US Drone Owners To Register By February 19th

And it’s in! The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that civilian pilots must have their drones registered by February 19^th, 2016. The new regulation affects all private drones weighing between 0.55 pounds and 50 pounds.

So, if you are a US resident and the aerial gadget’s lucky owner – get all your information ready, unless you want to pay a hefty fine. The FAA mentioned that civil penalties would include a fine of up to $27,500, while criminal penalties would go as high up as $250,000 with a possible addition of up to 3 years in jail.

So, what do you need to register your drone?

• Fill in an application online, that will ask for your name, home and email addresses. You need to be at least 13 years old.
• The web application will then create a Certificate of Aircraft Registration or Proof of Ownership with a unique identification number.
• This number will need to be marked on your unmanned aircraft.
• The registration will cost you a $5 fee. However, if you hurry up and register within the first 30 days – you will be able to do it for free.

When to register?

You will need to complete the registration process before February 19^th, 2016.

However, you can’t officially register until December 21^st – so be sure to mark both dates in your drone event calendar.

If you just can’t wait to make things official, you can get acquainted with the process right here.

For now, online registration is only available to civilian owners, however a similar web-based registration process is coming soon for commercial pilots as well.

The simple step marks a big milestone in drone legislation. From now on, the airborne gadgets are not only part of our outdoor adventures, but, in a way, flying IDs.