Chapter 1 of 535% of exam
Regulations: Certification, Operating Limits, and Remote Pilot Responsibilities
Regulations are the largest single block on the Part 107 knowledge test because every flight decision begins with what the rule allows. This chapter covers earning and keeping the remote pilot certificate, the limits that define a routine Part 107 flight, and the waiver, reporting, and preflight duties that surround them.
Earning and Keeping the Remote Pilot Certificate
Anyone who acts as remote pilot in command of a small unmanned aircraft for work, business, or any non-recreational purpose must hold a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. The certificate is earned by passing an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center and clearing a TSA security background check. Unlike a manned pilot certificate, no medical certificate is required, but you must be physically and mentally fit for each flight. The certificate itself does not expire; what expires is your knowledge currency, which you renew with free online recurrent training.
Minimum age 16
You must be at least 16 years old to be issued a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating.
14 CFR §107.61English language ability
You must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English well enough to handle charts, weather reports, and radio or ATC information.
14 CFR §107.61Pass the aeronautical knowledge test
First-time applicants pass a proctored knowledge test at an FAA-approved center covering regulations, airspace, weather, loading, and operations.
14 CFR §107.61TSA security vetting
Every applicant is screened by the Transportation Security Administration before the certificate is issued, and the FAA can deny or revoke a certificate on security grounds.
Recurrent training every 24 calendar months
To stay current you must complete the free online recurrent training course within the previous 24 calendar months; there is no recurrent test fee and no expiration date printed on the certificate.
14 CFR §107.65Have your certificate available
The remote pilot must have the certificate available during operations and present it, along with the aircraft and records, for inspection by the FAA, TSA, or law enforcement on request.
14 CFR §107.7Remote Pilot in Command, Registration, and Remote ID
Exactly one person is the remote pilot in command for any single flight, and that person carries final authority for the safety of the operation even if someone else is holding the controller. A certificated remote pilot may let an uncertificated person manipulate the controls, but only under direct supervision and only if the remote PIC can immediately take over. Before the first flight, the aircraft must be registered with the FAA and marked with its registration number so that it is readable on an outside surface. Most aircraft must also broadcast Remote ID, which transmits identity, location, and altitude so people on the ground and the FAA can identify the aircraft in flight.
One remote PIC per flight
A single remote pilot in command is designated before each flight and is directly responsible for, and the final authority over, that operation.
14 CFR §107.19Supervised flying by a non-certificated person
A person without a certificate may manipulate the controls only under the direct supervision of the remote PIC, who must be able to immediately take direct control.
14 CFR §107.12One aircraft at a time
A remote pilot may not operate or supervise the operation of more than one small unmanned aircraft at the same time.
14 CFR §107.35Register and mark the aircraft
The aircraft must be registered with the FAA and display its unique registration number on an external surface before it is used under Part 107.
14 CFR §107.13Broadcast Remote ID
Fly a standard Remote ID aircraft, add a broadcast module, or operate only within an FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA).
14 CFR §89.105No hazardous materials
A small unmanned aircraft operated under Part 107 may not carry hazardous material as defined by the hazardous materials regulations.
14 CFR §107.36Core Operating Limitations
Routine Part 107 flights live inside a compact box of altitude, speed, distance, and lighting limits. The 400-foot ceiling has one useful exception: you may climb higher when inspecting a tall structure, as long as you stay within a 400-foot radius of it and no more than 400 feet above its uppermost limit. Visual line of sight ties the whole operation together, because it must be maintained with unaided vision at all times, corrective lenses excepted. Night flying is permitted without a waiver only when the aircraft carries anti-collision lighting visible for at least three statute miles and the remote pilot has completed the updated training.
400 feet AGL ceiling
Stay at or below 400 feet above ground level, or within 400 feet of a structure's uppermost limit while remaining within a 400-foot horizontal radius of that structure.
14 CFR §107.51100 mph groundspeed limit
Maximum groundspeed is 100 miles per hour, which is 87 knots.
14 CFR §107.51Visual line of sight at all times
The remote PIC and any person manipulating the controls must be able to see the aircraft with unaided vision, other than corrective lenses, to know its location, attitude, and direction of flight and to see and avoid other aircraft.
14 CFR §107.31Day, civil twilight, or night with lighting
Operations at night or during civil twilight require anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles, flashing at a rate that helps avoid a collision.
14 CFR §107.29No flying from a moving vehicle
You may not operate from a moving vehicle or aircraft unless the flight is over a sparsely populated area and is not transporting property for compensation.
14 CFR §107.25No careless operation or dropped objects
You may not operate in a careless or reckless manner, and you may not drop or release an object in a way that creates an undue hazard to persons or property.
14 CFR §107.23Operations Over People and Over Moving Vehicles
The baseline rule is that you may not fly a small unmanned aircraft over a person who is not directly participating in the operation, is not under a covered structure, and is not inside a stationary vehicle. Subpart D creates four categories that make such flights legal, and each category is defined by how much injury the aircraft could cause on impact. Categories 2 and 3 require the manufacturer to show compliance with an accepted means of compliance and declare it to the FAA, so eligibility is a property of the specific aircraft model, not of the pilot. Sustained flight over moving vehicles is more restricted still and is generally limited to closed or restricted access sites, with an allowance for aircraft that simply transit the area.
Default prohibition on flight over people
Do not fly over a human being unless that person is a direct participant, is under a covered structure, is inside a stationary covered vehicle, or the operation meets a Subpart D category.
14 CFR §107.39Category 1: under 0.55 pound
The aircraft weighs less than 0.55 pound (250 grams) including everything on board, and has no exposed rotating parts that could lacerate human skin.
14 CFR §107.110Category 2: 11 foot-pounds of impact energy
The aircraft would transfer no more than 11 foot-pounds of kinetic energy to a person on impact, has no lacerating exposed parts and no safety defects, verified through a declared means of compliance.
14 CFR §107.115Category 3: 25 foot-pounds, no open-air assemblies
The aircraft would transfer no more than 25 foot-pounds on impact and may not be flown over open-air assemblies; flight is limited to closed or restricted access sites or to brief transit over people.
14 CFR §107.120Category 4: airworthiness certificate required
The aircraft holds an airworthiness certificate, is maintained per the manufacturer's instructions, and keeps the required maintenance records.
14 CFR §107.125Sustained flight over moving vehicles
Sustained flight over people in moving vehicles is limited to closed or restricted access sites where occupants have been notified, or to aircraft that merely transit the area.
14 CFR §107.145Waivers, Impairment, Accident Reporting, and Preflight
When a job cannot fit inside the standard limits, the answer is a certificate of waiver or an airspace authorization requested through the FAA DroneZone portal, and the applicant must describe how equivalent safety will be maintained. Not every rule can be waived: the requirement to hold a certificate, the ban on careless operation, and the alcohol and drug rules always apply. Impairment rules mirror manned aviation, with an eight-hour minimum between drinking and flying and a 0.04 percent blood alcohol limit. Finally, every operation begins with a preflight familiarization and inspection, and a small set of accidents must be reported to the FAA within 10 calendar days.
Certificate of waiver
The FAA may waive certain operating rules if the applicant shows the proposed operation can be conducted safely; not all sections are waivable.
14 CFR §107.200Airspace authorization for controlled airspace
Operations in Class B, C, D, or the surface area of Class E airspace require prior ATC authorization, commonly obtained through LAANC or DroneZone.
14 CFR §107.418 hours and 0.04 percent BAC
Do not act as remote pilot, visual observer, or direct participant within 8 hours of consuming alcohol, while under the influence, or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or more.
14 CFR §107.27Self-ground for any impairing condition
You may not operate or serve as a required crewmember if you know or have reason to know you have a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe operation.
14 CFR §107.17Report accidents within 10 calendar days
Report to the FAA within 10 calendar days any operation resulting in serious injury, loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the aircraft of at least $500 to repair or replace at fair market value.
14 CFR §107.9Preflight familiarization and inspection
Before each flight the remote PIC must assess the operating environment, brief participants, verify sufficient power, and inspect the aircraft to ensure it is in a condition for safe operation.
14 CFR §107.49Test your knowledge
Practice questions on Regulations: Certification, Operating Limits, and Remote Pilot Responsibilities