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United States · Knowledge test

FAA Part 107 regulations: the main rules for flying

Part 107 keeps a small drone low, slow and in sight. Under the FAA Part 107 regulations, Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 107, a drone under 55 pounds may fly no higher than 400 feet above ground level and no faster than 100 miles per hour, and you or a visual observer must be able to see it with your own eyes for the whole flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first published the rule on June 28, 2016; the rules for flying over people and at night took effect on April 21, 2021.

  • 100 mphTop groundspeed, or 87 knots
  • 3 milesMinimum visibility, in statute miles
  • 400 feetHighest you may fly above the ground
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Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What are the main FAA Part 107 regulations?

RuleWhat Part 107 says
Weight (107.3)Under 55 pounds at takeoff, with everything on board
Height (107.51)400 feet above ground, or within 400 feet of a structure
Speed (107.51)87 knots, which is 100 miles per hour
Visibility (107.51)At least 3 statute miles from the control station
Clouds (107.51)500 feet below, 2,000 feet to the side
Line of sight (107.31)Seen with unaided eyes, glasses allowed
One drone (107.35)One aircraft at a time per pilot or observer
Right of way (107.37)Give way to all aircraft
Airspace (107.41)Class B, C, D or airport Class E only with air traffic control approval
Vehicles (107.25)Not from a moving aircraft; from a moving vehicle only over sparsely populated areas
Hazardous material (107.36)Never carried

That air traffic control (ATC) approval is a Part 107 airspace authorization, a separate request from a waiver. The structure rule means the drone may climb higher than 400 feet only while it stays within 400 feet of the structure and no more than 400 feet above its top.

eCFR, the electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 14 CFR Part 107 ↗Rules you can get a waiver from →

Flying at night and over people

Night flying is allowed without a waiver if, after April 6, 2021, you passed the updated initial test or finished the FAA’s online initial or recurrent training, and the drone has lit anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles (107.29). The same lighting applies in civil twilight, the 30 minutes before official sunrise and after official sunset outside Alaska.

Flying over people depends on the drone. The rule sets four categories. Category 1 drones weigh 0.55 pounds or less with no exposed rotating parts that could cut. Categories 2 and 3 cover heavier drones without an airworthiness certificate that meet performance requirements, and category 4 covers drones with an airworthiness certificate. Sustained flight over an open-air assembly, such as a concert or a parade, needs Remote ID, and category 3 drones may not fly over open-air assemblies at all.

FAA: Operations Over People overview ↗

Remote ID

From September 16, 2023, every drone that has to be registered must also broadcast Remote ID. You can fly a standard Remote ID drone, fit a Remote ID broadcast module, or fly without Remote ID only inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA). Part 107 pilots register each standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module as its own device, with its own registration number.

FAA: Remote Identification of Drones ↗Registration for work and for fun →

Accidents, alcohol and showing your certificate

You must report to the FAA within 10 calendar days any flight that causes a serious injury, loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the drone, unless the repair costs $500 or less or the property is worth $500 or less (107.9).

The alcohol and drug rules for manned pilots in 14 CFR 91.17 and 91.19 apply to you and to your visual observer (107.27). And you must carry your remote pilot certificate and an ID, and show them on request to the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) or any federal, state or local law enforcement officer (107.7).

Beyond visual line of sight: Part 108 is a proposal

On August 7, 2025, the FAA and the TSA published a proposed rule, Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations, that would add a new Part 108 for drones flown beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Comments closed on October 6, 2025; on September 29, 2025 the agencies turned down requests to extend that date.

A proposal doesn’t change what you may do. Until a final rule is published and takes effect, a flight beyond visual line of sight under Part 107 needs a waiver of 107.31, and Part 107 says no such waiver will be issued to carry someone else’s property for pay (107.205).

GovInfo: the Part 108 proposed rule, August 7, 2025 ↗How Part 107 waivers work →
Sources: GovInfo · FAA and 4 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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