Drone

Remote ID explained: standard, broadcast module, FRIA

Q: What is Remote ID for drones?

Remote ID is a broadcast from the drone, during flight, of identification and location information such as the aircraft's identity, its position and altitude, and the control station location. It is required by 14 CFR Part 89 for unmanned aircraft that must be registered. Think of it as a digital license plate that anyone with a compatible receiver can read while the aircraft is flying.

Q: When did Remote ID become mandatory?

Operators had to comply from 16 September 2023 under 14 CFR 89.105. The rule itself was published in January 2021 with a staged timeline: manufacturers had to produce compliant aircraft first, and operators were given until September 2023, after a six-month enforcement discretion period announced by the FAA, to equip.

Q: What are the three ways to comply with Remote ID?

Fly a standard Remote ID aircraft that broadcasts from takeoff to shutdown; attach a Remote ID broadcast module and keep the aircraft within your visual line of sight; or fly without Remote ID equipment inside an FAA-recognized identification area (FRIA), keeping both the aircraft and yourself within its boundaries and within line of sight. Each option has its own section in Part 89.

Q: What should a remote pilot do if Remote ID stops broadcasting in flight?

Land as soon as practicable. Both 14 CFR 89.110 for standard Remote ID aircraft and 89.115 for broadcast modules require the person manipulating the controls to land the aircraft as soon as practicable once it is no longer broadcasting the required message elements. Continuing the flight is a violation, and the loss of broadcast also ends any Category 1 or 2 operation over an open-air assembly.

Q: Does Remote ID replace registration?

No. Registration under 14 CFR Part 48 and Remote ID under Part 89 are separate requirements that work together. The serial number of a standard Remote ID aircraft, or of a broadcast module, must be listed on the Certificate of Aircraft Registration, and the registration number must still be legibly displayed on the outside of the aircraft under 48.200 and 48.205.

Study All editorial team · Checked against official sources · Last reviewed Oct 4, 2026 · Published Oct 4, 2026

Remote ID is the rule that requires most drones to broadcast who and where they are while they fly. It lives in 14 CFR Part 89, it has been mandatory for operators since 16 September 2023, and it appears throughout the Part 107 knowledge test because it is woven into the over-people rules and the registration rules. This guide explains the three ways to comply, exactly what each one requires before and during a flight, what to do when the broadcast fails, and how Remote ID connects to registration and to flying over people. Every requirement is cited to the section of Part 89 or Part 107 that states it.

What Remote ID is and why it exists

Remote identification is the ability of an unmanned aircraft in flight to provide identification and location information that can be received by other parties. In practice the aircraft, or a module attached to it, broadcasts a set of message elements that include the aircraft's identity, its position and altitude, the control station's position, a time mark, and an emergency status. Anyone with a compatible receiver, including law enforcement and the FAA, can read the broadcast; there is no network requirement in the final rule, broadcast only.

The FAA published the Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft final rule on 15 January 2021, alongside the operations over people rule. The stated purpose is safety and security: letting the FAA, law enforcement, and other agencies identify an aircraft that is flying where it should not be, and laying the groundwork for more complex operations later. The rule took effect in stages. Manufacturers had to produce compliant aircraft first, and the operator requirement in 14 CFR 89.105 applies after 16 September 2023.

The requirement: 89.105

Section 89.105 is one sentence. Except as otherwise authorized by the Administrator or as provided in 89.120 (aeronautical research and showing compliance), after 16 September 2023 no person may operate an unmanned aircraft within the airspace of the United States unless the operation meets the requirements of 89.110 or 89.115.

Section 89.110 is standard Remote ID. Section 89.115 holds the two alternatives: a Remote ID broadcast module (89.115(a)) and operations inside an FAA-recognized identification area, or FRIA (89.115(b)). Those are the three ways to comply.

Part 89 applies to unmanned aircraft that must be registered. A recreational drone that weighs 0.55 pounds or less on takeoff and is flown exclusively under the recreational exception is exempt from registration under 14 CFR 48.15 and is therefore outside Part 89. Every aircraft flown under Part 107 must be registered, so every Part 107 flight needs one of the three compliance options.

Option 1: standard Remote ID aircraft (89.110)

A standard Remote ID unmanned aircraft has the broadcast capability built in. Most consumer and commercial drones sold since 2022 are standard Remote ID aircraft, which you can confirm by checking whether the aircraft's serial number appears on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance.

To fly a standard Remote ID aircraft, 89.110 requires two operational conditions and four aircraft conditions.

Operational requirements, 89.110(a):

From takeoff to shutdown, the aircraft must broadcast the message elements of 89.305.
If the aircraft is no longer broadcasting those elements, the person manipulating the flight controls must land the aircraft as soon as practicable.

Aircraft requirements, 89.110(b):

Its serial number is listed on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance, or the aircraft is covered by a Part 21 design or production approval and meets subpart F of Part 89.
Its Remote ID equipment is functional and complies with Part 89 from takeoff to shutdown.
Its Remote ID equipment and functionality have not been disabled.
The Certificate of Aircraft Registration includes the aircraft's serial number, as required by Parts 47 and 48, or the serial number has been provided to the FAA in a notice of identification under 89.130 before the operation.

That last point is the one people miss. Registering the drone is not enough; the registration must list the serial number of the aircraft. If you registered before buying a standard Remote ID aircraft, update the registration with the serial number before flying.

Option 2: a Remote ID broadcast module (89.115(a))

A broadcast module is a separate device attached to an aircraft that does not have standard Remote ID built in. It is the path for older drones and home-built aircraft. The module broadcasts a slightly different message set, defined in 89.315, and the rule adds a condition that does not exist for standard aircraft: visual line of sight.

Equipage, 89.115(a)(1):

The aircraft must be equipped with a broadcast module that meets 89.320, and the module's serial number must be listed on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance.
The Certificate of Aircraft Registration must include the serial number of the broadcast module, or the serial number must have been provided to the FAA in a notice of identification under 89.130.

Operating requirements, 89.115(a)(2):

From takeoff to shutdown, the module must broadcast the 89.315 message elements directly from the aircraft.
The person manipulating the flight controls must be able to see the aircraft at all times throughout the operation.

Preflight, 89.115(a)(3): before takeoff, the person manipulating the controls must ensure the module is functioning.

In-flight loss, 89.115(a)(4): if the aircraft stops broadcasting, land as soon as practicable.

The visual line of sight condition matters for anyone planning waivered beyond-line-of-sight work: a broadcast module cannot support it, because 89.115(a)(2)(ii) requires the pilot to see the aircraft at all times. A standard Remote ID aircraft has no such condition in Part 89, though Part 107's own line-of-sight rule in 107.31 still applies unless waived.

Option 3: an FAA-recognized identification area (89.115(b))

A FRIA is a defined geographic area, requested by an eligible organization such as a community-based organization or an educational institution under 89.205 and 89.210, and approved by the FAA under 89.215, where unmanned aircraft may fly without any Remote ID equipment. Two conditions apply:

The aircraft and the person manipulating the flight controls must remain within the boundaries of the FRIA throughout the operation.
The person manipulating the controls must be able to see the aircraft at all times.

FRIAs are the answer for model aircraft clubs and school programs flying aircraft that cannot be equipped. They are not a loophole for commercial work elsewhere; the whole operation stays inside the boundary.

Two more sections you will see on the test

Section 89.120 allows operations without Remote ID for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations, with FAA authorization. Section 89.125 prohibits using ADS-B Out on an unmanned aircraft operating under Part 89 unless the Administrator authorizes it or the aircraft is operating under a flight plan with ATC. ADS-B Out is the manned-aircraft surveillance broadcast; the FAA does not want drones cluttering it. The Part 107 ACS lists both the transponder and the ADS-B Out prohibitions as knowledge elements.

What to do when the broadcast fails

Both compliance paths that involve equipment give the same instruction: land as soon as practicable once the aircraft is no longer broadcasting the required message elements (89.110(a)(2) for standard Remote ID, 89.115(a)(4) for broadcast modules). "As soon as practicable" means at the first safe opportunity, not immediately regardless of what is below, and not after finishing the job.

A failed broadcast has a second consequence under Part 107. If you were flying over an open-air assembly of people under Category 1 or Category 2, the Remote ID requirement that made that flight legal is no longer met, so the over-people operation must end too.

Check the broadcast before every flight. The broadcast module rule requires a preflight check explicitly; for standard Remote ID aircraft, the equipment must be functional from takeoff, so a preflight confirmation is the practical way to meet 89.110(b)(2). Most manufacturers show Remote ID status in the control app; the FAA also notes that compatible phone apps can receive and display the broadcast.

How Remote ID connects to flying over people

The over-people categories in 14 CFR Part 107 Subpart D tie directly to Part 89. Section 107.110, Category 1, allows a remote pilot in command to fly over people with an aircraft that weighs 0.55 pounds or less on takeoff and throughout the operation, including everything attached, and has no exposed rotating parts that would lacerate skin. Paragraph (b) then adds: no remote pilot in command may operate in sustained flight over open-air assemblies of human beings unless the operation meets the requirements of 89.110 or 89.115(a).

Category 2, in 107.115, carries the same open-air assembly condition. Notice what the condition does and does not include: standard Remote ID (89.110) and broadcast modules (89.115(a)) qualify; a FRIA (89.115(b)) does not. A Category 1 or 2 aircraft flown inside a FRIA without Remote ID equipment may not sustain flight over an open-air assembly.

Category 3, in 107.125 and 107.130, prohibits operation over open-air assemblies entirely, so Remote ID does not unlock it. Category 4 requires an airworthiness certificate under Part 21.

Remote ID and registration work together

Remote ID does not replace registration under Part 48; the two are linked. The serial number of a standard Remote ID aircraft, or of a broadcast module, must be on the Certificate of Aircraft Registration (89.110(b)(4) and 89.115(a)(1)(ii)). Registration costs 5 dollars under 48.30, is valid for three years under 48.100, and can be renewed in the six months before it expires.

The registration marking rules in Part 48 Subpart C also still apply. Under 48.200, no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft registered under Part 48 unless it displays a unique identifier, which is the registration number issued by the Registry or, if authorized, the aircraft's serial number. Under 48.205, the identifier must be legible, affixed so it stays on for the whole operation, and displayed on an external surface of the aircraft. The external-surface requirement dates from 2019; before that, the number could be inside the battery compartment.

A preflight checklist for Remote ID

Combining the sections above into the order you would actually use them:

Confirm which compliance path applies: standard Remote ID aircraft, broadcast module, or FRIA.
For standard or module: confirm the serial number is on an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance, and that the same serial number is on your Certificate of Aircraft Registration.
Confirm the registration number is legibly displayed on the outside of the aircraft.
Power up and confirm the Remote ID equipment is functioning before takeoff.
If using a module or a FRIA, plan to keep the aircraft in sight for the entire flight.
If flying over an open-air assembly under Category 1 or 2, confirm you are on standard Remote ID or a module, not a FRIA.
If the broadcast stops in flight, land as soon as practicable and end any over-people operation.

Remote ID questions on the Part 107 test are usually about these conditions: which option requires line of sight, what to do when the broadcast stops, where the serial number must appear, and which options allow sustained flight over an open-air assembly. Knowing the three sections, 89.105, 89.110, and 89.115, answers nearly all of them.

Frequently asked questions

What is Remote ID for drones?

Remote ID is the in-flight broadcast of an aircraft's identity, position, altitude, control station location, time mark, and emergency status, required by 14 CFR Part 89 for unmanned aircraft that must be registered. It is often described as a digital license plate.

When did Remote ID become mandatory?

Operators have had to comply since 16 September 2023 under 14 CFR 89.105. The rule was published in January 2021 with a staged timeline for manufacturers and operators.

What are the three ways to comply with Remote ID?

A standard Remote ID aircraft under 89.110; a Remote ID broadcast module under 89.115(a), which also requires keeping the aircraft in sight; or flying inside an FAA-recognized identification area under 89.115(b), with the aircraft and pilot inside the boundary and the aircraft in sight.

What should a remote pilot do if Remote ID stops broadcasting in flight?

Land as soon as practicable, as 89.110(a)(2) and 89.115(a)(4) require. Any Category 1 or 2 operation over an open-air assembly must end, because its Remote ID condition is no longer met.

Does Remote ID replace registration?

No. The aircraft or module serial number must be listed on the Certificate of Aircraft Registration, and the registration number must be legibly displayed on the outside of the aircraft under 48.200 and 48.205. Registration costs 5 dollars and lasts three years.

Practice now: free questions with full rationales