The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now requiring all drone users 13 years or older to register their drone as of December 21st. Not only is the FAA requiring drone users to register, but anything that falls under the categories of model aircraft, small unmanned aircraft, or other RC aircraft weighing between 0.5 and 55 pounds must also be registered. Anyone with a small UAS purchased on or after December 21st must register before flying outdoors, but any small UAS owners that have used the UAS as a model aircraft before December 21st have to wait until February 19th to register. The registration is free until January 20th, and after that it costs $5.
Registration can be done at https://registermyuas.faa.gov/ and asks for the owner’s name, email, and home address. Users will receive a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership. A unique identification number will be given that must be attached to the registered device. It will last for three years. Any changes, updates, or cancellations can be made on the website.
So, why register? The government can charge up to $27,500 in civil penalties, criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and/or up to three years of imprisonment for failing to register the small aircraft.