Registration processes

Applicant, test, certificate, aircraft, and Remote ID data workflows.

“Registering” can mean four different tasks. Complete the ones that apply:

IACRA applicant registration and FTN.
PSI knowledge-test registration.
IACRA Remote Pilot Certificate application.
FAA DroneZone aircraft registration and Remote ID inventory.

A. Create the IACRA applicant account and obtain an FTN

Before beginning, have a stable email address, legal name and suffix, residential address, mailing address if different, date of birth, and identification handy.

Open IACRA and select Register.
Select the Applicant role. Other roles do not replace Applicant.
Accept the Terms of Service and continue.
Complete the user profile. If no FAA certificate is held, leave the existing- certificate section blank.
Enter the full legal name exactly as it appears on identification. It must match the knowledge-test record. Include a suffix when applicable.
Enter a working email address and create the username/password.
Resolve any validation messages and submit registration.
Record the displayed FTN; IACRA also emails it. Keep it permanently—do not create another IACRA identity for a later application.

The FTN is safe to enter into the FAA testing workflow but should still be treated as personal account information. Do not put credentials, birth dates, or identification images in this repository.

B. Register for the UAG knowledge test

Go to the PSI FAA portal.
Create/sign in to the testing account using identity information that matches IACRA and supply the FTN.
Select Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG). Verify that it is the initial certification test, not recurrent training.
Choose the test center, appointment, and payment method. Confirm the current fee, rescheduling/cancellation terms, and accommodation procedure in PSI.
Review the FAA/PSI identification matrix. Bring the accepted original, unexpired identification and any approved accommodation documents.
After testing, retain the AKTR. Verify the name, FTN/test data, score, and 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID.

Test facts from the ACS: 60 questions, two hours, 70% pass. A passing result is usable for the application for 24 calendar months. A failed applicant waits 14 calendar days before retesting.

C. Apply for the Remote Pilot Certificate after passing UAG

Wait up to 48 hours for the result to reach IACRA.
Sign in to IACRA and choose Start New Application.
Select application type Pilot.
Select certification Remote Pilot.
Complete Other Path Information and start the application.
Complete every Form 8710-13 section. Check legal name, addresses, citizenship, physical-description fields, certificate history, and answers before signing.
Enter the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID when prompted.
Review, electronically sign, and submit.
Monitor email and IACRA. After TSA security vetting, follow the instructions to retrieve/print the temporary certificate.
Verify the permanent card when it arrives. Correct discrepancies through the FAA process rather than creating another profile.

Carry the certificate and government-issued photo identification while acting as remote PIC, ready to present to authorized persons under the rule.

D. Part 61 training-course application

Only use this path when holding a Part 61 pilot certificate and a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months.

Complete FAASTeam course ALC-451 and retain its completion certificate.
In IACRA start Pilot → Remote Pilot, choosing the training-course basis.
Finish and sign the application.
Arrange validation with an FSDO, DPE, ACR, or CFI.
Bring IACRA application ID/FTN, photo identification, Part 61 certificate, flight-review evidence, and ALC-451 certificate.
Follow the validator/IACRA instructions for temporary and permanent issuance.

E. Register each Part 107 aircraft in FAA DroneZone

Source: FAA aircraft registration instructions

For Part 107, every aircraft used must be individually registered, including an aircraft at or below 0.55 lb. The recreational-only exception for aircraft at or below 0.55 lb does not apply to Part 107. A recreational registration cannot be transferred into a Part 107 registration.

Prepare:

Owner's physical and mailing addresses, email, and phone.
Aircraft manufacturer/make and model.
Standard Remote ID or broadcast-module type and its exact Remote ID serial number, when applicable.
Payment card.
Confirmation that the aircraft or module appears on an FAA-accepted Remote ID Declaration of Compliance when that is the compliance basis.

Workflow:

Open FAA DroneZone and create/sign in to the owner account.
Launch Drone Owners and Pilots Dashboard.
Select the Part 107 Dashboard, not Recreational Flyer.
Open Manage Device Inventory and choose Add Device.
Answer the Remote ID question accurately.
Select Standard Remote ID drone or Remote ID broadcast module, as applicable. For a module, enter the aircraft make/model and the module's RID serial number as directed.
Enter the Remote ID serial exactly; distinguish it from the aircraft serial, Wi-Fi identifier, registration number, or controller serial.
Add the device, review the record, complete payment, and finish registration.
Download/save the registration certificate. Part 107 registration currently costs $5 per aircraft and is valid for three years.
Mark the aircraft with the FAA registration number on an external surface so it is accessible and legible under the marking rule.
Carry paper or digital proof during flight. A person operating the owner's aircraft must also have the certificate available.
Set a renewal reminder and update/cancel inventory records when facts change.

For an already-listed Part 107 aircraft gaining Remote ID, use the device's Actions menu, select Edit, change the Remote ID answer to Yes, enter the RID serial, and save, following the current DroneZone prompts.

Registration decision table

Operation	Aircraft weight	Registration treatment
Part 107	0.55 lb or less	Register each aircraft
Part 107	Over 0.55 lb and under 55 lb	Register each aircraft in DroneZone
Recreational exception only	0.55 lb or less	FAA registration exception may apply
Any operation	55 lb or more	Part 48 small-drone online path does not apply; use applicable FAA aircraft-registration/certification path

F. Validate Remote ID before flight

Registration does not prove the equipment is broadcasting correctly.

Confirm one legal method: Standard Remote ID aircraft, broadcast module, or operation inside a FRIA under all FRIA conditions. Limited FAA authorizations are case-specific, not a general fourth consumer option.
Check the FAA Declaration of Compliance system for the aircraft/module when applicable. Manufacturers—not pilots—submit DoCs.
Confirm the DroneZone inventory contains the correct RID serial.
Power up and complete the Remote ID preflight status check. Do not launch if the aircraft indicates the Remote ID equipment is not functioning unless the operation is legally permitted by another method.
With a broadcast module, maintain VLOS and understand that it broadcasts the takeoff location rather than a moving control-station location.

Frequent registration failures

Creating PSI or DroneZone records before obtaining/matching the FTN.
Using a nickname, omitted suffix, or changed name in only one system.
Confusing the FTN, exam ID, airman certificate number, aircraft registration number, and Remote ID serial number.
Selecting the Recreational dashboard for an aircraft intended for Part 107.
Entering an aircraft/controller serial where the RID serial is requested.
Assuming sub-250 g aircraft need no registration under Part 107.
Marking the aircraft but failing to carry the registration certificate.
Treating registration, Remote ID compliance, or a LAANC grid as permission to fly.