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⚠️ Regulatory Disclaimer: The requirements, fees, and processes described in this article reflect FAA Part 107 regulations as of May 2026, sourced directly from the FAA website (faa.gov) and verified industry publications. Drone regulations can change. Always verify current requirements at faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators before beginning the certification process. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
You’ve been flying your drone recreationally for a while. You’re getting good. People are asking if you can shoot aerial footage of their property, their wedding, their construction site. You’re starting to wonder — could this actually make me money?
The answer is yes. But the moment any business purpose enters the picture — even if no money changes hands — you legally need an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. No certificate, no commercial flying. It’s that simple.
The good news? Getting certified is more straightforward than most people think. You don’t need a pilot’s license. You don’t need flight experience. You don’t need an aviation degree. You need to study, pass a 60-question exam, and complete some paperwork. That’s it.
This guide walks you through every step of the 2026 certification process — what it costs, what to study, what to expect on exam day, and what happens after you pass.
Already familiar with the basic FAA rules? This article builds directly on our full drone laws breakdown: [Link: FAA Rules Every Pilot Should Know — Week 3 Article]
Who Actually Needs Part 107?
Before we get into the process, let’s clear up the biggest source of confusion: who actually needs this certificate?
The FAA divides all drone flights into two categories:
- Recreational (49 USC 44809) — flying strictly for fun. Requires TRUST test + registration for drones over 250g. No knowledge exam, no testing center.
- Part 107 (Civil Operations) — everything else.
Here’s where pilots get tripped up: “commercial” doesn’t just mean getting paid.
The FAA defines commercial use as flight “in furtherance of a business” — and that net is cast very wide. You need Part 107 if:
- You’re photographing a property for a real estate listing — even as a favor
- You’re filming a friend’s wedding — even for free
- You’re creating content for a YouTube channel that runs ads
- You’re volunteering drone footage for a non-profit or church website
- You’re a roofer using a drone to inspect your own jobs
- You’re doing any work-related task that benefits your employer
As one training provider puts it neatly: a $300 DJI Mini flown for a paying client requires a Part 107 license. A $2,000 professional rig flown on a weekend for fun does not.
If you’re ever unsure — if there’s any question at all — assume Part 107 applies. Getting caught flying commercially without certification carries civil penalties of up to $27,500 per violation.
What Part 107 Actually Gets You
Your Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate isn’t just a legal checkbox — it genuinely expands what you can do.
With Part 107 you can:
- Fly commercially and get paid for your flights
- Fly at night (with anti-collision lighting)
- Fly over moving vehicles under certain conditions
- Fly over people under certain conditions
- Apply for waivers to exceed standard operating limits
- Access controlled airspace via LAANC without recreational restrictions
- Obtain professional drone insurance (most insurers require it)
Limits that still apply:
- Visual line of sight required (waiver available)
- 400 feet AGL maximum altitude in uncontrolled airspace
- Each drone must be individually registered ($5 per aircraft)
- Remote ID required on all registered drones
- LAANC or DroneZone authorization required near airports
Eligibility: What You Need Before You Start
The FAA’s eligibility requirements for Part 107 are minimal:
✅ Be at least 16 years old (no maximum age) ✅ Be able to read, write, speak, and understand English ✅ Be in a physical and mental condition that doesn’t interfere with safe drone operation (self-certified — no medical exam required) ✅ Not be subject to any FAA order denying an airman certificate
That’s it. No prior flying experience. No aviation background. No flight hours. If you meet those four criteria, you’re eligible to begin.
The Full Step-by-Step Process
Here is the exact workflow for earning your Part 107 certificate in 2026, in the correct order.
✅ Step 1: Create Your IACRA Account and Get Your FTN
IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application) is the FAA’s official portal for all pilot certifications. You must create an account here before you can do anything else.
How to do it:
- Go to iacra.faa.gov
- Select “Register” and create an account as an “Applicant”
- Complete your profile — make sure your name exactly matches your government-issued photo ID, including middle names. Even a small discrepancy can get you rejected at the testing center.
- You’ll receive an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) — a 10-digit identifier that looks like C1234567
Write your FTN down and keep it somewhere safe. You cannot schedule your exam without it, and you’ll need it for all future FAA certifications.
Cost: Free Time: 15–30 minutes
✅ Step 2: Study for the UAG Knowledge Exam
The Part 107 exam is called the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG). It consists of 60 multiple-choice questions with a 2-hour time limit. You need a score of 70% or higher (42 out of 60 correct) to pass.
Most pilots recommend scoring consistently 80–85% on practice tests before booking the real thing — that buffer protects you against tricky question wording and covers any gaps.
What the exam actually tests:
The UAG exam covers six main topic areas. Here’s roughly how much weight each carries:
| Topic | Notes |
|---|---|
| Airspace classification & operating requirements | Class B, C, D, E, G — know them cold |
| Sectional chart reading | ~30% of the exam — the most visual and tricky section |
| Aviation weather | METARs, TAFs, wind patterns, clouds, fog |
| Part 107 regulations | Operating rules, waivers, crew requirements |
| Drone performance & loading | Weight, center of gravity, battery effects |
| Emergency procedures | Lost link, fly-aways, airspace violations |
The sectional chart section catches most people off guard. These are the maps used by manned aircraft pilots to navigate airspace — and reading them is a skill you genuinely have to develop. Plan to spend dedicated time on this area.
Your study options:
Free route (~$0 beyond exam fee):
- FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22) — download free at faa.gov
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement — includes sample sectional charts
- Drone U free Part 107 Study Guide — plain-English breakdown of exam topics
- YouTube — search “Part 107 study guide” for free video walkthroughs
Paid courses ($99–$549):
- Drone Pilot Ground School (UAV Coach) — 99% reported pass rate, structured video curriculum, $299–$549 depending on tier, money-back guarantee if you don’t pass first try
- Drone Launch Academy — highly regarded, includes practice exam system and rule-change updates
- Red Raven UAS — built by FAA and public safety veterans, includes AI tutor
The paid courses are worth considering if you want a clear structure and accountability — especially the sectional chart and weather sections which are hardest to self-teach. Most students report 15–20 hours of study time to feel ready.
Part 107 Study Guide — Amazon is a useful physical reference alongside online prep.
Cost: $0 (free resources) to ~$300–$500 (prep course) Time: 2–4 weeks of consistent studying
✅ Step 3: Schedule Your Exam at a PSI Testing Center
Once you’re consistently hitting 80%+ on practice tests, it’s time to book your exam.
How to book:
- Go to faa.psiexams.com — the FAA’s approved testing provider
- Search for testing centers near you (there are approximately 800 locations across the US)
- Select “UAG — Unmanned Aircraft General – Small” as your exam
- Enter your FTN when prompted
- Choose a date, time, and location that works for you
- Pay the $175 exam fee directly to PSI
On exam day, bring:
- Government-issued photo ID (name must exactly match your IACRA profile)
- Your FTN
- Nothing else — no notes, no phone, no calculator. The testing center provides scratch paper.
If you fail: You must wait 14 calendar days before retaking the exam, and you pay the $175 fee again. This is why preparation matters — a retake isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s another $175 and two more weeks of delay.
Cost: $175 (mandatory, no exceptions) Time: 2-hour exam window
✅ Step 4: Complete Your IACRA Application After Passing
After you pass, your score will appear in the IACRA system within 48 hours of your test date.
What to do:
- Log back into your IACRA account at iacra.faa.gov
- When prompted, enter your 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID from your score report
- Complete FAA Form 8710-13 (Remote Pilot Certificate application) — it’s online and takes about 15 minutes
- Sign the application electronically and submit
A TSA security background check runs automatically at this point. For the vast majority of applicants, this is invisible — you’ll simply receive a confirmation email when it’s complete. If you’re not on any government watchlist, this is a formality.
Cost: Free Time: 15–30 minutes
✅ Step 5: Print Your Temporary Certificate and Wait for the Permanent One
Once your application is processed and the TSA check clears:
- You’ll receive an email confirmation with instructions to print a temporary remote pilot certificate from IACRA — this is your legal authorization to fly commercially
- Your permanent certificate (a plastic card) arrives by mail in 6–8 weeks
The temporary certificate is fully valid. You can start flying commercially as soon as you have it in hand — you don’t need to wait for the plastic card.
You must carry your certificate (temporary or permanent) whenever you fly commercially.
Cost: Free Time: 7–10 days for temporary; 6–8 weeks for permanent card
✅ Step 6: Register Your Drones at FAADroneZone
Unlike recreational registration (which covers your whole fleet under one $5 fee), Part 107 registration is per aircraft — each drone gets its own registration number.
How to do it:
- Go to faadronezone-access.faa.gov
- Log in and select “Fly sUAS under Part 107”
- Register each drone you own — $5 per drone, valid for 3 years
- Mark each drone’s exterior with its registration number
Cost: $5 per drone Time: 10–15 minutes per drone
Total Cost Summary
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| IACRA account creation | Free |
| Study materials (free route) | Free |
| Study course (optional but recommended) | $99–$549 |
| UAG knowledge exam | $175 |
| IACRA application | Free |
| Drone registration (per aircraft) | $5 each |
| Minimum total | $180 |
| Typical total (with prep course) | $300–$550 |
Keeping Your Certificate Current: Recurrent Training
Here’s something many new pilots miss: your Part 107 certificate doesn’t expire, but your aeronautical knowledge currency does.
Every 24 calendar months from the date you passed your initial exam, you must complete recurrent training to remain legally current. The good news:
- The recurrent training is completely free through the FAA’s online platform
- It’s done entirely online — no testing center, no in-person exam
- It takes 2–3 hours to complete
- Course name: Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-677)
The clock starts from your exam date, not the date you received your certificate. If you passed on June 1, 2024, your recurrent training is due by June 1, 2026 — regardless of when the plastic card arrived.
Missing the renewal window doesn’t cancel your certificate — it just means you can’t fly commercially until you complete the free online training. You don’t have to retake the full exam.
What to Expect on Exam Day
A few practical things that will make your test day smoother:
Arrive early. Testing centers typically ask you to arrive 15–30 minutes before your scheduled time. Showing up late can result in forfeiting your exam slot and fee.
Bring exactly what they asked for. Government-issued photo ID. Your FTN. Nothing else. No study materials, no phone (it’ll be locked away), no smart watch.
The interface is straightforward. The exam is computer-based with multiple choice questions. You can flag questions and return to them. You’ll know your score immediately when you finish.
Don’t panic on sectional charts. These questions look complicated, but they test a finite set of skills — airspace boundaries, obstacle markers, and altitude restrictions. Practice them specifically during your study period and they become very manageable.
The weather questions are harder than they look. METAR and TAF decoding requires memorization. Don’t skip this section in your prep.
Is Part 107 Worth It?
Let’s be honest about this — because it’s a real question.
The exam costs $175, requires 15–20 hours of study, and takes a few weeks of administrative processing. Is that worth it?
For most people who are serious about drones: yes, clearly.
The certificate opens the door to the full commercial drone industry — real estate photography, construction mapping, agricultural surveys, infrastructure inspection, event filming, and more. The Drone Service Industry is projected to reach $123.82 billion by 2034, and certified pilots are the only ones who can legally work in it.
We’re going to do a full breakdown of drone income potential and the most viable commercial niches in an upcoming article.
For now: if any part of you is considering using your drone for anything beyond pure personal recreation, the certificate is worth getting. The barrier is low, the cost is manageable, and it only needs to be done once.
Your Part 107 Checklist
Here’s the complete process at a glance:
- [ ] Create IACRA account → get your FTN
- [ ] Study for 15–20 hours (free or paid resources)
- [ ] Score 80–85%+ consistently on practice tests
- [ ] Book exam at PSI testing center → pay $175
- [ ] Pass UAG exam (70%+ required)
- [ ] Wait 48 hours → complete IACRA application
- [ ] Receive temporary certificate by email (7–10 days)
- [ ] Register drones at FAADroneZone ($5 each)
- [ ] Receive permanent certificate by mail (6–8 weeks)
- [ ] Set a reminder for recurrent training every 24 months
Conclusion
Getting your FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is one of the most straightforward certifications in aviation — and one of the most valuable for anyone serious about drones. The process is: create your IACRA account, study hard (especially sectional charts and weather), pass a 60-question exam for $175, file some paperwork, and wait for the mail.
Total timeline from start to flying commercially: as little as 3–4 weeks.
If you’re ready to take it seriously, the drone industry is waiting. And if you want to understand what commercial flying actually looks like day-to-day — the income, the niches, and the reality of drone work — we’re covering all of that in an upcoming article.
Next week we’re diving into one of the most underrated corners of the drone world — agricultural UAVs, and how they’re quietly transforming farming from the sky.
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