3.3 RPA Weight Categories and Registration

The Five Weight Categories

CASA classifies remotely piloted aircraft by gross weight, and these categories drive which rules apply. AC 101-01 section 2.2.2 sets them out as the CASR weight classes; the same list is repeated in the licensing chapter as the RPA types that can be endorsed on a RePL. The categories are:

The airship variant is the special case to memorise: an RPA airship is medium if its envelope capacity is 100 m³ or less and large above that, independent of its weight in kilograms. Large RPA also attract additional certification requirements — under CASR 101.255 they need either an experimental certificate or a restricted-category certificate of airworthiness.

For licensing, a separate axis applies alongside weight: the category of aircraft — aeroplane, helicopter (single-rotor class), helicopter (multirotor class), airship, or powered-lift. Your RePL is endorsed with both, for example multi-rotor, < 7 kg.

Registration Rules

Registration is not determined by weight. It is determined by how the drone is used, and it sits in CASR Part 47 (47.C.2) rather than Part 101:

• Flown for business or as part of your job: must be registered — no matter how much it weighs, including a micro RPA of 250 g or less, and including a drone flown only indoors.
• Flown purely for sport or recreation: registration is not required, including for drones over 250 g and model aircraft flown at CASA-approved model airfields.
• Repairers and manufacturers who do not intend to fly the aircraft are exempt, but must keep the records required by Divisions 11.1 and 11.2 of the MOS.

Registration is valid for 12 months, the registrant must be at least 16, and a registration levy scaled by weight may apply for business use. Proof of registration must be produced on request from CASA or police (CASR 47.099B), and operating an unregistered drone for business can attract a penalty of up to $18,200. An operator may register multiple RPA against their ARN (Aviation Reference Number); registration ties the aircraft to a legal operator so that CASA can trace ownership and enforce the rules.

Exam trap: "Any drone over 250 g must be registered" is the recreational answer and it is wrong for commercial work in both directions — a 200 g micro drone flown for a paid shoot must be registered, and a 1.5 kg drone flown only for fun need not be.

Licensing Requirements by Category

The weight category, combined with whether the operation is excluded or included, determines the licensing requirement:

• Micro and very small commercial operations sit outside the RePL/ReOC framework — accreditation only, plus registration because the flight is for business.
• Small commercial operations outside the small landholder excluded category are included — RePL under a ReOC required. The small landholder exclusion (own land, no payment) needs accreditation only.
• Medium commercial operations outside the medium landholder excluded category are included — RePL under a ReOC required. The medium landholder exclusion needs a RePL with a type rating and accreditation is not separately required (the RePL covers it).
• Large RPA are always included — RePL with an appropriate rating under a ReOC, always.

The Medium Landholder Nuance

The medium landholder category is the only excluded category that still requires a RePL. The rationale is risk: a >25 kg drone carries significant kinetic energy, so CASA requires a licensed pilot even when the operation is over the operator's own land with no reward. AC 101-01 puts it as a requirement to hold a remote pilot licence for the intended type and model of RPA — and because RPA above 25 kg are listed on the licence individually by name and maximum take-off weight, that means the specific aircraft must appear on your RePL.

By contrast, the small landholder category (>2–25 kg) does not require a RePL — accreditation is enough, because the smaller mass is considered lower risk.

Worked Examples

Example 1: 1.5 kg drone, commercial photo job over a client's property

A 1.5 kg drone falls in the very small category (>250 g–2 kg). A paid aerial photography job is commercial, but the very small category is an excluded category that permits commercial operations under the SOC. So:

• Excluded? Yes — very small sub-2 kg commercial.
• RePL required? No.
• ReOC required? No.
• Accreditation required? Yes (unless RePL/ReOC held).
• Registration required? Yes — the flight is for business.
• Must fly under the SOC — ≤120 m AGL, day only, VLOS, 30 m from uninvolved people, and the rest of the CASR 101.238 list.

Example 2: 7 kg drone, commercial job over a client's farm you do not own

A 7 kg drone falls in the small category (>2–25 kg). The client's farm is not land you own or lease, so the small landholder exclusion does not apply. Paid work means it is commercial. So:

• Excluded? No — the landholder exclusion requires the RPA owner to own or lease the land, and you are flying over a client's land.
• RePL required? Yes — included operation.
• ReOC required? Yes — included commercial operation.
• Accreditation required? No — the RePL/ReOC covers it.
• Registration required? Yes — the flight is for business.

This is the scenario that catches new operators: the same 7 kg drone used unpaid over your own land is a small landholder excluded operation (accreditation only), but used for paid work over someone else's land is an included operation needing both a RePL and a ReOC.

Example 3: 200 kg drone for any operation

A 200 kg drone is large (>150 kg). Large RPA are always included, regardless of land ownership or payment, and are regulated by the additional provisions in Subpart 101.F. A RePL listing that aircraft and a ReOC are always required, the aircraft needs an experimental or restricted-category certificate of airworthiness under CASR 101.255, and CASA advises operators to make contact for guidance before applying.