Man flying a drone. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Yes.


Recreational drones weighing 250 grams (0.55 lbs) or more are required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which costs $5 and is valid for three years. They must have a Remote ID. 

Recreational drones under this weight are not required to be registered and do not need a Remote ID. 

All recreational drone operators must pass The Recreational Unmanned Aircraft System Safety Test, regardless of drone weight, and carry proof of passing it if asked by law enforcement or FAA personnel. They must also follow recreational flying rules on how, when and where they can operate drones for recreational purposes. 

The registration requirements for recreational drones are: 

  • the operator must be 13 years of age or older (or a person 13 years of age or older must register the drone)
  • a United States citizen or legal permanent resident

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

BenitoLink partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Sources

Jenny is a Hollister native who resides in her hometown with her husband and son. She attended Hollister schools, graduated from San Benito High School, and earned her BA in literature from UC Santa Cruz...