Recreational drones weighing 250 grams (0.55 lbs) or more are required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which costs $5 and is valid for three years. They must have a Remote ID.
Recreational drones under this weight are not required to be registered and do not need a Remote ID.
All recreational drone operators must pass The Recreational Unmanned Aircraft System Safety Test, regardless of drone weight, and carry proof of passing it if asked by law enforcement or FAA personnel. They must also follow recreational flying rules on how, when and where they can operate drones for recreational purposes.
The registration requirements for recreational drones are:
the operator must be 13 years of age or older (or a person 13 years of age or older must register the drone)
a United States citizen or legal permanent resident
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.
