So you decided that you will become a commercial drone pilot, you got a new and kickass drone, and you just completed your part 107 certificate. Now you’re ready to start flying! Right? There is actually one last and required step: to register your drone to the FAA.
Step 1: Head to the FAA Drone Zone Website
The process is super easy and only takes a few minutes. First things first, start by heading to the FAADroneZone website. This is where you will register your drone. Do not use any other site or service except for FAADroneZone, or you might lose your valuable time and money!
Step 2: Completing your part 107 profile
After signing in, the website takes you to the Part 107 profile page. You’ll start with providing your basic information such as your name and phone number.
You will then need to fill out your Part 107 account information. If your business is the same name as your real name, you can leave it as is. If not, uncheck the button where it says “Use your First and Last Name for Part 107 Account Name” and type in your business name.
Lastly, you will just need to fill in your physical and mailing address.
Step 3: Adding a drone to register
Now the real fun begins! Once you finish the Part 107 profile page, you’ll be directed to the dashboard. To register your drone, click on inventory, and then click on add device on the right corner.
The FAA will ask whether your drone has remote identification capabilities. As of July 2021, having remote ID capabilities does not exist. You can simply press no.
Next, fill in whether your drone is off the shelf (traditional) or homebuilt, your manufacturer, model, and serial number.
By the way, you can add as many drones as you need!
Step 4: Pay the Registration Fee
Once you fill in all of the drone information, you'll need to pay the FAA fee. It is $5 for each drone. You’ll only need to register your drone once every 3 years, so you won’t be spending a lot of money for bureaucratic purposes.
Step 5: Label your Drone
One last step and you’re done! Once you paid the registration fee, you will need to take the registration number provided and label your drone. You can do it through engraving, a permanent marker, or a permanent label.
Once everything is done, that’s it! You are now able to fly your drone commercially!
Want to learn more?
- Starting a New Drone Business? Top Lessons From The Past 5 Years
- Five Steps for Quality Drone Mapping
- 10 Hard Truths You Have to Face When Starting a Drone Business
