FAA: Drones Must Be Registered by Feb. 19

By MARC TORRENCE (Patch National Staff)

Thinking about when you’re going to take your drone out for its next (or first) spin? Starting next week, you need to make sure it’s registered.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced earlier this month that starting Dec. 21, all “small unmanned aircraft” between .55 and 50 pounds will require registration through the FAA.

The process is simple.

The FAA just launched an online drone registration website that began taking submissions on Dec. 21. Owners only need to provide a name, home address and e-mail address to bet a certificate.

Owners will get a unique identification number to put on all of their drones or other devices.

The registration lasts three years, and the fee to register is just $5. But the FAA is waiving the fee for the first month, through Jan. 21.

“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a news release.

“Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”

Current drone owners will have until Feb. 19 to register. New drone owners will need to sign up before they make their first flight.