The government always seems to try to keep tabs on everything, and drone pilots are no exception. That being said, why do you need to register your drone? The truth is the FAA has some pretty good reasons to force hobby and commercial drone pilots to register their drones.
You need to register your drone for two main reasons. The first reason is so that the FAA has a point of contact to stop you from flying in a specific area or altitude in your area in emergency situations. The second reason is accountability. If someone flies their drone into your windscreen, wouldn’t you want to be able to track the drone’s owner so that you can get them to pay for the damage?
That being said, you might be wondering what happens if you don’t register your drone, or if you even need to register your drone. Keep reading to find the answer to those questions.
What Happens If I Don’t Register My Drone?
Well initially probably nothing. It’s very rare that someone will actually check that your drone has been registered. That being said, I don’t condone this activity at all, in fact, I’m registered with the FAA as a hobby drone pilot myself. It’s not ethical, and as soon as you do get caught out, (you will sooner or later,) you’ll get a hefty fine.
The FAA has stated that you could get fined up to $27,500 for flying an unregistered drone. And if you committed a crime with a drone, that penalty could skyrocket up to $250,000 and it could even get you a prison sentence of up to three years. So don’t try it!
Make sure you get your drone registered, it only costs $5 and it literally takes two minutes in a simple online application.
BEFORE you do register your drone, there’s a slight chance that your drone won’t even need to be registered. Let’s dive into the FAA’s requirements on which drones need to be registered.
Which Hobby Drones Need To Be Registered?
The FAA, (Federal Aviation Administration) have very clear guidelines on which drones need to be registered.
In a nutshell, any recreational, (hobby,) or commercial drone that weighs over 250 grams or 0.55 lbs needs to be registered with the FAA, (Federal Aviation Administration.) On the other hand, if your drone weighs under 250 grams then you won’t need to register it. It’s as simple as that.
If you’re still not sure, keep reading. I’ll lay out some actual examples of drones below. First I’ll mention drones you don’t need to register, and then I’ll more on to drones that do need to be registered.
Drones types that weigh under 250 grams that DO NOT need to be registered.
Drones that weigh less than 250 grams are usually your toy drones that aren’t really that spectacular and generally cost under $100. They are usually harder to fly because they lack smart flying features. They also generally have poor quality camera’s if they have any at all. On top of that, they can’t really fly far or for long. Generally, you’ll keep them in the air only for around 5 minutes. In a nutshell, these are usually “toy” drones that are designed to be flown around in your back yard.
There’s only one exception that I know of, and that is the DJI Mavic Mini which is probably the most impressive drone that weighs less than 250 grams in the world, I’m not even exaggerating. DJI specifically designed this high-performance drone to pack as many of the features that they are known for into a tiny little drone that only weighs 249 grams, just so that you don’t need to register it in the U.S.
If you want a high-quality drone and you really can’t be bothered with the registration process, then consider getting a DJI Mavic Mini. If you’re looking for a cheaper “toy drone,” I wrote a whole list of drones you don’t need to register here.
Drones that weigh over 250 grams that do need to be registered.
On the other hand, you get your more advanced drones. These would generally include your Mavic 2 Pros and your Phantom 4 drones.
These drone types range between $500 and $1500. They come packed with impressed flying features that make flying them extremely easy. The camera’s they come with today are also really impressive. For example, the new Mavic Air 2 that’s only $799 comes with a camera that’s capable of taking a MASSIVE 48MP picture and it can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second which is extremely impressive. On top of that, these types of drones also come with the impressive flight time. In the Mavic Air 2 example, the drone can easily get out 4 miles and has around 30 minutes of flight time.
If you need to see more actual examples of drones that need to be registered, I wrote an article that shows a list of popular drones that do need to be registered here.
The Easy Way To Register Your Hobby Drone
Ok so if you’re still here reading this by now you’ve probably just realized that you’re going to have to bite the bullet and get your drone registered. Well, I have some good news for you.
I wrote a full article that shows you a step-by-step over the shoulder guide on how you can register as a hobby drone pilot. So make sure you check it out.
Before you do though I need to ask, are you at all planning to make money with your drone? Even through a YouTube channel? If yes then you’ll need to get a drone license. Keep reading to find out how.
How To Get A Drone Licence For Commercial Drone Pilots
If you’re using a drone that weighs over 250 grams or 0.55 lbs to make money through YouTube videos, or even as an aid to help inspect roofs for your roofing business, then you’ll need a drone license before you can begin the registeration process.
*Just to be clear, hobby/recreational drone pilots do not need to get a drone license. All you’ll need to do is follow this registration process.
Unfortunately getting your commercial drone license isn’t a quick process. It can easily take 4 months and it will cost you a minimum of $150. I say minimum, because if you fail the knowledge test then you’ll have to pay $150 again to retake it.
I’ve laid out everything you need to know to get your drone licence in the U.S here. So if you’re thinking of getting a commercial drone license, make sure you check it out.
So how do you even get started? I’ve added a video below that walks through the entire process. It’s actually really informative, so make sure you watch it.
Here’s how you can get your drone license as a commercial drone pilot. The process is done in three different phases.
- Phase 01. First, you need to study the part 107 drone laws. These are the same laws you need to know as a hobby drone pilot, however, you’ll be writing a test on them so you’ll need to learn them off by heart.
- Phase 02. Next, you need to take the knowledge test. There are a few things you need to do before you can take it. The FAA provided some study material here that you’ll need to memorize. After that, you’ll have to create an Integrated Airman Certification and Rating application profile here. Then finally, you’ll be able to book the knowledge test. Keep in mind it will cost $150.
- Phase 03. Then finally, you’ll need to register your drone with the FAA’s drone zone under “I fly under Part 107.” Once you have your registration number, don’t forget to mark your drone with it.