Federal Drone Laws in the United States
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) manages all of the airspace in the United States. They have rules that all drones pilots any where in the United States need to follow to fly legally.
Welcome! The goal of this wiki is to crowd-source drone information. Having said that, information may be inaccurate, out-of-date, and should not be relied upon for legal advice.
The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)
Everyone flying under 44809 drone rules needs to take the TRUST exam to fly legally. It takes about 15 minutes to complete and it's free.
Drones that Weigh More than 250 grams
If your drone weighs more than 250 grams it needs to be registered with the FAA. It costs $5 to register your drone and registration is valid for 3 years. You can use the same registration number on each drone.
Follow the Rules of a Community Based Organization (CBO)
You must follow the safety guidelines of a CBO. More information is on this below.
About step 03
What are Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are 501 (c3) non-profits that have a comprehensive set of safety guidelines for their members. The purpose behind Community Based Organizations is to allow the UAS industry to self-regulate to a certain degree.
You do not need to be a member of a CBO to use their rules. You do need to choose CBO safety guidelines to operate under when you are flying your drone under 44809 rules.
FAA has started publishing the list of recognized CBOs as of November 2022. The updated list can be viewed at the official FAA CBO page.
Additional Rules for All Drone Pilots (44809 & Part 107)
Visual Observers and First Person View (FPV)
FPV, or first person view, means flying while you watch a live video feed from the drone’s camera, usually through goggles, as if you were sitting in the cockpit.
Both Part 107 and 44809 require visual line of sight: you, or someone flying with you, must be able to see the drone itself with your own eyes at all times, not just on a screen.
You can still fly FPV, but only with a visual observer. That is a person standing next to you who keeps the drone in sight and tells you about other aircraft, people, or obstacles while you fly.
“The aircraft is flown within the visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft or a visual observer co-located and in direct communication with the operator.”
“The remote pilot in command, the person manipulating the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft system, and the visual observer must maintain effective communication with each other at all times.”
Generally, these rules are interpreted to mean that the visual observer must be next to you and not using a radio to communicate from further distances.
Part 107 vs 44809
44809 is an exemption from Part 107 drone laws. This means that drone pilots fly under Part 107 drone rules by default unless they meet all 9 of the requirements to fly under 44809, the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. You can read more about these requirements here.
You need to pass a comprehensive exam to get your Part 107 license. The exam is 60 questions and it covers airspace, regulations, charts, weather, and much more.
| Part 107 licensed pilots also can: | 44809 | Part 107 |
|---|---|---|
| Fly above LAANC grid numbers with authorization. | ✕ | ✓ |
| Fly over 400 feet when above buildings in uncontrolled airspace. | ✕ | ✓ |
| Fly a drone for compensation. | ✕ | ✓ |
| Request waivers from the FAA to allow them to override specific rules with conditions. | ✕ | ✓ |
| Fly over people and vehicles (with restrictions). | ✕ | ✓ |
Additional Part 107 (Commercial Drone License) Rules:
See the course
