What Types of Drones Need to Be Registered with the FAA?
The FAA requires both commercial and non-commercial drone pilots to register their drone as a small UAS if the weight of the drone is between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds.
Registering an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone is a simple and straightforward process. All you will need as a drone pilot is the UAS type, manufacturer name, serial number, nickname, and model.
The cost to register each drone is $5 and the registration is valid for three years from the date of issuance.
Logging into to FAA Drone Zone
- To get started go to www.faadronezone.faa.gov. Once you enter the site, you will see a page that looks like this.
Click the “Register” button on the top (black arrow) if you are a commercial drone pilot flying under part 107. Click the “Register” button on the bottom (orange arrow) if you plan to fly for recreational purposes only and are not a Part 107 drone pilot.
Create Account in FAA Drone Zone
The next page you will see is the “Create Account” page as shown below. Enter your email and password twice and then click the “Create Account” button on the bottom of the page.
- Once you click “Create Account” you will receive a confirmation email that looks like the illustration below.
Click the link in the email (the link will be shown where the black rectangular box is). Once you click the link, your account will be verified, and you will be able to login to your new FAA Drone Zone account.
Manage UAS Inventory
Upon logging in to the FAA Drone Zone Portal, new drone pilots will see a screen like this.
New and existing commercial and hobbyist drone pilots will be able to register their drones through the FAA Drone Zone portal as well as apply for Part 107 waivers and authorizations.
- New users will be prompted to enter their contact information upon account activation to complete their account profile.
- To register a new drone, click “Manage sUAS Inventory” (See the arrow in the diagram below)
Adding Your Drone
- Once you click on “Manage sUAS Inventory” you will see a screen that looks like the diagram below. Existing Part 107 drone pilots will see their UAV inventory listed under “Your Registered Inventory.”
- After clicking “Add UAS” button, a window will appear prompting you to enter your drone information. See diagram below.
Under “UAS Type” choose “Home Built” if you built your own drone. Otherwise choose the “Purchased” option if you bought your UAV from a manufacturer such as DJI, Autel, or Skydio for instance. Enter manufacturer name, serial number (see note below on how to find your drone’s serial number), nickname (this can be anything you want that references your UAS or drone). Finally, enter your drone’s model (ex. Mavic Air 2, Phantom 4, etc.) Click add UAS and then the FAA Drone Zone page will prompt you to enter your payment information to legally register your drone. As mentioned previously, the cost to register your drone is $5 and the registration is good for three years.
How to Find Your Drones Serial Number
For most DJI model drones, UAV pilots can find their drone’s serial number on the bottom of the box or in the DJI Fly App or DJI Go 4 app under the settings page.
For the DJI Mini 2 and DJI Fly App, the drone serial number will be located in the profile section under the “device management” tab. Currently, the DJI Fly App is compatible with the Mavic Mini, Mavic Air 2, DJI Mini 2, DJI FPV and DJI Air 2S, according to DJI.com.
How to Find Drone Serial Number with DJI Fly App
- Click “Profile” on the Home Screen
- Click “Device Management”
- Aircraft Serial Number will be shown here.
Finding Drone Serial Number with DJI Go 4 App
To find the serial number for a drone using the DJI Go 4 App, tap the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Drones that use the DJI Go 4 App are the Spark, Mavic Air, Matrice 210 and 210 RTK, Matrice 200, Inspire 2, Mavic Pro and Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom, and all Phantom 4 Models.
Scroll down to the bottom and select the “About” button. Your drone’s serial number will be shown in the “About” section in the DJI Go 4 App.
Finding Your Drone’s Serial Number with a non-DJI Drone
Drone operators that are flying a non-DJI drone should refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for finding their serial number. If you have any questions about how to find your UAS/UAV serial number or specific inquiries related to registering your drone with the FAA, please contact us or leave a comment in the comments field below.
