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United States · Knowledge test

Part 107 drone license: the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate

If you fly a drone for work or business in the US, you need a Remote Pilot Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). People call it the Part 107 drone license, after Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 107, the FAA’s rule for small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). You must be at least 16 and pass the Unmanned Aircraft General-Small (UAG) knowledge test at a PSI Services test center: 60 questions in 2 hours, with 70% to pass. Then you apply online, and you keep the certificate usable with free FAA training every 24 calendar months.

  • 60Multiple-choice questions on the UAG test
  • 2 hoursTime allowed at the test center
  • 70%Score you need to pass
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated November 2026 · Written from the FAA Remote Pilot Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-10B, effective April 6, 2021) and the Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22, August 2016)

Key facts

At a glance

Issued by
The FAA, under 14 CFR Part 107
Covers
Flying drones under 55 pounds for work, business or anything not purely for fun
Age
16 for the certificate; the test from 14
Test fee
Paid to PSI Services when you book; PSI sells FAA test vouchers at $175 plus tax
Keeping it valid
Free online FAA training within every 24 calendar months

How it works

How the Part 107 drone license test works, from IACRA to your result

UAG knowledge test
70%
To pass you need at least 70%.
  1. Make a profile in the FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA). It gives you an FAA Tracking Number (FTN), which you need to book.
  2. Book the Unmanned Aircraft General-Small (UAG) test online with PSI Services, the FAA’s testing vendor, and pay PSI when you book.
  3. At the center, the proctor checks your ID. No instructor endorsement or other written permission is needed for the UAG test.
  4. Before the test starts, the testing software lets you practice moving around the screen, marking a question for review and watching the clock.
  5. Every question is multiple choice with one correct answer.
  6. The proctor gives you your Airman Knowledge Test Report when you finish. It can take up to 48 hours for the result to show in IACRA, where you apply for the certificate.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

Regulations

The rules in Part 107 and Part 89 that you fly under: who can be remote pilot in command, the operating limits, waivers, flying over people and Remote ID.

Key points (4)
  • A small unmanned aircraft weighs less than 55 pounds on takeoff, including everything on board or attached (14 CFR 107.3).
  • The aircraft may not go faster than 87 knots (100 miles per hour) or higher than 400 feet above ground level, unless it stays within 400 feet of a structure and no more than 400 feet above its top (107.51).
  • You need at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility from the control station, and must stay 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds (107.51).
  • You must report to the FAA within 10 calendar days any operation that causes serious injury, loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the drone of more than $500 (107.9).
02

Airspace classification and operating requirements

Reading airspace on a sectional chart, knowing where you need air traffic control authorization, and the hazards and notices that affect a low-level flight.

Key points (3)
  • You need prior authorization from air traffic control (ATC) to fly in Class B, C or D airspace, or in the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport (107.41).
  • You may not fly in prohibited or restricted areas without permission from the agency that uses or controls them (107.45).
  • The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) also list hazards such as flying beneath unmanned balloons, laser operations, thermal plumes from smoke stacks and the wire environment (UA.II.B.K4).
03

Weather

Where aviation weather comes from and how wind, density altitude, fronts and storms change the way a small drone flies.

Key points (3)
  • Area III of the ACS has two tasks: sources of weather (A) and effects of weather on performance (B).
  • The weather sources you need to read include aviation routine weather reports (METARs) and terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs) (UA.III.A).
  • Weather counts for 11% to 16% of the questions on the test.
04

Loading and performance

How weight, balance and center of gravity change a drone’s stability, and how to use performance data before a flight.

Key points (3)
  • Area IV is a single task, loading and performance (UA.IV.A).
  • Before each flight you must make sure anything the drone carries is secure and doesn’t affect how it flies or how well you can control it (107.49).
  • Loading and performance makes up 7% to 11% of the test, the smallest share of the five areas.
05

Radio communication and airport operations

Listening to the radio the way manned pilots use it, and understanding the airports, traffic patterns and markings near where you fly.

Key points (3)
  • Radio knowledge covers the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF), self-announcing, universal communications (UNICOM) and the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) (UA.V.A).
  • You may not fly in a way that interferes with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport or seaplane base (107.43).
  • Area V, operations, is the largest part of the test at 35% to 45% of the questions.
06

Emergency procedures and aeronautical decision-making

Planning for things that go wrong, from a lost control link to a battery fire, and the decision-making and crew skills that keep a flight safe.

Key points (3)
  • In an in-flight emergency that needs immediate action, the remote pilot in command may deviate from Part 107 as far as needed, and must send a written report if the FAA asks (107.21).
  • Lithium battery knowledge covers safe transport, charging, use and the risk of fire (UA.V.C.K2).
  • Crew resource management, situational awareness and hazardous attitudes are part of Task D (UA.V.D).
07

Physiology, maintenance and inspection

How your own health affects a flight, including alcohol and drugs, and how to maintain and inspect a drone before it flies.

Key points (3)
  • Part 107 applies the alcohol and drug rules of 14 CFR 91.17 and 91.19 to the remote pilot in command, the person on the controls and the visual observer (107.27).
  • Before each flight, the remote pilot in command must check that the drone is in a condition for safe operation (107.15).
  • Physiology includes the effects of night operations and night illusions (UA.V.E.K8 and K9).

Test day

What to bring to the UAG test

  • A valid, unexpired photo ID with your date of birth, signature and residential address, such as a US driver’s license, a government ID card, a military ID or a passport
  • Non-US citizens: a passport plus a US driver’s license or a government ID card
  • Proof of your residential address from the FAA’s list if your ID doesn’t show it; a PO box doesn’t count
  • A parent or legal guardian with their own ID, if you’re under 18 and have no acceptable ID
  • Your failed test report, if you’re retaking the test after a fail

Before you go

  1. Check that your name in IACRA matches your ID.
  2. Read the Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standards (ACS), which lists every knowledge area on the test.
  3. Work through the FAA’s free Remote Pilot Study Guide and the chart pages of the testing supplement.
  4. Try PSI’s sample test to see how the questions look on screen.
  5. Look at the sample UAG questions in the FAA’s September 2026 testing advisory to see how the new chart images appear.
PSI: FAA Airman Knowledge TestingThe FAA’s Become a Drone Pilot page links this PSI site to schedule the UAG test. You need your FTN to make an account.

Study options

Where to study

The FAA’s own study material costs nothing: the Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standards (ACS), the Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22) and the testing supplement with the test’s charts. PSI has sample tests on its FAA site, and the FAA printed sample UAG questions in its September 2026 testing advisory. Paid courses from Pilot Institute, King Schools, Gleim and Sporty’s are listed with the prices on their own pages.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
PSI sample testsSample tests for the FAA knowledge tests, including the UAG, on the site of PSI Services, the FAA’s testing vendorUnder the Exam Resources tab of PSI’s FAA site. The FAA’s drone policy library points here for Part 107 practice exams, and its September 2026 testing advisory sends candidates here to see the format of its image-based questions.
No charge listedNot listed; the FAA says you can view and complete them
PSI: FAA exam resources ↗
Official and free
FAA study guide, ACS and sample questionsThe FAA’s Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), the Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-10B) and the sample UAG questions in its September 2026 testing advisoryThe FAA lists the ACS, the study guide and the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge as suggested study materials for the Part 107 test. The study guide is dated August 2016, so pair it with the ACS, effective April 6, 2021.
No charge; PDFs on faa.govYes, all FAA downloads
FAA: Part 107 Knowledge Test Suggested Study Materials ↗FAA: September 2026 testing advisory (PDF) ↗
FAA Part 107 courses on FAASafety.govOnline courses from the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam): ALC-451 initial training for Part 61 pilots, and the ALC-677 and ALC-515 recurrent coursesALC-451 replaces the UAG test only for Part 61 pilots who meet its conditions. ALC-677 is the recurrent course for any remote pilot; ALC-515 is for remote pilots who also hold a Part 61 certificate and meet its flight review rule.
No cost, in the FAA’s course listingsYes
FAASafety.gov: ALC-451, Part 107 Small UAS Initial ↗FAASafety.gov: ALC-677, Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent ↗
Online ground schools
Pilot Institute Part 107 Remote Pilot courseVideo course for the UAG test with quizzes and practice examsPilot Institute says the course has over 15 hours of lectures in more than 200 videos, over 300 practice questions in 20 quizzes and unlimited practice exams. Its guarantee: pass the test the first time or get a full refund plus $175. It’s also one of the FAA’s approved TRUST administrators.
$159 on November 2, 2026, shown against a $249 list price; lifetime accessNo; Pilot Institute has a course preview to watch first
Pilot Institute: Part 107 Remote Pilot course ↗
King Schools Part 107 Drone Pilot Ground School & Test PrepOnline video ground school with FAA-style questions by subjectRated 4.65 out of 5 from 1,958 reviews on King’s page. King gives a minimum study time of 10 hours and an average of 15 to 17, and guarantees you pass the UAG test or get your money back.
$129, lifetime access with updatesNo
King Schools: Part 107 Drone Pilot Ground School & Test Prep ↗
Question banks and books
Gleim Remote Pilot FAA Knowledge Test PrepTest prep book and online question bank for the UAG testGleim says the online prep has practice tests that emulate the testing centers and includes the images from the FAA’s testing supplement. Online access lasts 12 months from purchase, with a 12-month extension at half price.
$89.95 online and book; $24.95 book only; $119.95 Remote Pilot KitA free online course demo
Gleim: Remote Pilot FAA Knowledge Test Prep Online & Book ↗Gleim: Become a Remote Pilot ↗
Sporty’s Remote Pilot Test PrepQuestion bank for the web, iPhone, iPad and Android, sold as Sporty’s Drone Study BuddyStudy by topic, flashcards, and a test mode that builds 60-question sessions from its whole question database. It includes the FAA’s small UAS study guide and Remote Pilot Knowledge Test Guide as resources.
$19.99Sporty’s says you can try it free in its Pilot Training app
Sporty’s: Remote Pilot Test Prep ↗

Prices and ratings checked November 2026.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

Study options

More pages

Study guideThe testCostBookingTest centersGet certifiedRenewal

Flying rules

Part 107 rulesWaiversWork or fun

FAQ

Common questions

What is a Part 107 drone license?

It’s the FAA’s Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating. Under 14 CFR 107.12 you need it to act as remote pilot in command of a drone flown under Part 107, and the FAA says almost all non-recreational drone flying is regulated by Part 107. Someone without the certificate may fly the controls only under the direct supervision of a certificated remote pilot who can take over at once.

Is a Part 107 license the same as a pilot’s license?

No. Private, commercial and other pilot certificates come under 14 CFR Part 61, a different set of rules. The remote pilot certificate is its own certificate under Part 107, and it’s the one you need to fly a small drone for work. Pilots who already hold a Part 61 certificate have a shorter route, a free FAA online course instead of the UAG test; the getting certified page sets out who qualifies.

Do you need a Part 107 license to fly a drone for fun?

No. Flying purely for fun falls under a separate exception in federal law, 49 U.S.C. 44809. Recreational flyers take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), which is free and online, and carry proof that they passed it. The FAA says being paid or not isn’t what decides it: taking photos to help sell a property, or flying for a nonprofit as a volunteer, is non-recreational. The page on flying for work or for fun goes through the difference.

Do you have to register a drone you fly under Part 107?

Yes, every drone you fly under Part 107, on the FAA’s DroneZone site, and each one gets its own registration number. A drone registered for recreational flying can’t be flown under Part 107. The page on flying for work or for fun covers the fee and the details.

How long is a Part 107 license good for?

What you renew is your training, not the card. Under 14 CFR 107.65 you can act as remote pilot in command only if you passed the UAG test or finished the FAA’s recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months. The training is a free online course on FAASafety.gov, with no test center visit. The renewal page shows how the 24 calendar months are counted.

What’s changing for Part 107 pilots in 2026 and 2027?

On the test, chart images that aren’t in the printed testing supplement join the UAG from October 26, 2026; the knowledge test page explains the change. On the rules, the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published a proposed rule on August 7, 2025 for a new Part 108, covering flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). It’s a proposal: Part 107’s line-of-sight rule applies until a final rule is published and takes effect. The rules described on these pages follow the GovInfo edition of Part 107 revised as of January 1, 2026.

Sources: FAA · GovInfo · PSI Services and 8 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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