1.4 Registration and Marking Requirements

Registration and Marking

Registration rules come from 14 CFR Part 48 and apply to every Part 107 aircraft before its first flight. The exam tests the weight threshold, the per-aircraft rule, the cost, the duration, and the external-marking requirement.

Who Must Register

Any small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds must be registered with the FAA before it operates. The 0.55 lb floor is the same number that defines Category 1 operations over people — a useful cross-link.

Weight threshold trap: A drone at exactly 0.55 lb or less flown recreationally needs no registration. But the moment that same sub-250-gram drone is flown commercially under Part 107, it must be registered regardless of weight. Part 107 has no weight exemption from registration.

How Part 107 Registration Differs From Recreational

The single most tested difference: Part 107 requires a separate registration (and a separate number) for every aircraft, while recreational flyers may apply one registration number to their entire fleet.

The Registration Process (FAA DroneZone)

1. Create an account at the FAA DroneZone portal (faadronezone-access.faa.gov).
2. Register under the Part 107 / commercial path (not the recreational/exception path).
3. Provide your name, address, email, and the aircraft make, model, and Remote ID serial number.
4. Pay the $5 fee per aircraft and receive a unique registration number valid for 3 years.

Marking the Aircraft

Once registered, you must mark the aircraft with the registration number:

• It must be legible, maintained in legible condition, and affixed to the aircraft.
• Since February 25, 2019, the number must be on an external surface — it may no longer be tucked inside a battery compartment. This change followed concern that a hidden marking forced first responders to handle a potentially damaged aircraft to read it.
• Acceptable methods include permanent marker, engraving, a durable label, or paint.

Carrying Proof of Registration

The Remote PIC must have the certificate of aircraft registration available — on paper or electronically (for example a phone screenshot) — and present it on request by the FAA, NTSB, TSA, or any law enforcement officer.

Keeping Registration Current

• Registration must be renewed every 3 years through DroneZone.
• You must update your registration if your address or contact information changes.
• You must cancel registration when you sell, transfer, or permanently retire the aircraft so it is no longer linked to you.

For the exam: Memorize the four numbers — 0.55 lb threshold, $5 fee, 3-year validity, and per-aircraft registration for Part 107 — plus the external-surface marking rule.

Registration in Practice and Its Cross-Links

Registration looks simple, but the exam probes the edges: the weight threshold, the commercial-vs-recreational path, what to do when ownership changes, and how registration ties into Remote ID. Getting these edges right is what separates a passing score from a near-miss.

The 0.55-Pound Line Cuts Both Ways

The 0.55 lb (250 g) figure is one of the most reused numbers across all of Part 107 — it is the registration floor and the Category 1 over-people ceiling. But the registration floor applies only to recreational flying. The moment a sub-250-gram aircraft is used commercially under Part 107, registration becomes mandatory. Picture a 199-gram mini-drone: flown for fun, no registration; flown to shoot a paid wedding video, it must be registered. The exam will hand you the same tiny aircraft in two different contexts and expect two different answers.

Choosing the Correct Registration Path

When you log into DroneZone you must pick the right path, because they are not interchangeable:

Mixing these up is a real-world compliance error: a recreational number does not authorize commercial flight, and the FAA treats per-aircraft registration as a hallmark of legitimate Part 107 operation.

Marking, Legibility, and Inspection

The registration number must be legible to the naked eye and on an external surface. Engraving and durable labels survive weather better than ink, which fades. If the marking becomes illegible after a hard landing, the aircraft is technically out of compliance until re-marked. You must also be able to produce the certificate of registration — digitally is fine — for the FAA or law enforcement. Pair this with the Remote ID broadcast and an inspecting officer can identify your aircraft two ways: by reading the external number on the ground and by receiving the Remote ID signal in the air.

Life-Cycle Events

• Sale or transfer: cancel or transfer the registration so the airframe is no longer linked to you; the new owner registers it themselves.
• Total loss / retirement: cancel the registration to keep your DroneZone account accurate.
• Address or email change: update your registration record.
• Renewal: every 3 years, before expiration.

Worked example: You sell a registered Phantom to a colleague. You should cancel or transfer your registration; the buyer must register the aircraft anew under their own name and re-mark it with the new number before flying it commercially. Leaving your name on it could make you the FAA's first contact after an accident involving an aircraft you no longer control — a strong reason the rule exists.