LEGISLATION REINSTATES RULE FOR MANDATORY REGISTRATION OF RECREATIONAL DRONES
January 28, 2018
On December 12, 2017, President Trump signed the $700 billion 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a defense reauthorization bill which also contains a requirement that all owners of recreational unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, register their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The enacted law resolves uncertainty over the issue of registration stemming from a May 2017 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit), which overturned a prior registration requirement set forth in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.
In December 2015, the FAA issued an interim rule requiring personal drone hobbyists to register their recreational aircraft with the agency. The rule, which has not been finalized, requires that owners of drones and model aircraft (aircraft weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds) pay a $5 registration fee and provide their name, email address, and physical address. In addition, these registered UAVs must display an assigned unique ID number at all times. Failing to register a drone or properly display the ID number could cause owners to incur civil and/or criminal penalties.
Over 800,000 people registered drones during the previous registration process that commenced in December 2015. The FAA has forecasted that 2.3 million consumer drones would be sold in 2017 in the U.S. alone. Drones can be registered at https://registermyuas.faa.gov/.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).
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