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  • Online aircraft registration now open to commercial and public aircraft users

The FAA continues to make life easier (albeit incrementally) for non-hobby UAS operators. Until today, all public and commercial operators were required to register their aircraft through an antiquated, cumbersome, and time consuming paper based system, even though hobby users have had access to an online system since the beginning of this year.

The FAA just announced that owners of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) used for commercial, public and other non-model aircraft operations will now be able to use the web-based registration process to register their aircraft. This will make registration vastly easier.

Commercial and public operators who have already registered through the old system do not have to do anything. The FAA is encouraging, but not requiring, new registrants to take advantage of the online system. Hobby users who have registered under the web-based system and who intend to use their aircraft for non-hobby purposes will need to re-register to provide aircraft specific information.

The FAA’s registration site is found here.

The attorneys at Frost Brown Todd are available to assist both hobby and non-hobby users with any questions that may arise during the registration process. For more information, please contact James Mackler in the firm’s Regulated Business Practice Group.