Study guide
Part 107 is the federal rulebook that makes commercial and other non-recreational drone flying legal (purely recreational flyers may instead operate under the separate Section 44809 exception), and the knowledge test devotes more questions to this chapter than to any other single topic. This chapter walks through who may fly, what the aircraft and pilot must have before takeoff, the numeric operating limits the exam loves to test precisely, and the newer rules on Remote ID and flying over people. Educational content only — always confirm current rule text at faa.gov before you fly.
Certification, Registration, and Pilot Responsibilities
To operate a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) for anything other than pure recreation, you need a Remote Pilot Certificate, earned by passing the initial knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center or, for existing manned-aircraft certificate holders, an online training course. The certificate itself does not expire, but under 107.65 a remote pilot must complete recurrent training or a recurrent knowledge test every 24 calendar months to keep exercising the privileges of the certificate. Section 107.7 requires the remote pilot in command to make certain records available to the FAA on request, including the pilot certificate and any documents showing compliance with the rule, and to allow the FAA to inspect or test the aircraft and the pilot's records. Section 107.12 is the certification requirement itself: no person may act as a remote pilot in command, or as a person manipulating the flight controls, without holding a remote pilot certificate with an sUAS rating, unless directly supervised by someone who does hold one and who accepts responsibility for the flight. Every aircraft flown under Part 107 must be registered with the FAA regardless of weight and marked with the registration number in a visible location — the 0.55-pound registration exemption applies only to aircraft flown exclusively under the recreational exception — and unregistered flight is a violation independent of any Part 107 operating rule. Picture a photographer named Devon who passed his knowledge test in March; his certificate is good indefinitely, but he calendars a reminder for 24 months out to complete recurrent training so he never flies on a lapsed currency.
Airworthiness, Preflight, and the Core Numeric Limits
Before every flight, the remote pilot in command must inspect the sUAS to ensure it is in a condition for safe operation, checking the airframe, control links, propulsion system, and communication link. There is no FAA-issued airworthiness certificate for most small UAS the way there is for manned aircraft; instead, the pilot's preflight inspection and the operator's own maintenance practice are what keep the aircraft airworthy. Section 107.51 sets the core operating limits the exam tests precisely. Altitude: no higher than 400 feet above ground level (AGL), unless the small UAS is flown within a 400-foot radius of a structure and does not fly higher than 400 feet above the structure's immediate uppermost limit — a rule written for inspecting towers, cranes, and tall buildings. Groundspeed: no faster than 100 miles per hour (87 knots). Weight: the small UAS, including everything it carries, must weigh less than 55 pounds at takeoff, unless it is certificated under an exemption process. These three numbers — 400 feet, 100 mph, 55 pounds — are foundational and worth memorizing cold, since test questions frequently swap in a wrong number as a distractor.
Daylight, Visual Line of Sight, and Crew Roles
Section 107.29, amended effective April 2021, now permits operation at night without a waiver, provided the remote pilot has completed the updated initial knowledge test or updated recurrent training covering night operations and the small UAS has anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision hazard; the same lighting is required during civil twilight — roughly 30 minutes before official sunrise and 30 minutes after official sunset (a longer period in Alaska). Section 107.31 requires the remote pilot in command, the visual observer if one is used, and the person manipulating the controls to be able to see the aircraft with unaided vision (glasses and sunglasses are fine; binoculars are not, except for momentary augmentation) throughout the flight — this is the visual line of sight (VLOS) requirement. A visual observer may supplement the remote pilot in command by watching the aircraft and calling out traffic or hazards, but a visual observer cannot manipulate the controls and does not replace the requirement that the remote pilot in command also maintain the ability to see the aircraft. Section 107.35 limits operations to one unmanned aircraft per remote pilot in command at a time. Section 107.37 requires the small UAS to yield right-of-way to any manned aircraft, and section 107.25 prohibits operating a small UAS from a moving vehicle or aircraft over a populated area, though operation from a moving land or water-borne vehicle is allowed in sparsely populated areas if the aircraft is not carrying another person's property for compensation.
Fitness to Fly, Operations Over People, and Remote ID
Section 107.27 prohibits a remote pilot from operating, or attempting to operate, an sUAS while under the influence of alcohol or drugs to a degree that would impair safety, and it applies the same alcohol standard used for manned pilots — commonly summarized as the 8-hour rule: no alcohol consumption within 8 hours before flight, no flying with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater, and no flying while under the influence of any drug that affects faculties. Operations over people are grouped into four categories with escalating requirements. Category 1 covers small UAS weighing 0.55 pounds or less that pose minimal risk and can fly over people (not sustained flight over open-air assemblies without further conditions) without further FAA approval beyond meeting the weight and exposed-rotating-part standard. Categories 2 and 3 require the aircraft to be FAA-accepted under a means of compliance showing it will not cause injury above a defined severity threshold if it strikes a person, with Category 3 additionally restricting flight over open-air assemblies of people and requiring either a covered operation or brief transit; Category 4 requires the aircraft to hold an airworthiness certificate and an approved flight manual. Remote ID, required under Part 89, broadcasts an aircraft's identification, location, and control-station location so it is identifiable in flight; the main exceptions are aircraft weighing 0.55 pounds or less used only for recreation, and aircraft flown without Remote ID equipment strictly within the boundaries of an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA), a defined geographic area established for community-based organizations and educational institutions.
Accident Reporting and the Waiver Process
Section 107.9, now titled safety event reporting, requires the remote pilot in command to report to the FAA within 10 calendar days of any operation involving at least serious injury to any person, loss of consciousness, or damage to any property other than the small unmanned aircraft where the cost of repair (parts and labor) or the fair market value of the property, if destroyed, exceeds $500. Reports are typically filed through FAA DroneZone. Section 107.200 establishes the certificate of waiver process: the FAA may authorize a deviation from certain Part 107 provisions if the applicant demonstrates the proposed operation can be conducted safely under the terms of the waiver, submitted with supporting documentation through DroneZone. Only the sections listed in 107.205 are waivable, including 107.25 (moving vehicle), 107.29(a)(2) and (b) (night/civil-twilight anti-collision lighting), 107.31 (VLOS), 107.33 (visual observer), 107.35 (one aircraft per pilot), 107.37(a) (right of way), 107.39 (operations over people), 107.41 (controlled airspace), 107.51 (operating limitations), and 107.145 (operations over moving vehicles). Core sections are not waivable, including the certification requirement (107.12), registration and marking, the inspection, testing, and records-availability requirement (107.7), safety event reporting (107.9), the alcohol and drug prohibition (107.27), and the Remote ID rule under Part 89 — these protect baseline safety and accountability and cannot be traded away for operational flexibility.
Key terms
- Remote Pilot Certificate
- — The FAA airman certificate with an sUAS rating required to act as remote pilot in command or to manipulate controls without direct supervision.
- Remote pilot in command (PIC)
- — The person with final authority and responsibility for a small UAS operation and its safety, similar to a manned-aircraft PIC.
- Visual line of sight (VLOS)
- — The requirement that the pilot, visual observer, or person manipulating controls be able to see the aircraft with unaided vision throughout the flight.
- Visual observer
- — A crewmember who watches the aircraft and surrounding airspace to help the remote PIC maintain awareness, but who may not manipulate the flight controls.
- Civil twilight
- — The period roughly 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset during which Part 107 operations are allowed with anti-collision lighting.
- Anti-collision lighting
- — Lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles with an adequate flash rate, required for operations at night and during civil twilight under 107.29.
- Category 1-4 operations over people
- — The Part 107 framework grading permitted overflight of people by aircraft weight, injury-severity design standards, and airworthiness certification.
- Remote ID
- — The Part 89 requirement that most drones broadcast identification, location, and control-station data in flight for accountability and airspace safety.
- FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA)
- — A defined geographic area, sponsored by a community-based organization or educational institution, where aircraft without Remote ID equipment may still fly.
- Safety event reporting (107.9)
- — The requirement to report to the FAA within 10 calendar days any operation involving serious injury, loss of consciousness, or property damage exceeding $500.
- Certificate of waiver (107.200)
- — FAA authorization allowing a deviation from specific waivable Part 107 sections when the applicant shows the operation can be conducted safely.
- 8-hour rule
- — The prohibition on consuming alcohol within 8 hours of acting as a remote pilot, alongside the 0.04 blood alcohol concentration limit.
Exam tips
- Memorize the three headline numbers cold: 400 feet AGL, 100 mph groundspeed, 55 pounds takeoff weight — test writers love swapping in nearby wrong numbers.
- If a question asks whether a section can be waived, check whether it appears on the 107.205 list; registration, 107.7, 107.9, 107.12, and 107.27 are never waivable.
- Remember the structure exception separately from the base altitude rule: within 400 feet of a structure, you may exceed 400 feet AGL by up to 400 feet above the structure's top.
- A visual observer can help watch for traffic but never substitutes for the remote PIC's own duty to maintain visual line of sight.
- For accident/safety-event questions, look for either serious injury/loss of consciousness OR property damage over $500 — either one alone triggers the 10-day report.