Remote ID for Part 107 pilots: the three ways to comply
Standard Remote ID, broadcast modules and FRIAs in plain English, plus why a sub-250g drone flown for pay still needs registration and Remote ID.
A lot of people starting a drone side gig buy a small drone under 250 grams, partly because they’ve heard small drones skip the paperwork. For fun flying, part of that is true. The moment you fly for pay under Part 107, it isn’t, and Remote ID is one of the rules that catches people out.
Remote ID is the rule that makes a drone broadcast who and where it is. Since September 16, 2023, no one may fly an unmanned aircraft in U.S. airspace without meeting one of the Remote ID options, if that aircraft is registered or required to be registered. For Part 107 pilots, that means every flight.
The rules live in 14 CFR part 89, which you can read on eCFR here. They joined the knowledge test on April 6, 2021, and the FAA says those questions were drafted from the rule itself.
Three ways to comply
| Option | Section | Where you can fly | Line of sight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Remote ID aircraft | 89.110 | Anywhere the other rules allow | Other Part 107 rules apply |
| Remote ID broadcast module | 89.115(a) | Anywhere the other rules allow | Must stay within visual line of sight |
| No Remote ID equipment | 89.115(b) | Only inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA) | Within line of sight; pilot and aircraft stay inside the FRIA |
Option 1: a standard Remote ID aircraft
Here the Remote ID is built into the aircraft. It must broadcast the required message elements from takeoff to shutdown. If broadcasting stops mid-flight, the person at the controls must land as soon as practicable.
AC 107-2A lists what a standard Remote ID aircraft broadcasts:
- the aircraft’s identification, either its serial number or a session ID;
- latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of both the aircraft and the control station;
- the aircraft’s velocity, including horizontal and vertical speed and direction;
- a time mark;
- an emergency status code.
The aircraft’s serial number must be listed on its Certificate of Aircraft Registration, or provided to the FAA under §89.130.
Option 2: a broadcast module
A broadcast module adds Remote ID to an aircraft that lacks it. The manufacturer can build it in as an upgrade or retrofit, or it can be a standalone unit you attach before takeoff.
Its conditions:
- The aircraft must stay within the pilot’s visual line of sight.
- Confirm the module works before takeoff.
- Land as soon as practicable if broadcasting stops.
- The module’s serial number goes on the aircraft’s registration.
A module broadcasts a slightly different set: the aircraft’s serial number, the latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the aircraft and of the takeoff location, velocity, and a time mark. The control station’s position isn’t on that list, which is exactly the kind of detail a test question can use to tell the two options apart.
Moving a module between aircraft
A serial number can be listed on only one Certificate of Aircraft Registration at a time. You may move a module from one Part 107 aircraft to another, but you have to move its serial number from the first aircraft’s registration to the second before you fly. If you keep one module for two older drones, build that step into your routine before each job.
Option 3: fly inside a FRIA
An aircraft with no Remote ID equipment may fly only inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area. It must stay within visual line of sight, and both the aircraft and the pilot must stay inside the FRIA’s boundaries.
For paid work this usually isn’t practical, because the client’s roof or listing decides where you fly, not the FRIA map. It’s still on the test, though: the ACS lists alternative remote identification as a knowledge element.
Small drones don’t get a pass
Back to that sub-250-gram drone. The part 48 registration exception for aircraft weighing 0.55 pound or less (about 250 grams) applies only to aircraft flown exclusively for recreation. It doesn’t cover Part 107.
AC 107-2A spells out what that means for Remote ID: small unmanned aircraft that part 48 doesn’t require to be registered must still meet Remote ID when flown under any operating part that requires registration. So if you fly a 0.55-pound drone for a client, you need to register it and comply with Remote ID, the same as a bigger drone.
How registration ties in
Remote ID and registration are linked through the serial number, so it helps to know the registration rules alongside it:
| Rule | Requirement | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Registration required | Effective registration to fly under Part 107 | 107.13, 91.203(a)(2) |
| Term | Non-recreational registration expires 3 years after issue unless renewed | 48.100(c) |
| Marking | Registration number legible, securely attached, on an external surface | 48.205 |
| Minimum owner age | Under 13 cannot register; someone at least 13 must do it | 48.25(b) |
Remote ID is not ADS-B
Part 107 flatly prohibits one kind of broadcast. A small UA may not have its ATC transponder on, or its ADS-B Out in transmit mode, unless the FAA authorizes it. The ACS lists ADS-B Out as a Remote ID knowledge element, so expect a question that tries to mix the two up.
Remote ID and flying over people
Remote ID also shows up in the operations over people rules, which matter for events and busy streets. Categories 1, 2 and 4 may make sustained flights over open-air assemblies only if the operation meets §89.110 or §89.115(a), meaning a standard Remote ID aircraft or a broadcast module. A FRIA-only aircraft doesn’t qualify. Category 3 may never fly over open-air assemblies at all.
The category rules are covered in operations over people categories 1 to 4.
A Remote ID preflight
The Remote ID rules add a few items to the preflight check that §107.49 already requires:
- Registration matches the hardware. The aircraft’s serial number, or the module’s, is listed on the current Certificate of Aircraft Registration.
- Registration is current. A non-recreational registration lasts 3 years unless renewed.
- The number is on the aircraft. Legible, securely attached and on an external surface.
- The module works. With a broadcast module, confirm it’s broadcasting before takeoff.
- You have a plan if it stops. Standard Remote ID aircraft and module-equipped aircraft both have to land as soon as practicable when broadcasting stops.
- No equipment means FRIA only. If the aircraft has neither, the flight has to happen inside a FRIA, with you inside it too.
What the test asks
The ACS Remote ID task covers standard Remote ID, alternative Remote ID, operations for aeronautical research, ADS-B Out, confirmation of identification, the minimum message elements, and product labeling. The FAA’s sample questions 41 and 42 cover the standard Remote ID broadcast rules.
Questions worth practicing:
- A standard Remote ID aircraft stops broadcasting in flight. What must the pilot do?
- Which option requires the aircraft to stay within visual line of sight?
- Where can an aircraft without Remote ID fly?
- Does a 0.55-pound aircraft flown under Part 107 need Remote ID?
For the rest of the regulation numbers, use the Part 107 rules cheat sheet.
See how these questions read
Take the free 20-question practice test. It gives you a score by area, and Remote ID sits inside regulations, the biggest area under PSI’s current weighting. When you want the full course, Liftoff is $49 once with lifetime access, every answer cites its FAA or eCFR source, and you can see what’s included.
If you’re not sure yet whether your flying even counts as Part 107, check whether you need a drone license, or see the whole picture in how to become a drone pilot.
If you’re wondering whether the DJI drone you fly is affected by the FCC’s Covered List, we cover that in can you still fly a DJI drone.