The Field Guide
A free five-part course on the FAA drone rules and the steps to your remote pilot certificate.
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You finished all five parts. Next: the FAA’s steps to your certificate, just below.
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Next: get your remote pilot certificate
The course gives you the rules in plain language. To fly a drone for work you also need the FAA’s remote pilot certificate. These are the FAA’s steps for a first-time applicant.
Check that you are eligible
You must be at least 16 to hold a remote pilot certificate. You must be able to read, speak, write and understand English, and have no physical or mental condition that would stop you flying safely. You do not need an FAA medical certificate. FAA requirements.
Get an FAA Tracking Number
Create a profile in IACRA, the FAA’s online application system. It gives you an FAA Tracking Number (FTN), which you need before you book the test.
Pass the knowledge test
Book the Part 107 test (the FAA code is UAG) at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center (the FAA’s testing company, PSI, books them), and bring government-issued photo ID. The FAA says testing centers charge about $175. The test has 60 multiple-choice questions, you get up to two hours, and you need 70% to pass. If you fail, you can retake it 14 days later; bring the failed test report.
Starting October 26, 2026, the test will include image-based questions from current FAA charts that are not in the printed test supplement.
Apply on FAA Form 8710-13
In IACRA, fill in Form 8710-13 and enter the 17-digit exam ID from your test report. Your result can take up to 48 hours to appear in IACRA. A passing test report can be used for this application for 24 calendar months.
Clear the TSA check and print your temporary certificate
The TSA runs a security background check. When it is done, the FAA emails you instructions for printing a temporary certificate from IACRA. It is valid for up to 120 calendar days while your permanent certificate is on its way.
Stay current every 24 months
The certificate does not expire. To keep flying as remote pilot in command, complete the FAA’s free online recurrent training (ALC-677 on FAASafety.gov) at least once every 24 calendar months, and keep the completion certificate as proof.
Already a pilot? If you hold a Part 61 pilot certificate (not a student certificate) and a current flight review, you can take the FAA’s free online course ALC-451 instead of the knowledge test, then apply through an FAA Flight Standards office, a designated pilot examiner, an airman certification representative or a flight instructor.
Only flying for fun? You need the FAA’s free recreational test (TRUST), not this certificate.
Sources, read in October 2026: FAA, Become a Certificated Remote Pilot (updated June 9, 2026); FAA drone FAQ on the cost of the test; FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix (revised September 25, 2026); FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, September 2026; 14 CFR Part 107, Subpart C; FAASafety.gov ALC-677. Rules change; check faa.gov before you book.
Fly for Astral Pic
Once you hold your certificate, you can take paid flights near your base. You see the payout before you accept, choose your own jobs and hours, and can decline anything with no penalty.
To apply you need a current Part 107 certificate, a drone registered under Part 107 that broadcasts Remote ID, and at least $1 million of liability insurance. Not certified yet? You can start your pilot profile now and submit it when your certificate arrives.
Jobs open city by city. If there are no jobs near you yet, apply anyway, save your profile, and we will email you when jobs open in your area.
Starting an application creates your pilot account. By creating an account you agree to the customer terms and the privacy policy. Pilots accept the pilot agreement in their application.