Remote ID explained: what it is and how drone pilots comply

Remote ID is the ability of a drone in flight to provide identification and location information that other people can receive through a broadcast signal (FAA, Remote ID). For any flight after September 16, 2023, an unmanned aircraft in U.S. airspace has to meet one of the Remote ID options, except where the FAA authorizes otherwise (14 CFR 89.105). You can comply in three ways: fly a drone with Remote ID built in, add a broadcast module, or stay inside an FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA) with a drone that has no Remote ID at all. Under Part 107, every drone you fly has to use one of them.

Does your drone need it?

Part 89's operating rules reach every operator of an unmanned aircraft that is registered, or required to be, and anyone flying a foreign civil unmanned aircraft in the United States (14 CFR 89.101). In the FAA's words, that takes in drones flown for recreation, business or public safety (FAA, Remote ID).

• Part 107 pilots. Under Part 107 every drone must be registered, light or heavy (14 CFR 107.13) (14 CFR 48.15). That is why even a drone weighing 0.55 pounds or under needs Remote ID once it is flown under Part 107 (AC 107-2A, para. 5.17.1).
• Recreational flyers. Registration is not required for a drone of 0.55 pounds or under that is flown only under the recreational exception (14 CFR 48.15(b)). According to the FAA's summary of the rule, that drone needs Remote ID only when it is flown under rules that do require registration, Part 107 being one (FAA, Remote ID rule summary).

The purpose, as the FAA puts it: Remote ID helps the FAA, law enforcement and other federal agencies find the control station when a drone appears to be flying unsafely or where it isn't allowed (FAA, Remote ID).

Built in: standard Remote ID drones

A standard Remote ID drone comes from the factory with Remote ID inside (FAA, Remote ID). Its broadcast runs from takeoff to shutdown and carries an identity (the serial number its manufacturer assigned, or a session ID); position reports for both the drone and the control station, each with latitude, longitude and geometric altitude; the drone's velocity; an emergency status indication; and a time mark in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) (14 CFR 89.110(a)) (14 CFR 89.305).

These drones police themselves. Each one runs an automatic Remote ID self-test before takeoff and reports the result to you; if the equipment isn't working, the drone must not be able to take off. Once airborne it keeps checking and alerts you to a malfunction or failure (14 CFR 89.310(c)). Three conditions apply before you fly one: its serial number appears on a declaration of compliance the FAA has accepted (or the drone is covered by a Part 21 approval), its Remote ID works and hasn't been disabled, and your Certificate of Aircraft Registration lists its serial number (14 CFR 89.110(b)).

About session IDs: the FAA says operators of standard Remote ID drones may in future get to choose whether they broadcast the serial number or a session ID (FAA, Remote ID).

Add-on: broadcast modules

Drones that lack built-in Remote ID can be retrofitted by attaching a broadcast module (FAA, Remote ID). The module's serial number has to be listed on a declaration of compliance the FAA has accepted, and also on the drone's registration (14 CFR 89.115(a)(1)). Its message differs from a standard drone's in three ways (14 CFR 89.315): the identity is always the module's own serial number; in place of the control station's position it sends the latitude, longitude and geometric altitude of the takeoff location; and it has no emergency status. Like a standard drone, it reports the drone's latitude, longitude, geometric altitude and velocity, plus a UTC time mark.

Flying with a module adds three duties for the person on the controls (14 CFR 89.115(a)(2) to (4)): confirm the module is working before takeoff, be able to see the drone personally for the whole flight, and bring it down as soon as practicable if the broadcast stops.

The middle duty changes how Part 107 crews work. Ordinarily a visual observer may be the one keeping the drone in sight (14 CFR 107.31(b)), but with a module the person on the controls must be able to see it personally. Swapping a module onto a different Part 107 drone is fine, as long as you first update the registrations so the module's serial number sits on the new drone's record; one serial number can only appear on one registration at a time (AC 107-2A, para. 5.17.1).

No equipment: FAA-recognized identification areas

A drone with no Remote ID equipment at all can still fly, but only inside a FRIA: the drone and the person on the controls both stay within its boundaries throughout, and that person must be able to see the drone the whole time (14 CFR 89.115(b)). FRIAs can be requested only by community-based organizations and educational institutions that the FAA recognizes (14 CFR 89.205). Each one lasts 48 calendar months from approval unless it is renewed (14 CFR 89.225).

Approved FRIA locations are shown on an FAA map. A drone that does have Remote ID can fly in a FRIA as well, but it must keep broadcasting, and airspace rules still apply inside one (FAA, FRIAs).

What happens to the broadcast

Remote ID is broadcast by radio, not sent over the internet (FAA, Remote ID rule summary). Equipment must use a non-proprietary broadcast specification and radio frequencies compatible with personal wireless devices, and must send at least one message per second (14 CFR 89.310(g) and (h)) (14 CFR 89.320(g) and (h)). The FAA's summary of the rule says the message will be available to most personal wireless devices within range. Linking a serial number or session ID to the registration database is limited to the FAA, which can share it with authorized law enforcement and national security personnel on request (FAA, Remote ID rule summary).

Registering a Remote ID drone or module

Your registration must list the serial number of each standard Remote ID drone, or of the broadcast module fitted to a drone. A serial number may not be on more than one registration at the same time (14 CFR 48.110(a)(6) and (7)). Part 107 pilots register each device separately, and each gets its own registration number (FAA, Remote ID). Before you register, the FAA suggests checking that your drone or module is on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance. Declarations come only from manufacturers, so don't submit one yourself (FAA, Remote ID).

Easy ways to get Remote ID wrong

• Counting on ADS-B Out. It doesn't satisfy Remote ID (14 CFR 89.125), and a Part 107 drone isn't allowed to transmit it at all unless the FAA authorizes it (14 CFR 107.53).
• Ignoring a broadcast warning. Whether the Remote ID is built in or added with a module, a stopped broadcast means landing as soon as practicable (14 CFR 89.110(a)(2)) (14 CFR 89.115(a)(4)).
• Skipping the paperwork after a module swap. If the module's serial number still sits on the old drone's registration, the drone it now rides on isn't compliant (AC 107-2A, para. 5.17.1).
• Overlooking crowds. Under operations over people Categories 1, 2 and 4, sustained flight above an open-air assembly takes a standard Remote ID drone or a module (14 CFR 107.110(b)) (14 CFR 107.115(b)) (14 CFR 107.140(a)(2)). See Part 107 operations over people.

The FAA may authorize flights without Remote ID when they are solely for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations (14 CFR 89.120). Its Remote ID page calls these Remote ID Letters of Authorization, says other operations, such as drone light shows flown under an FAA waiver, may also be eligible, and explains how to ask (FAA, Remote ID).

Remote ID and the Part 107 test

The knowledge test covers the regulations that apply to small drone flight operations (14 CFR 107.73(a)), and Remote ID sits right next to registration among them. The Part 107 regulations topic page has sample questions, and the Part 107 glossary defines the terms. If you are still deciding whether you need Part 107 at all, read Part 107 vs recreational drone flying.

To see how much you already know, try the free 20-question Part 107 practice test. Part 107 Complete ($39, one-time) covers registration and Remote ID in a full lesson with a worked example, practice questions and timed mock exams.

Questions people ask

Does my drone need Remote ID?

Yes, if it is registered or should be (14 CFR 89.101). Part 107 requires every drone to be registered, so each Part 107 drone needs built-in standard Remote ID, a broadcast module, or to stay inside an FAA-recognized identification area.

Do drones under 250 grams need Remote ID?

Under Part 107, yes, because Part 107 requires registration whatever the weight. Flown only under the recreational exception, a drone weighing 0.55 pounds or under doesn't have to be registered, so Remote ID applies to it only if it is registered.

What should I do if Remote ID stops working during a flight?

Land as soon as practicable. That rule applies both to standard Remote ID drones and to drones using a broadcast module (14 CFR 89.110 and 89.115).

Can anyone see my name and address through Remote ID?

The broadcast carries an identity (a serial number or session ID), positions, altitudes, velocity and a time mark, not your name. The FAA says linking that identity to the registration database is limited to the FAA, which can share it with authorized law enforcement and national security personnel on request.

Can I use one broadcast module on more than one drone?

Under Part 107, yes, one drone at a time. Before you fly, the module's serial number must be moved to the registration of the drone it is now on, because a serial number can be on only one registration at a time.