People who buy a drone often hear about two different FAA credentials: the free TRUST completion certificate and the FAA Part 107 remote pilot certification. They are not interchangeable. Which one you need depends on the kind of flight, not on the drone. This explainer sets out what the FAA's own pages and the regulation text say. Nothing here describes a rule change.
Two sets of rules
The FAA's Recreational Flyers page states: "There are currently two sets of rules for small UAS." One is 14 CFR Part 107, which the FAA describes as the rule that "enables certificated remote pilots to fly for work or business." The other is a limited exception in federal law for purely recreational flying, 49 U.S.C. 44809, which the FAA calls "The Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft."
The regulation draws the same line. 14 CFR 107.1(b) states that Part 107 "does not apply to the following," and its list includes "(2) Any aircraft subject to the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 44809."
What decides whether a flight is recreational?
Not simply whether you are paid. The FAA states: "Compensation, or the lack of it, is not what determines if a flight was recreational or not."
The FAA describes the recreational exception as being for those "flying drones purely for fun or personal enjoyment," and lists "Fly only for recreational purposes (personal enjoyment)" as the first rule for recreational flyers.
It gives examples of flights it treats as non-recreational Part 107 operations: "taking photos to help sell a property or service," "roof inspections," and "taking pictures of a high school football game for the school's website." It adds that "Goodwill can also be considered non-recreational," with the example of "volunteering to use your drone to survey coastlines on behalf of a non-profit organization."
The FAA also notes that some other operations, such as complex commercial drone operations and agricultural operations, "may be flown under waiver to 14 CFR Part 91 (and, as applicable, in combination with other rules)." Its examples of non-recreational Part 91 operations include "commercial BVLOS package delivery" and "agricultural spraying."
If you are unsure, the FAA's guidance is direct: "When in doubt, assume Part 107."
What TRUST is, and what it is not
TRUST is the FAA's Recreational UAS Safety Test. The FAA's TRUST page states: "If you fly your drone recreationally under the Exception for Recreational Flyers, you must pass the test before you fly."
Points the FAA makes about it:
- It is free: "All FAA-approved TRUST test administrators offer the test free."
- "You may take the free online test through any of the FAA approved test administrators."
- "All test questions are correctable to 100% prior to issuing your completion certificate."
- "If you lose your certificate, you will need to re-take TRUST."
- "Test administrators will not keep a record of your certificate. You must present a copy of your certificate if asked by law enforcement officers."
The TRUST page describes it as the test for those who fly "recreationally under the Exception for Recreational Flyers." Part 107 has its own certificate requirement, described below.
What a Part 107 flight requires
14 CFR 107.12(b) states that, except as provided in paragraph (c) (an FAA authorization for certain foreign-registered small unmanned aircraft), "no person may act as a remote pilot in command unless that person has a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating issued pursuant to Subpart C of this part and satisfies the requirements of § 107.65." Section 107.65 is headed "Aeronautical knowledge recency." Paragraph (a)(2) of 107.12 also lets a person without a certificate manipulate the flight controls while "under the direct supervision of a remote pilot in command" who "has the ability to immediately take direct control of the flight of the small unmanned aircraft."
The FAA's "Become a Certificated Remote Pilot" page lists the eligibility points for first-time pilots: "Be at least 16 years old," "Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English," "Be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a drone," and pass the initial knowledge exam, "Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)," at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. It also states that "Certificate holders must complete an online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical knowledge recency."
Holders of a pilot certificate under 14 CFR part 61 have a separate path on the same page, which requires a flight review "within the previous 24 months" and completion of the "Part 107 Small UAS Initial (ALC-451) online training course" on the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) website.
Registration and Remote ID
Registration differs between the two groups. The FAA's registration page states: "All drones must be registered, except those that weigh 0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams) and are flown under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations." So the under-250-gram exception is for recreational flights only. The same page adds: "Drones registered under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations cannot be flown under Part 107."
On Remote ID, the recreational page states that "As of September 16, 2023, if your drone requires an FAA registration number it will also be required to broadcast Remote ID information (unless flown within a Federally-Recognized Identification Area, or FRIA)." The registration and Remote ID rules for each group are in our registration and Remote ID study guide.
Studying for the Part 107 knowledge test
If your flights are not purely recreational and you fly under Part 107 as remote pilot in command, 14 CFR 107.12(b) requires the remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. Our remote pilot certificate study guide quotes Subpart C of Part 107 on eligibility, the knowledge test and recency, and the FAA Part 107 hub links every practice test. goraedu is an independent study site; it is not an FAA test administrator or testing center.