Part 107 recurrent training: the free course every 24 months
Who needs Part 107 recurrent training, how the 24 calendar month clock works, which free FAA course to take, and what happens if it lapses.
Say you passed the test two years ago, and since then you’ve built a steady side gig shooting listings and the odd roof. A new client, maybe a property manager, asks whether your certification is current. If the honest answer is “I think so,” this page is for you.
Passing the Part 107 test isn’t a one-time thing if you keep flying. To act as remote pilot in command, you need recent aeronautical knowledge. The good news is that the way to keep it is a free online course, not another test.
The rule
14 CFR 107.65 says you may act as remote PIC (pilot in command) only if, within the previous 24 calendar months, you have done one of these:
- passed the initial aeronautical knowledge test;
- completed recurrent training;
- as a Part 61 pilot with a current flight review, completed the training in §107.74.
Notice what the rule controls. Your certificate doesn’t expire, but whether you can use its privileges does depend on this. It’s about recency, and the FAA’s web page describes recurrent training as the way to maintain aeronautical knowledge recency.
Which course to take
The FAA lists two recurrent courses, both at no cost:
| Course | For |
|---|---|
| Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-677) | Anyone who holds a Part 107 remote pilot certificate |
| Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-515) | Part 107 pilots who also hold a Part 61 certificate with a current flight review |
The FAA’s page says ALC-677 is open to Part 107 certificate holders “regardless of aeronautical knowledge recency,” so a lapse doesn’t lock you out of the course. Both are online.
Which applies to you
| Your situation | What keeps you current |
|---|---|
| Part 107 certificate only | ALC-677 within every 24 calendar months |
| Part 107 plus a Part 61 certificate with a current flight review | ALC-515, ALC-677, or the §107.74 training |
| Recency already lapsed | Complete ALC-677, then fly |
How the 24 calendar months work
“Calendar months” means the deadline runs to the end of the month, not to the same day of the month. AC 107-2A gives these examples:
| What happened | When the next training is due |
|---|---|
| Passed the initial test on September 13, 2020 | By September 30, 2022 |
| Completed recurrent training early, on July 15, 2020 | By July 31, 2022 |
| Training due by September 30, 2020, completed October 5, 2020 | By October 31, 2022 |
That third row is the one to learn from. The pilot couldn’t use the privileges of their certificate from October 1 to October 5, 2020, until they finished the training.
Two things follow from those examples. Finishing early costs you very little, since the new clock still runs to the end of the month you finish in. And you can find your own deadline by adding 24 months to your last test or training date and moving to the end of that month.
Working out your own date
Say you passed the knowledge test on March 3, 2026. Add 24 calendar months and you land in March 2028. The clock runs to the end of that month, so your recurrent training is due by March 31, 2028.
Now say you finish the course on January 20, 2028. Your next deadline becomes January 31, 2030. Finishing a couple of months early only pulls your next deadline back to the end of the month you finished in, so there’s little reason to wait for the last week.
What if you let it lapse
You can’t act as remote PIC until you complete recurrent training. Once you do, a new 24-calendar-month clock starts from that completion and runs to the end of the month, as the October 5 example shows.
Flying a paid job in that gap means operating without meeting §107.65. The FAA’s example has no grace period: privileges stopped on the first day after the deadline month. We’d put the due date in your calendar the day you pass the test or finish a course, with a reminder a couple of months ahead, so a busy season doesn’t push it out of mind.
If you also hold a Part 61 certificate
Pilots with a Part 61 certificate (other than student pilot) and a current flight review have their own path at each stage. For a first remote pilot certificate, they can skip the knowledge test and take “Part 107 Small UAS Initial (ALC-451)”. They then have their identity verified by a FSDO, a designated pilot examiner, an airman certification representative or a flight instructor.
For recency, §107.65 lets them complete the §107.74 training, and the FAA lists ALC-515 as the recurrent course written for them. ALC-677 stays open to them too, because it’s open to any Part 107 certificate holder.
Recurrent training and night flying
The old recurrent option was a knowledge test called Unmanned Aircraft Recurrent (UGR). It ended on April 6, 2021, and online recurrent training replaced it.
Timing matters for night privileges. Night flight under §107.29 requires that you completed the initial test or training after April 6, 2021, and recurrent training completed before that date doesn’t meet the requirement. AC 107-2A notes that the current recurrent training covers night physiology and night visual illusions.
If you were certificated before April 2021 and haven’t done recurrent training since, the current course gives you night privileges too, which matters if a listing shoot ever runs past sunset. The lighting requirements are in Part 107 night operations.
What else keeps your certificate usable
Three other ongoing requirements sit alongside recency.
Carry it. While flying under your certificate, you must have your remote pilot certificate and identification physically with you and readily accessible. Show them on request to the FAA, NTSB, TSA or any law enforcement officer.
Keep your address current. If you change your permanent mailing address and don’t notify the FAA within 30 days, you may not exercise the privileges of your certificate. If you’ve moved for work or a new place, this one is easy to forget.
Keep your registration current. A non-recreational drone registration expires 3 years after issue unless renewed.
On the knowledge test
If you haven’t taken the test yet, recency still shows up. It sits in the regulations area, which PSI’s current bulletin weights at 48% of the test. A question on the 24-calendar-month requirement, or on how the end-of-month rule sets a due date, fits squarely in that area. So does a question about who may take ALC-515.
Recurrent training versus retaking the test
You don’t have to retake the knowledge test to stay current. Passing it again would also meet §107.65, but the online course does the same job at no cost.
A refresher still helps before the course, especially if you’ve spent two years flying jobs and not reading regulations. Every current limit is in the Part 107 rules cheat sheet.
Find out what you’ve forgotten
The free 20-question practice test works as a quick check whether you’re studying for the first time or coming back after two years. It gives you a score by area, so you’ll see which rules slipped. If you’re still working toward your first certificate, Liftoff is $49 once with lifetime access, every answer cites its FAA or eCFR source, and you can see what’s included.
If you passed recently, what to do after you pass Part 107 covers registration, insurance and a 30-day plan.
For every step from IACRA to your temporary certificate, see the Part 107 test guide. If you know someone who’s only just wondering about this, point them to how to become a drone pilot or the check for whether you need a drone license.