complete the FAA application for you.
Complete the application and retrieve the certificate
First confirm that you meet the Part 107 eligibility requirements: at least age 16, the applicable English-language requirement and no known condition that would interfere with safe operation. The regulation provides for FAA limitations in certain medically related English-language cases. Most new applicants establish knowledge by passing the UAG test, formally called Unmanned Aircraft General – Small.
If you have not reached the test stage, start with the full Part 107 certification process. If you already passed, use this sequence:
- Open your own IACRA account and start a Pilot application for Remote Pilot. Have your FAA Tracking Number, photo identification and test report available.
- Review the personal information. Enter the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID from the report when prompted and associate the matching test result.
- Complete the required questions, review the application and acknowledgments, then electronically sign and submit. A saved but unfinished application has not completed this step.
- Monitor the Applicant Console and the email address associated with your account. The FAA says the confirmation email follows completion of TSA vetting and contains instructions for printing the temporary certificate.
- Retrieve the actual issued document, check its identifying details and read its expiration date. Save a readable copy and print it for your flight records.
Follow the FAA application instructions and IACRA guide if screen wording changes. Keep the submission date and application reference with your test report so you can describe a delay precisely.
Existing Part 61 pilots: who completes your application matters
Under section 107.61, a nonstudent Part 61 certificate holder who meets the section 61.56 flight-review requirements can use the training route. Holding a student certificate alone does not qualify. The FAA identifies ALC-451 as the initial course for eligible Part 61 pilots.
Bring the completed application, photo ID, flight-review evidence and course completion certificate to the authorized official handling your application. Submitting the training-route form from your own console does not finish the process: the IACRA training-course guide requires the official's review and completion.
That guide describes immediate temporary-certificate availability after a certifying officer signs. After a recommending instructor signs, it describes availability in the Applicant Console in about an hour, with rare cases taking two to four days. These timings depend on the completed application and are not appointment guarantees.
The FAA overview also says a certificated flight instructor, or CFI, cannot issue a temporary certificate. The distinction is between an instructor processing the application and the certificate subsequently becoming available through IACRA. Confirm which role your official will use, then check for the issued document before planning to act as remote pilot in command. FAA certification instructions.
Can you fly with the temporary certificate?
A valid temporary remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating can satisfy the certificate requirement for acting as remote pilot in command under Part 107. You do not have to wait for the permanent card, but you must also meet the knowledge-recency requirement and the rules for the particular operation. 14 CFR 107.12, 107.64 and 107.65.
Before issuance, a passing test report does not let you act as remote pilot in command. Section 107.12 separately permits manipulating the controls under direct supervision when the remote pilot in command can immediately take direct control. That supervised role does not make the applicant the remote pilot in command.
Before your first assignment, check these separate items:
- Pilot documents: Have the certificate physically possessed and readily accessible, with identification available for an authorized inspection. Section 107.7.
- Knowledge recency: Retain the qualifying test or training date. Section 107.65 uses the previous 24 calendar months; the permanent card's arrival does not restart that clock.
- Operational readiness: Assess weather, airspace and restrictions, people and ground hazards; brief the crew; check the control link, available power and secured payload. These are preflight duties under section 107.49.
Receiving the certificate completes one prerequisite. The aircraft and proposed flight still need their own checks.
What to do when the certificate is delayed
If your test result is missing, distinguish that issue from a submitted application awaiting processing. Recheck the test ID and allow for the published transfer window. If the application remains unfinished, complete the outstanding steps. Training-route applicants should confirm that their submitting official finished the review.
For account or application problems, use the IACRA FAQ and support instructions. Review the help for the affected screen first, then use the listed AVS National Service Desk if necessary. Use IACRA's account-recovery tools for a forgotten username or password. Describe the application stage and dates; do not send anyone your password.
For a missing permanent certificate, the FAA's specific FAQ says to contact the Airmen Certification Branch once more than eight weeks have passed since temporary issuance. That contact threshold sits within the FAA's stated six-to-10-week processing range. You can follow up at eight weeks without assuming the application has been denied or waiting until the temporary expires.
Track the temporary certificate's expiration
Section 107.64 allows a temporary certificate for up to 120 calendar days. It expires on the date shown, upon receipt of the permanent certificate, or upon receipt of notice that the certificate sought is denied or revoked.
Record the printed expiration date when you download it. A mailing delay does not automatically extend that date. If the permanent certificate is still missing as expiration approaches, resolve your certificate status with the FAA before relying on it for another assignment.
The practical sequence is simple: finish the application, retrieve the issued temporary certificate, check its validity and keep it accessible. Use the FAA's timing estimates to plan follow-up, and use the issued certificate to decide whether the certification step is complete.
Sources
- FAA certification instructions: Initial application, test-transfer guidance, TSA notification and Part 61 documents.
- IACRA knowledge-test guide: Electronic application sequence and approximate temporary-certificate timing.
- FAA Part 107 overview: Anticipated issuance within 10 business days of a completed application.
- FAA application FAQ: Separate 10-day validation description.
- FAA permanent-certificate FAQ: Six-to-10-week processing estimate and eight-week follow-up threshold.
- IACRA training-course guide: Official completion and certifying-officer versus recommending-instructor timing.
- 14 CFR 107.61: Eligibility and the nonstudent Part 61 training route.
- 14 CFR 107.12: Remote-pilot-in-command certification and direct supervision.
- 14 CFR 107.64: Temporary validity and expiration conditions.
- 14 CFR 107.65: Knowledge recency.
- 14 CFR 107.7: Certificate possession and inspection requirements.
- 14 CFR 107.49: Preflight assessment and checks.
- IACRA FAQ: Application help and account recovery.
Last checked: September 10, 2026.