Remote ID for Part 107 Pilots: Rules and Deadlines

Remote ID is the ability of a drone in flight to provide identification and location information that other parties can receive through a broadcast signal (FAA: Remote Identification of Drones). The rules are in 14 CFR part 89 and apply to anyone operating an unmanned aircraft that is registered or required to be registered (14 CFR 89.101). A drone must be registered before it is operated under Part 107 (AC 107-2A, para. 5.4), and AC 107-2A adds that even drones weighing 0.55 pounds or less must meet Remote ID when flown under an operating part that requires registration (AC 107-2A, para. 5.17.1). This guide reflects the rules as of October 2026.

Remote ID is also a task in the Remote Pilot ACS (ACS, p. 8), and the FAA placed it on the UAG knowledge test on April 6, 2021 (FAA: Changes to Testing for a Remote Pilot Certificate).

Key dates

January 15, 2021: the final rule was published (86 FR 4390).
April 21, 2021: most of the rule took effect, delayed from March 16, 2021 (86 FR 13629; 88 FR 63518).
September 16, 2022: compliance date for the production requirements for standard Remote ID drones in §§ 89.510 and 89.515; the FRIA provisions (subpart C of part 89) took effect the same day (86 FR 4390).
September 16, 2023: operator compliance date. After it, no one may operate an unmanned aircraft unless the operation meets § 89.110 or § 89.115, unless the FAA authorizes otherwise (14 CFR 89.105).
March 16, 2024: end of the period in which the FAA said it would use enforcement discretion for operator noncompliance, citing the supply and cost of broadcast modules and delays in approving FRIAs (88 FR 63518).

Three ways to comply

1. Standard Remote ID drone

A drone produced with built-in FAA Remote ID broadcast capability (FAA). To fly one (14 CFR 89.110):

it must broadcast the required message elements from takeoff to shutdown;
its serial number must be on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance;
its Remote ID equipment must be functional and must not be disabled;
its serial number must be on the aircraft’s Certificate of Aircraft Registration;
if it stops broadcasting in flight, the person at the controls must land as soon as practicable.

Part 89 also requires such a drone to test its Remote ID automatically before takeoff and to be unable to take off unless it is broadcasting (14 CFR 89.310).

2. Remote ID broadcast module

A module retrofits a drone that lacks standard Remote ID (FAA). To fly with one (14 CFR 89.115(a)):

the module’s serial number must be on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance and on the aircraft’s registration;
before takeoff, the person at the controls must make sure the module is working;
it must broadcast directly from the aircraft from takeoff to shutdown;
the person at the controls must be able to see the aircraft at all times;
if the broadcast stops, land as soon as practicable.

A module may be moved from one Part 107 aircraft to another, but its serial number must first be moved to the second aircraft’s registration (AC 107-2A, para. 5.17.1).

3. FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA)

A defined area where drones without Remote ID equipment may fly (FAA). The aircraft and the person at the controls must stay inside the FRIA, and that person must be able to see the aircraft at all times (14 CFR 89.115(b)). This option is available whatever the type of operation, Part 107 included (AC 107-2A, para. 5.17.3.2). Only FAA-recognized community-based organizations and educational institutions can apply for a FRIA (§ 89.205), and a FRIA is in effect for 48 calendar months after approval and can be renewed (§ 89.225).

ADS-B Out cannot be used to meet Remote ID (14 CFR 89.125), and Part 107 bars operating with a transponder on or with ADS-B Out in transmit mode unless the FAA authorizes it (§ 107.52, § 107.53).

What is broadcast

A standard Remote ID drone broadcasts (14 CFR 89.305):

its identity: a serial number or a session ID;
latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the control station;
latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the aircraft;
the aircraft’s velocity;
a time mark in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC);
an emergency status indication.

A broadcast module sends (14 CFR 89.315):

the module’s serial number;
latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the aircraft;
the aircraft’s velocity;
latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the takeoff location;
a UTC time mark.

So a module reports the takeoff location instead of the control station and has no emergency status element. Both must broadcast at least one message per second, using radio spectrum compatible with personal wireless devices (§ 89.310, § 89.320). The FAA says operators of standard Remote ID drones may in the future be able to choose between broadcasting the serial number or a session ID (FAA).

What Part 107 pilots must do

Register each device separately. Part 107 pilots must register each standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module individually, and each gets a unique registration number (FAA: Remote ID). You register online in FAADroneZone; as of October 2026, Part 107 registration costs $5 per drone and is valid for three years (FAA: How to Register Your Drone).
Enter the Remote ID serial number. On the Part 107 dashboard, open “Manage Device Inventory”, add a device (or edit an existing one), answer “Yes” to the Remote ID question, choose “Standard Remote ID” or “Remote ID broadcast module”, and enter the serial number (FAA: Remote ID).
Check the declaration of compliance. Use the FAA’s Declaration of Compliance System to confirm that your drone or module is listed. Do not submit a declaration yourself; only manufacturers may (FAA: Remote ID).
Mark the drone. Label it with your registration number before you fly, legibly displayed on an external surface (FAA: How to Register Your Drone; 14 CFR 48.205).
Keep your registration current. Update it within 14 calendar days of a change in your information (14 CFR 48.115).
Check Remote ID before every flight and land as soon as practicable if the broadcast fails (§ 89.110, § 89.115).
Over open-air assemblies: under Categories 1, 2 and 4, sustained flight over open-air assemblies requires a standard Remote ID drone or a broadcast module, so a FRIA does not satisfy it (§ 107.110, § 107.115, § 107.140).

The FAA may authorize operations without Remote ID solely for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations (14 CFR 89.120). It issues Remote ID Letters of Authorization for these purposes, and drone light shows flown under an FAA waiver may also be eligible (FAA: Remote ID).

Remote ID on the test

The ACS lists seven Remote ID knowledge elements: standard remote identification, alternative remote identification, operations for aeronautical research, ADS-B Out, confirmation of identification, minimum message elements broadcast, and product labeling (ACS, p. 8). Confirmation of identification applies to foreign-registered civil drones flown in the United States (14 CFR 89.130). Product labeling refers to the rule that a standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module may not be produced without a legible, permanently affixed English label showing it meets part 89 (14 CFR 89.525).

Practice with the regulations questions, and see the Part 107 rules summary for the other operating rules.