How to Get a Part 107 Drone License

Who this guide is for

This guide is for a first-time U.S. applicant who wants to understand the Part 107 path before choosing study materials or paying for prep. It also includes a bounded note for current Part 61 certificate holders, because FAA describes a separate path for some existing pilots.

This guide does not tell you whether a specific flight is legal. A real operation can also involve airspace, registration, Remote ID, waiver, local, property, venue, temporary flight restriction, or professional-scope checks.

Start with official FAA and eCFR sources

Use this article as a reading guide. The source of truth for Part 107 requirements is the current FAA and eCFR material.

Start with these sources:

• FAA - Become a Certificated Remote Pilot
• eCFR - 14 CFR Part 107
• FAA - Airman Testing
• FAA - Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix
• FAA - Part 107 Study Materials FAQ

FAA process pages and eCFR rule text can change. If a detail affects scheduling, eligibility, application steps, recurrent training, airspace, waivers, Remote ID, or operations over people, verify the current official source before acting.

What the FAA credential is called

People often say "drone license." The FAA credential for Part 107 operations is a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating.

If you act as remote pilot in command under Part 107, the certificate and knowledge-recency rules matter. Part 107 applies to civil small UAS operations in the United States unless an exception applies. It is not a blanket permission for every drone flight.

Basic eligibility

For first-time applicants, check eligibility before building a study plan. FAA and eCFR sources describe certificate eligibility in terms that include age, English ability, physical or mental condition, and the required knowledge path.

At a high level, the eligibility checks include:

• being at least 16 years old for certificate eligibility;
• being able to read, speak, write, and understand English, with the FAA limitation boundary where applicable;
• not knowing of a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe small UAS operation;
• meeting the applicable aeronautical knowledge requirement.

Do not reduce this to a casual checklist. If eligibility wording matters for your situation, read the current eCFR and FAA page directly.

First-time applicant path

For a first-time applicant, the path generally moves through FAA account, testing, and application steps:

1. Create an IACRA profile and get an FAA Tracking Number before registering for the test.
2. Schedule the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small test through FAA's testing-center process.
3. Bring acceptable current government-issued photo identification to the test.
4. Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test.
5. Complete FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA after the test result is available.
6. Follow the FAA-described security-background process before printing a temporary certificate from IACRA.
7. Receive the permanent certificate by mail after FAA-internal processing is complete.

FAA states that the knowledge test result may take up to 48 hours to appear in IACRA. Do not add your own assumptions about security-background timing, approval odds, or permanent-certificate timing.

If you already hold a Part 61 certificate

If you hold a Part 61 pilot certificate other than a student pilot certificate, your path may be different when you meet the FAA conditions for that route. FAA materials describe a path for eligible Part 61 certificate holders that includes a current flight review, FAA online training, IACRA, and identity/application validation through a qualifying representative.

This article does not replace the FAA page for that path. If you are using the Part 61 route, read the current FAA instructions before starting.

Free official study resources first

Do not start by assuming a paid course is required. FAA points applicants to official study materials such as the Airman Certification Standards, the Remote Pilot Study Guide, and sample questions for the Part 107 aeronautical knowledge test.

Use the free official materials to understand the FAA vocabulary, knowledge areas, and test structure. A paid course can still be useful if you want structure, practice, or support, but it is optional study support, not an FAA requirement.

Drone Home has no active course-provider relationship for this guide. Source links are included for reader verification, not compensation.

Current high-refresh test logistics

As reviewed on July 16, 2026, the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix lists the UAG test with 60 questions, 2.0 hours, and a 70 passing score. Treat those details as high-refresh logistics, not permanent facts.

Recheck the current FAA Testing Matrix before scheduling or publishing fixed test details. Also recheck FAA and eCFR sources before relying on identification, age-row, or retest notes.

The knowledge areas include topics such as regulations, airspace, weather, loading and performance, emergency procedures, crew resource management, communications, decision-making, airport operations, maintenance and preflight inspection, and night operations. That list is not a complete personal study plan by itself.

IACRA, temporary certificate, and permanent certificate boundary

IACRA is the FAA application system used in the process. For first-time applicants, the FAA page describes completing FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA after passing the knowledge test and then waiting for the FAA-described security-background step before printing the temporary certificate.

A temporary certificate has its own rule boundary and expiration conditions. The permanent certificate is sent by mail after FAA-internal processing is complete.

Do not promise same-day approval, fixed TSA timing, or a guaranteed date for receiving a permanent certificate unless a current FAA source directly supports that exact statement.

Recurrent knowledge and training

Passing the initial test is not the end of Part 107 source checks. A remote pilot may not exercise Part 107 privileges unless the knowledge-recency requirement has been met within the previous 24 calendar months.

FAA currently points Part 107 certificate holders to online recurrent training at no cost. Recheck the FAA page before relying on recurrent-training details.

What the certificate does not authorize by itself

A Remote Pilot Certificate is not permission to fly anywhere or perform every kind of operation.

Before a real flight, check whether the operation involves:

• controlled airspace authorization;
• a waiver for an operation outside Part 107 limits;
• Remote ID or registration requirements;
• night operation conditions;
• operations over people or moving vehicles;
• temporary flight restrictions;
• state, local, property, venue, park, school, event, or professional-scope rules.

Use this section as a boundary reminder, not as flight-specific advice.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating a paid course as an FAA requirement.
• Missing the exact FAA credential terminology.
• Confusing certificate eligibility with testing logistics.
• Assuming a Part 107 certificate makes any flight legal.
• Assuming controlled airspace, waivers, night operations, operations over people, moving vehicles, Remote ID, or local/property rules are solved by the certificate alone.
• Publishing test logistics without a visible reviewed date and current FAA source.
• Repeating provider price, guarantee, pass-rate, refund, support, ranking, partner, or enrollment claims without accepted provider-source review.

Practical next-step checklist

1. Open the FAA Remote Pilot page and eCFR Part 107.
2. Confirm which path applies to you: first-time applicant or eligible Part 61 certificate holder.
3. Review eligibility language before scheduling.
4. Create or confirm your IACRA access and FAA Tracking Number.
5. Use FAA free study materials before deciding whether paid prep is useful.
6. Recheck the FAA Testing Matrix before relying on UAG logistics.
7. After passing, follow the current IACRA application steps.
8. Before flying, check airspace, registration, Remote ID, waivers, TFRs, and local/property boundaries for the actual operation.

Related reading

• Part 107 hub
• Part 107 Course Options to Compare
• Part 107 Test Cost
• U.S. Drone Laws for Beginners
• FAA Drone Registration Guide
• Remote ID Explained
• LAANC Explained

FAQ

Is a paid Part 107 course required by the FAA?

No. This guide treats paid prep as optional study support. Start with FAA and eCFR sources and the free official study materials first.

Is the FAA credential really called a drone license?

"Drone license" is common wording, but the FAA credential is a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating.

Can I take the same path if I already hold a Part 61 pilot certificate?

Maybe not. FAA describes a separate path for some existing Part 61 certificate holders when the current FAA conditions are met. Check the FAA page before relying on that route.

How current are the UAG test details in this article?

The fixed UAG logistics in this article are reviewed against accepted sources dated July 16, 2026. Recheck the FAA Testing Matrix before scheduling, studying from old notes, or publishing fixed test details.

Does a Remote Pilot Certificate let me fly anywhere?

No. A certificate does not automatically resolve controlled airspace, waivers, Remote ID, registration, night operations, operations over people or moving vehicles, TFRs, local/property rules, or professional-scope requirements.

Does the certificate expire every two years?

This guide does not use shorthand like that. The safer source-bound framing is that Part 107 remote pilots must meet the FAA knowledge-recency requirement before exercising Part 107 privileges.

Sources

• eCFR - 14 CFR Part 107
• eCFR - 14 CFR 107.61
• eCFR - 14 CFR 107.65
• eCFR - 14 CFR 107.71
• FAA - Become a Certificated Remote Pilot
• FAA - Airman Testing
• FAA - Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix
• FAA - Part 107 Study Materials FAQ
• FAA IACRA
• PSI/Talogy - FAA Test Scheduling Portal
• FAA - Part 107 Airspace Authorizations
• FAA - Part 107 Waivers
• FAA - Remote ID
• FAA - LAANC