You need a license to fly a drone if the flight is for work, and you do not need one if it is purely for fun. A paid or business flight in the United States requires an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107. A hobby flight requires only a free online safety test called TRUST, plus registration if the drone weighs 250 grams (0.55 pound) or more. This guide covers US federal rules; states and cities add their own.

The line between hobby and work is the part people get wrong, so most of this article is about that line.

Step one: is your flight recreational?

Federal law gives hobbyists a narrow exception, written into 49 U.S.C. 44809. It applies only when the flight is “strictly for recreational purposes,” and only if you meet every condition in the statute. Run through this checklist:

  1. The flight is for personal enjoyment, not for a job, a client or a business.
  2. You follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized community-based organization.
  3. You keep the drone within visual line of sight.
  4. You give way to manned aircraft.
  5. You have permission from the FAA before flying in controlled airspace near airports.
  6. You stay at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace.
  7. You passed the recreational safety test and can show proof.
  8. The drone is registered and marked, if registration applies.

Miss any one and the exception falls away, which means the general rules for unmanned aircraft apply instead. The FAA’s recreational flyer page (updated March 18, 2026) adds a warning: compensation alone does not decide the question, and flights such as real estate photos or roof inspections fall under Part 107. When unsure, the FAA says to assume Part 107 applies.

The two paths side by side

Recreational (49 U.S.C. 44809) Commercial (Part 107)
Credential TRUST completion certificate Remote Pilot Certificate, small UAS rating
Cost to get it Free Test fee set by the testing center; FAA recurrent training is free
Minimum age FAA page lists none for TRUST 16
Renewal FAA page does not state an expiration Online recurrent training every 24 calendar months
Airspace near airports FAA authorization (LAANC or DroneZone) FAA authorization
Registration One $5 registration covers your whole inventory; none needed at 250 g or less $5 per drone, each with its own number

How the recreational test works

TRUST is the Recreational UAS Safety Test. The FAA’s test page says it costs nothing through any FAA-approved administrator, among them the Academy of Model Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle and Pilot Institute. You can correct wrong answers until you reach 100 percent before the certificate is issued.

The administrator keeps no record. You download or print your certificate and must show it if law enforcement or the FAA asks. Lose it and the FAA says you must retake the test.

Getting a Part 107 certificate

Business flying is a different process. The FAA’s become a drone pilot page (updated June 9, 2026) lists these steps:

  1. Be at least 16 years old.
  2. Create an IACRA profile to get an FAA Tracking Number.
  3. Pass the Unmanned Aircraft General, Small (UAG) knowledge test at an approved testing center with government photo ID.
  4. Submit FAA Form 8710-13 through IACRA and clear the TSA security check.
  5. Print the temporary certificate from IACRA when the TSA email arrives.
  6. Complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months (course ALC-677 for Part 107-only holders).

The FAA page does not state the test fee, and fees are set by testing centers, so check with the center before booking.

What Part 107 lets you do

A certificate does not mean free rein. The FAA’s Part 107 summary (page dated July 6, 2026) and the regulation text set these limits:

  • Maximum 400 feet above ground, unless within 400 feet of a structure.
  • Maximum groundspeed of 87 knots, or 100 mph.
  • Aircraft under 55 pounds with payload.
  • Visibility of at least 3 statute miles, and stay 500 feet below clouds and 2,000 feet away horizontally.
  • Keep the aircraft in sight, with a visual observer if using first-person view.
  • No flying over people who are not directly taking part, except in covered structures, stationary vehicles or categories set out in the rule.
  • Night and twilight flights need anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles, and the pilot must have completed the post-April 6, 2021 test or training.

Need to break one of those? A waiver can approve operations outside certain Part 107 limits, including night flying without lights, flying beyond visual line of sight, multiple aircraft per pilot and flights over people. The FAA’s waiver page (June 22, 2026) says it aims to decide within 90 days and cancels an application if you fail to answer a request within 30 days.

Five situations, sorted

Examples help, so here are five common ones, using the FAA’s own framing that business purpose pushes a flight into Part 107.

  • Flying a camera drone at the beach on a Sunday, for yourself. Recreational. TRUST certificate, registration if the drone is 250 grams or more, and Remote ID compliance if it is registered.
  • Taking photos of a house for a real estate listing. The FAA names real estate photos as a Part 107 example. Certificate required.
  • Inspecting a client’s roof. Also named by the FAA as non-recreational. Certificate required.
  • Posting hobby footage online with no business connection. The FAA says compensation alone does not settle the question, so the test is whether the flight serves a business purpose rather than whether anyone pays you. If you are unsure, the agency’s advice is to assume Part 107.
  • Flying a sub-250-gram drone for work. The weight exemption from registration applies only to the recreational exception. For Part 107 flights, the FAA registration page says every drone must be registered.

None of these answers account for local rules or for flights near an airport, where the FAA authorization requirement kicks in either way.

Before you launch: a quick pre-flight checklist

  1. Decide honestly whether the flight is recreational or business.
  2. Carry the right proof, either the TRUST certificate or your remote pilot certificate.
  3. Confirm registration and that your registration number is marked on the aircraft.
  4. Check that the drone broadcasts Remote ID, or that you are inside a recognized identification area.
  5. Look up the airspace, and get authorization through LAANC or DroneZone if you are near an airport.
  6. Keep the aircraft in sight and below 400 feet.

Registration and Remote ID

These duties sit on top of both paths. The FAA registration page says registration costs $5, lasts three years, and requires the registrant to be 13 or older and a US citizen or legal permanent resident. Drones of 250 grams or less flown under the recreational exception are exempt. Under Part 107, though, every drone is registered, regardless of weight, which is easy to overlook with small camera drones. The page is dated March 18, 2024, so check it again before paying.

Remote ID is the broadcast rule in 14 CFR Part 89. It applies to drones that are registered or required to be registered. The eCFR text says that after September 16, 2023, no one may operate such an aircraft unless it meets the Remote ID requirements or an exception applies. You have three ways to comply, according to the FAA Remote ID page:

  • fly a Standard Remote ID drone with broadcast built in;
  • attach a Remote ID broadcast module whose serial number is listed on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance, and keep the drone in sight;
  • fly without equipment only inside an FAA-recognized identification area, within visual sight.

What may change: Part 108

A separate FAA proposal would create Part 108 for flights beyond visual line of sight at low altitude, replacing case-by-case waivers with permits and operating certificates. A draft of the proposal in Docket FAA-2025-1908 says no airman certificates would be required under it and that it responds to a June 6, 2025 executive order. I could not confirm whether it is final. It would not change the TRUST or Part 107 steps above unless and until a final rule says so.

Common questions

Do I need a license to fly a small drone under 250 grams?

For hobby flying, you still need the TRUST certificate, but registration is not required at 250 grams or less. For paid work, Part 107 applies and the drone must be registered.

Can I make money from social media videos with a hobby drone?

The FAA says compensation alone is not the test, but business-related flights are not recreational. If the flight serves a business or client, assume Part 107.

Does Part 107 allow me to fly anywhere?

No. Controlled airspace still needs FAA authorization, and temporary flight restrictions, state laws and property rules still apply.

Do state laws matter?

Yes. Many states and parks restrict launching or landing, and I did not survey them here. Check local rules before you fly.

This article is general information about US federal law, not legal advice.

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