A little over a year ago, we reported on the FAA’s new regulations for hobbyist drone operators. Hobbyists (folks flying drones non-commercially) were required to register with the FCC and place the issued registration number somewhere on the aircraft.
In the accompanying video, I explained how to get a registration number, and then I showed making a label and placing that number inside the battery compartment of my DJI Mavic drone.
As of Feb. 25, those instructions are no longer valid. Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration posted a new rule. Where the previous FAA guidance allowed for registration numbers inside battery compartments, the FAA’s new rule specifically prohibits posting registration numbers in “interior compartments.”
Drone operators are now required to post registration numbers on the exterior body of the aircraft.
Surprisingly, the new rule does not specify where on the external body of the aircraft the registration number needs to be placed. The rule simply states that it must be visible “upon visual inspection of the aircraft’s exterior.”
As rules go, this isn’t particularly difficult to comply with. The registration numbers need to be visible and clear. I originally generated my registration number with an old label maker I had lying around. Last year, I put the label inside the battery compartment. This year, we’ll all simply need to make new labels and put them on the outside of our drones.