FAA sets out official drone regulations with Feb. 19 registration deadline

All drones between 0.55 and 50 pounds must be registered by Feb. 19, 2016, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday.

The fee will normally be $5, but until Jan. 20 that money is being refunded in order to encourage sign-ups. People will need to submit information including their name, home address, and email address, after which they'll receive a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership online with a special identification number. That number must be marked on a drone in case it's retrieved.

Registrations will only technically open up on Dec. 21, but people can submit information now in order to speed up the process. Web-based submissions, at least, are being restricted to people aged 13 or older.

After the February deadline, penalties will potentially be severe. Civil fines will range up to $27,500, and criminal penalties will scale up to $250,000 and as much as three years in prison.

The current registration scheme covers only general civilian use of drones, not commercial drone operations. The FAA said it's preparing a commercial online registration system for spring 2016.

Drones have proven a thorny issue for the FAA, with the organization trying to strike a balance between safety, security, privacy, and allowing their growth to continue. Some companies, most notably Amazon, have been waiting on the FAA to cement commercial rules so they can begin aerial delivery services.

25 Comments

boltsfan17 2294 comments · 12 Years

About 8 years ago

I'm sure a lawsuit will be coming eventually. The FAA has no authority to enforce this. Technically, they are breaking the law under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.

dachar 330 comments · 11 Years

It will be interesting to know how this will be Ppliced and what proof will be required to enforce.

ktappe 824 comments · 16 Years

Watch manufacturers fall over themselves to produce drones weighing .54 pounds...

icoco3 1474 comments · 13 Years

boltsfan17 said:

I'm sure a lawsuit will be coming eventually. The FAA has no authority to enforce this. Technically, they are breaking the law under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.

Can you expound further on this thought?

zoetmb 2655 comments · 17 Years

dachar said:

It will be interesting to know how this will be Ppliced and what proof will be required to enforce.

I think if one is in a populated area and a cop sees you flying a drone, s/he is likely to walk over and ask to see the license and to look on the drone to see if the registration # is marked on it. I think after the paranoia about drones dies down (if indeed it ever does), they won't bother as much unless they're looking to give out tickets because they haven't met their quota. The article above isn't clear as to whether you must carry the actual license with you when flying.

I've seen cops give tickets to a skateboarder who went through a light and I once saw a cop give a ticket to a 13-year-old who was riding their bike on the sidewalk, so I'm pretty sure they'll go after drone users (not that I've seen many people using one, not even in the park).