Cleared to Fly

How to get your drone license in 2026

Every step from "do I even need one?" to a certificate in your wallet: what it costs, where to go, and what changed this year. Every fact here is checked against the FAA's own pages, linked at the bottom.

Step 1: Work out which license you need

The FAA asks one thing: why are you flying? If it's purely for fun, you're a recreational flyer and need the free TRUST certificate. If the flight is for work of any kind (paid jobs, photos for your own business, inspecting a roof for a client), you fly under Part 107 and need a Remote Pilot Certificate.

Flying for fun: the TRUST certificate

  • TRUST stands for The Recreational UAS Safety Test. It's required by law for recreational flyers.

  • It's free and online, through FAA-approved test administrators. You can't fail it: wrong answers are explained and you correct them.

  • Keep the certificate. If you lose it, you take the test again.

  • Register your drone at FAADroneZone if it weighs 250 grams (0.55 lb) or more: $5 for three years, and one registration covers all your recreational drones.

  • A registered drone must broadcast Remote ID, either built in or through a broadcast module.

Flying for work: Part 107, step by step

  1. Check you're eligible. You must be at least 16 to hold the certificate (14 to take the test), able to read, speak, write and understand English, and physically and mentally fit to fly.

  2. Get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). Create a free profile in IACRA, the FAA's online application system, and the FTN comes with it.

  3. Study. The FAA's Remote Pilot Study Guide is free. A course gets you there faster and tells you what's actually on the test.

  4. Book the test with PSI. It's taken in person at an FAA-approved PSI testing center. The fee is $175, paid to PSI when you book. Bring a government-issued photo ID.

  5. Pass the test. 60 scored questions (plus 5 unscored ones you won't be able to spot), 2 hours, 70% to pass. If you fail, you wait 14 days and pay again.

  6. Apply in IACRA. Fill out FAA Form 8710-13 using the 17-digit exam ID from your score report. Results can take up to 48 hours to show up.

  7. Clear the TSA background check. Once it's done, you get an email to print a temporary certificate. You can fly commercially with it. The permanent card comes by mail.

  8. Register every drone you fly for work. Under Part 107, each drone is registered separately at FAADroneZone ($5 each, good for three years), whatever it weighs, and must meet the Remote ID rule.

  9. Stay current. The certificate doesn't expire, but every 24 calendar months you must complete the FAA's free online recurrent training. It's training, not a test.

What it costs

  • Knowledge test: $175, paid to PSI (checked October 2026)

  • Drone registration: $5 per drone for Part 107, valid three years

  • FAA study guide, TRUST and recurrent training: free

  • A prep course: optional. Ours run from $49 to $249.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • New question weights (September 29, 2025). Regulations now make up 48% of the test, Operations 25%, Airspace 20%, Weather 5%, and Loading and Performance 2%. Study guides written before then put far more weight on weather.

  • Current-chart questions (from October 26, 2026). Some questions will show parts of current sectional charts that aren't in the printed testing supplement. Practice reading real, current charts, not just the supplement's figures.

  • Waivers moved. Waiver applications now go through the FAA's Aviation Safety Hub. Airspace authorizations still go through FAADroneZone or LAANC.

  • Part 108 is still a proposal. The FAA proposed a rule for flying beyond visual line of sight in August 2025. As of October 2026 it isn't final, and it doesn't change the Part 107 test.

The FAA's own pages

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