The test
How much does Part 107 cost? The test fee and everything else
Last reviewed
5 min readThe main cost of getting your Remote Pilot Certificate is the knowledge test. The test fee is about $175, set by the testing provider. Check the current fee when you book. Most of the other pieces, from the FAA's study materials to recurrent training, are free. If you fly under Part 107, you'll also register your drone, which is $5 per aircraft (14 CFR 48.30(a)).
The costs at a glance
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Knowledge test (UAG) | About $175 (the testing provider sets it, so confirm it when booking) |
| A retest, if you need one | A new booking, so check the fee again when you book. |
| Drone registration | $5 per aircraft (14 CFR 48.30(a)), valid 3 years unless renewed (14 CFR 48.100(c)) |
| Recurrent training every 24 calendar months | No cost (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot) |
| FAA study guide, ACS, chart guide and testing supplement | Free to download from faa.gov |
| A study course (optional) | Varies. Ours, Part 107 Complete, is $39 one-time. |
The knowledge test fee
First-time remote pilots take the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG) test at a knowledge testing center approved by the FAA (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). The FAA's own FAQ says knowledge testing centers charge approximately $175 for the initial knowledge test (FAA FAQ: cost of a remote pilot certificate). The fee is set by the testing provider and can change, so check the current fee when you book.
You pay when you register. The FAA says you choose a testing center and make financial arrangements for the test when you register, online or by phone; you may register several weeks in advance and cancel under the testing center's cancellation policy (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-2). Read that policy before you book, so a change of plans doesn't cost you.
Before you can register, you need an FAA Tracking Number (FTN), which you get by creating a profile in IACRA, the FAA's online application system (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). Our guide on how to get your Part 107 certificate walks through every step.
What about the certificate itself?
After you pass, the FAA's steps are: complete Form 8710-13 in IACRA with your 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID, wait for the TSA security background check, then print your temporary certificate from IACRA when the email arrives; the permanent certificate comes by mail (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). The FAA's page lists no separate fee for any of these steps (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot), and when its FAQ answers what a remote pilot certificate costs, the only cost it names is the knowledge test fee (FAA FAQ: cost of a remote pilot certificate).
Already a Part 61 certificated pilot with a flight review completed in the previous 24 months? Then the FAA lets you take its online Part 107 Small UAS Initial course (ALC-451) in place of the knowledge test (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot).
Costs people forget
A retest
A failed test means a 14-calendar-day wait before you can try again (14 CFR 107.71), and you take the failed test report with you to the testing center (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15). A retest means registering again, and registering is when you arrange payment for the test (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-2), so budget for the test fee a second time and confirm the amount when you rebook. The cheapest test is the one you only take once, which is the best reason to practice before you book. Our guide to retaking the Part 107 test covers the process.
Drone registration
Under Part 107, you register your drone whatever its weight: the exception for drones of 0.55 pounds or less is only for flying under the recreational rules (14 CFR 48.15). Each aircraft costs $5 to register (14 CFR 48.30(a)), and the registration lasts 3 years from the date it is issued unless you renew it (14 CFR 48.100(c)).
Remote ID
For any flight after September 16, 2023, a drone in US airspace must meet the Remote ID rules unless an exception applies (14 CFR 89.105). If your drone isn't a standard Remote ID drone, the options are a Remote ID broadcast module, or flying only within an FAA-recognized identification area (14 CFR 89.115). Check what your drone supports before you buy extra equipment.
Staying current
The certificate itself doesn't expire (FAA FAQ), but you must complete recurrent training within every 24 calendar months to keep acting as remote pilot in command (14 CFR 107.65). ALC-677 is the FAA's online recurrent course; Part 61 certificate holders with a current flight review can take ALC-515 instead. The FAA lists both at no cost (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). See our recurrent training guide.
What you can get for free
- The FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide. The FAA published it to set out the knowledge areas you need to study for the test, and it's available to download from faa.gov (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, p. i).
- The Remote Pilot ACS. It lists the 14 CFR parts and FAA documents the test standards are based on (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-7).
- The testing supplement and the chart guide. The FAA posts its testing supplements online (FAA: Computer Testing Supplements), and its chart symbol guide too (FAA Chart Users' Guide). The FAA says its testing standards documents are public domain and may be copied without permission (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 4).
- Our free practice. The free 20-question Part 107 practice test explains every answer, and each topic page, such as Regulations and Airspace, has 10 sample questions. The key numbers cheat sheet is free to print.
Do you need to pay for a course?
No one has to. The Remote Pilot ACS lists what its test standards are based on, including parts of 14 CFR, FAA advisory circulars, the AIM, FAA handbooks and the FAA study guide, and notes that the current editions of FAA publications are on faa.gov (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-7). What a course adds is structure and practice: lessons in a sensible order, explained questions and timed exams, so you spend your time on what you don't know yet.
If that's useful to you, Part 107 Complete is $39, paid once, with no subscription. It has 29 lessons, 15 timed mock exams in the official 60-question, 2-hour format, a chart trainer, a METAR and TAF trainer, flashcards and a printable study guide, against a test fee of about $175 (set by the testing provider, as above). The first lesson of each module is free to read, so you can see the style before you decide.
Not sure where you stand? Read how hard the Part 107 test is, then take the free test.
Questions people ask
- How much is the Part 107 test?
- The test fee is about $175, set by the testing provider. The FAA's FAQ says knowledge testing centers charge approximately $175 for the initial knowledge test. Check the current fee when you book.
- Does the FAA charge for the Remote Pilot Certificate itself?
- The FAA's Become a Drone Pilot page lists the steps after the test (the IACRA application, the TSA background check and printing a temporary certificate) without any separate fee, and the FAA's FAQ on what a remote pilot certificate costs names only the knowledge test fee.
- Is Part 107 recurrent training free?
- Yes. The FAA lists its online recurrent courses, ALC-677 and ALC-515, as no cost. You need to complete one within every 24 calendar months to keep acting as remote pilot in command.
- How much does it cost to register a drone for Part 107?
- The fee is $5 per aircraft, and a registration lasts 3 years unless renewed. Under Part 107 you register whatever the drone weighs.