To get an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107, most first-time applicants must create an Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application account, obtain an FAA Tracking Number, pass the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small knowledge test, and submit FAA Form 8710-13 through IACRA. After the Transportation Security Administration vetting step is complete, the applicant can retrieve a temporary certificate while the permanent certificate is processed.
That is the short answer. The details matter because the FAA provides a different path for certain current Part 61 pilots, and because earning a pilot certificate does not by itself make every drone, location, or mission legal.
The federal process in this guide was verified against current FAA and eCFR sources on August 31, 2026. Testing procedures and provider fees can change, so confirm the final scheduling details on the FAA website before paying or traveling to a testing center.
The first-time applicant process, step by step
Create an IACRA profile and obtain an FTN
IACRA is the FAA system used for airman applications. Create the account before trying to schedule the UAG test. The profile generates an FAA Tracking Number, usually called an FTN. The testing provider uses that number to associate the knowledge-test result with the correct FAA record.
Enter your legal name and identifying information carefully. A mismatch between IACRA, your identification, and the testing appointment can create avoidable delays. The FAA's testing guidance describes the acceptable identification documents and address information.
An FTN is not a certificate, test result, or permission to fly. It is an identifier used across the certification process.
Prepare from the current FAA standard
The FAA does not require a first-time applicant to complete a paid course or obtain an instructor endorsement before taking the UAG test. An applicant can self-study, use formal instruction, or combine methods.
The best starting point is the current Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standards. The ACS identifies the knowledge, risk-management, and operational topics against which the test is built. The current Part 107 knowledge areas in §107.73 include:
- Regulations, privileges, limitations, and flight operations.
- Airspace, operating requirements, and flight restrictions.
- Aviation weather sources and effects on small UAS performance.
- Loading and aircraft performance.
- Emergency procedures and crew resource management.
- Radio procedures and airport operations.
- Aeronautical decision-making and physiological factors.
- Maintenance and preflight inspection procedures.
- Night operations.
Use the ACS as a coverage checklist rather than relying on a memorized list of unofficial questions. FAA sample questions and the testing supplement help applicants become familiar with chart excerpts, legends, and the way questions are presented.
If you consider a commercial course, evaluate whether it follows the current ACS, explains why an answer is correct, covers night operations and Remote ID, and states an update policy. A pass guarantee or a large question bank is not evidence that the material is current.
Schedule and take the UAG knowledge test
The FAA testing matrix verified on August 31, 2026, lists 60 questions, two hours of testing time, and a passing score of 70 percent for the UAG test. Verify those details when scheduling because the live testing matrix is the operational source and can change.
Testing centers charge a fee. Availability, price, cancellation terms, and identification procedures can vary, so use the authorized scheduler rather than a third-party page that merely describes the process.
Bring the identification and any eligibility documents required by the current testing matrix. The UAG initial test does not require an instructor endorsement. If an applicant fails, §107.71 establishes a 14-calendar-day wait before retesting.
Keep the Airman Knowledge Test Report. Its codes identify subject areas that deserve further study even after a passing result.
Submit Form 8710-13 in IACRA
After passing, return to IACRA and start a Remote Pilot application. Enter the knowledge-test exam identifier when prompted, sign electronically, and submit Form 8710-13. The FAA notes that a test result can take up to 48 hours to appear in IACRA.
Review every field before signing. The application is an official certification record, not a course-registration form.
Complete security vetting and retrieve the temporary certificate
The FAA sends a confirmation after the TSA security background check is complete. The confirmation provides instructions for retrieving a temporary Remote Pilot Certificate from IACRA. A permanent card follows after the remaining FAA processing is complete.
Do not plan a paid operation around an assumed processing date. Testing-center availability, data transfer, vetting, and certification processing can all affect the timeline. Wait until the temporary or permanent certificate is available before acting as remote pilot in command under Part 107.
What the certificate authorizes
A Remote Pilot Certificate allows its holder to serve as remote pilot in command when the person meets the Part 107 currency requirement and the operation complies with the applicable rules. A person without the certificate may manipulate the controls under the direct supervision of a qualified remote PIC who can immediately take direct control.
The certificate does not:
- Approve a particular aircraft, site, client, or flight.
- Replace aircraft registration or Remote ID compliance.
- Grant access to controlled airspace.
- Override the operating rules for a mission. Part 107 permits qualifying operations over people and certain intrastate transportation of property when every applicable condition is met, while operations such as beyond visual line of sight, agricultural dispensing, or delivery outside Part 107's limits can require additional approval or certification.
- Establish competence in mapping, inspection, thermography, photography, emergency response, or another professional specialty.
- Make the holder an FAA representative, certificated flight instructor, or certification provider.
Part 107 is an airman qualification and operating framework. Professional competence also requires aircraft-specific practice, mission knowledge, sound judgment, and procedures appropriate to the work.
What to do before the first Part 107 flight
Certification is one item in a broader readiness check.
Register each aircraft correctly
The FAA requires each drone operated under Part 107 to be registered individually, including aircraft weighing 0.55 pounds or less. The narrow weight exception applies only when an aircraft is flown exclusively under the recreational exception.
Part 107 registration currently costs $5 per aircraft and is valid for three years. Confirm the fee at FAA DroneZone registration guidance before submitting payment. Mark the aircraft as required and keep the registration accessible during operation.
Confirm Remote ID compliance
An aircraft that must be registered generally must comply with the Remote ID rule unless the operation fits a regulatory exception. Depending on the aircraft and operation, compliance can involve a Standard Remote ID drone, a broadcast module, or operation within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area.
Part 107 operators must register each device in their inventory correctly and enter the applicable Remote ID serial number. Check the FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance list rather than assuming that a model name or a software screen proves compliance.
Check the airspace and operating rules
Controlled airspace requires prior FAA authorization. LAANC can provide near-real-time authorization at participating airports for requests that fit the available parameters; FAA DroneZone handles other airspace requests. A UAS Facility Map is a planning aid, not permission to fly.
The remote PIC must also check temporary flight restrictions, special-security restrictions, local airspace, weather, people and property, aircraft condition, control links, available power, crew roles, and emergency procedures before launch.
For a deeper operational treatment, see Flying Drones at Night Under Part 107 and Part 107 Flight Logs: Required Versus Recommended.
Keep your aeronautical knowledge current
The Remote Pilot Certificate itself does not expire on a routine two-year cycle. Operating currency does.
Under §107.65, a person may not exercise remote-PIC privileges unless that person completed an accepted initial knowledge test, recurrent training, or eligible Part 61 training within the preceding 24 calendar months. The FAA currently provides free online recurrent courses:
- ALC-677 for Remote Pilot Certificate holders generally.
- ALC-515 for remote pilots who also hold an eligible Part 61 certificate and meet the flight-review requirement.
"Twenty-four calendar months" is not always the same as 730 days. If a pilot completes qualifying training on August 12, the calendar-month treatment runs through the end of August two years later. Record the completion date and the next due month in a training register, and retain the completion evidence where the pilot and program manager can retrieve it.
Recurrent training is a regulatory minimum for knowledge recency. A professional program should also provide aircraft-specific practice, emergency drills, mission training, and periodic competency checks proportionate to its risks.
Common certification mistakes
Treating TRUST as a commercial certificate
TRUST applies to the recreational exception. It does not substitute for a Remote Pilot Certificate when the operation does not meet the statutory recreational exception.
Deciding based only on whether money changes hands
Part 107 is not limited to flights where the pilot is directly paid. The purpose of the operation matters. A flight supporting a business, organization, research project, monetized channel, or employer can be non-recreational even when there is no separate line-item drone fee.
Buying a course before checking the official standard
A course can provide structure and feedback, but the FAA ACS and regulations remain the reference points. Check the provider's update date and curriculum before paying.
Assuming the certificate proves practical skill
The initial UAG path tests aeronautical knowledge. It does not include an FAA practical flight test. Build proficiency in a controlled environment before accepting operational responsibility for a complex mission.
Forgetting that the aircraft and mission have separate requirements
Certification does not cure an unregistered aircraft, incorrect Remote ID entry, missing airspace authorization, prohibited operation over people, expired waiver, or unsafe aircraft condition.
A practical next-action list
If you are starting from zero, take these actions in order:
- Confirm that your planned activity falls under Part 107 rather than the recreational exception or another operating authority.
- Identify whether the first-time-applicant path or eligible Part 61 path applies.
- Create the IACRA profile and obtain an FTN.
- Download the current Remote Pilot ACS and testing matrix.
- Choose self-study, instruction, or a combined preparation method.
- Schedule and pass the appropriate test or complete the applicable FAA training.
- Submit Form 8710-13 and complete the path's identity-validation or security-vetting steps.
- Wait until a temporary or permanent certificate is available.
- Register the aircraft and verify Remote ID, airspace, and mission requirements.
- Establish records for pilot currency, aircraft status, authorizations, and operations before the first professional flight.
The certificate is the entry point, not the finish line. A capable professional operator combines current regulatory knowledge with disciplined planning, aircraft proficiency, honest limits, and records that support safe decisions.