How Long After Passing Part 107 to Get Your Temporary Certificate

How long after passing Part 107 do you get the temporary certificate?

Most people get their Part 107 temporary certificate a few days to about a week after they submit their IACRA application, once the TSA background check clears. The 2016 rule set a benchmark of 10 business days from receipt of your application. Your test result can take up to 48 hours to reach IACRA before you can apply. Candidates report waits from a day and a half to a week, and a backlog can stretch it to several weeks. Check IACRA directly, since the certificate often appears there before the email.

The whole timeline at a glance

The FAA's current pages don't put a number on the TSA stage. Drone Pilot Ground School tells its students to expect the confirmation email within about 5 to 10 days. Pilot Institute says some applicants wait only a few days and others wait several weeks.

Candidate stories land at the faster end. One Reddit poster's temporary certificate showed up in IACRA about a day and a half after applying, and the email telling them about it came five days later. Another finished on a Tuesday and had the certificate by Friday morning. A February 2026 exam review describes applying in IACRA the afternoon of the test and getting the temporary certificate in three days.

When will my Part 107 test show up in IACRA?

According to the FAA's official steps for becoming a certificated remote pilot, it can take up to 48 hours from the test date for your knowledge test to appear in IACRA. Many people see it sooner. If it isn't there yet, wait and try again later that day or the next.

You'll need the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID printed on your Airman Knowledge Test Report, the paper you got at the testing center. Keep that report somewhere safe.

The application itself is FAA Form 8710-13. In IACRA you choose Start New Application, set the application type to Pilot, and pick Remote Pilot under certifications. Then choose Other Path Information and click Start Application. When it asks, type in the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID. Then sign electronically and submit.

IACRA will ask for a certificate number while you fill things in. You don't have one yet, and you can leave that field blank. The number gets created when your application is approved.

What happens during the TSA background check?

Once you submit, your application goes to the TSA for a security background check. When it clears, the FAA sends a confirmation email with instructions for printing your temporary remote pilot certificate from IACRA.

There's no official TSA processing time and no expedite option. What you can do is skip waiting for the email. Log in to IACRA and look at your application. Drone Pilot Ground School says that if the "Temporary Certificate Issue" box has a check mark, your application has been approved and you can fly under Part 107, even if the email hasn't arrived yet. Candidates on Reddit say the same thing. The certificate often sits in IACRA for days before the email turns up.

Can I fly commercially with just the Part 107 temporary certificate?

Yes. The 2016 rule says the temporary certificate lets you exercise all the privileges of a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. Paid real estate shoots, roof inspections and monetized video all count. You don't need to wait for the plastic card.

What you can't do is fly commercially just because you passed the test. A passing score is one step. You're legal to fly under Part 107 only once the temporary certificate has been issued.

Under 14 CFR 107.64, the temporary certificate is issued for up to 120 calendar days. It ends at the expiration date shown on it, on receipt of the permanent certificate, or on a notice of denial or revocation, whichever comes first. With the card usually arriving in 6 to 10 weeks, 120 days normally leaves a comfortable margin.

Carry it every time you fly

Under 14 CFR 107.7, you must have your remote pilot certificate and identification in your physical possession and readily accessible whenever you fly. You must show it if asked by the FAA, the NTSB, the TSA, or any federal, state or local law enforcement officer.

Some pilots say a photo on your phone is fine. The FAA does allow a paper or digital copy of your drone registration certificate, but it hasn't said the same about the remote pilot certificate. Print the temporary certificate and keep it in your flight case.

How do I find my Part 107 certificate number after passing?

It depends on where you are in the process.

• Before approval, you don't have one. That's why IACRA lets you leave the field blank.
• On the temporary certificate, it often says "pending." That's normal, and the certificate is still valid. Your number will be printed on the plastic card when it arrives in the mail.
• On the plastic card, it's printed for good. For most people, the card is where they first see the number.

Some Reddit users say the FAA's Airmen Inquiry search shows your number once it's assigned. The FAA's own Airmen Certification FAQ says it doesn't display your certificate number on its website. Airmen Inquiry can confirm that you hold a remote pilot certificate, which helps when a client wants proof. Just don't count on reading your number there.

If a client, insurer or job application wants a number before yours exists, candidates report that writing "PENDING" is usually accepted. That's community experience, not an FAA rule, so ask whoever needs it. Showing them a copy of your temporary certificate often settles it. As for timing, one Reddit user put the average at about 60 days to get a number, while another had theirs within days.

How long does it take to get the Part 107 plastic card in the mail?

The FAA says the permanent card typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from the date your temporary certificate was issued. Drone Pilot Ground School says it usually takes 6 to 8 weeks, and most Reddit users report about two months.

You can see the current backlog for yourself. On October 22, 2026, the FAA's Airmen Certification page said it was processing permanent certificates for temporary certificates issued approximately August 30, 2026. That's about 7.5 weeks behind before your card even goes in the mail. The date on that page changes, so check it and compare it with the issue date on your temporary certificate.

If the card doesn't come or you've moved

If more than eight weeks have passed since your temporary certificate was issued, contact the FAA Airmen Certification Branch at (866) 878-2498. They answer weekdays from 7.30am to 4pm Central Time.

Moving before the card arrives is a common snag. Some people get stuck because the online address change seems to need a certificate number they don't have yet. Try Airmen Online Services first, and if that doesn't work, call the same Airmen Certification Branch number.

The card doesn't expire

Your certificate is permanent unless it's revoked. To keep flying under Part 107, you must complete the free online recurrent training, ALC-677, within every 24 calendar months.

Fastest way to get your Part 107 in hand for a job next week

Nobody can speed up the TSA check, and the FAA has no expedite option. What you control is how fast you get into the queue and how soon you notice the approval.

Apply in IACRA as soon as the test appears. That's within 48 hours of your test, and often the same day. Every hour you wait to apply is an hour added to your wait.

Check IACRA daily rather than waiting for the email. Once the temporary certificate is issued, you're legal, and the email can come days later. Print the certificate as soon as it's there.

Register the drone under Part 107 straight away at FAADroneZone. The pilot certificate and the drone registration are separate. It costs $5 per drone, valid 3 years. A drone registered as recreational can't be flown under Part 107, so even if you registered it before, it may need a new registration. Your drone must also comply with Remote ID, so have the manufacturer's Remote ID serial number ready when you register. Put the registration number on the drone and carry the registration certificate, on paper or on your phone.

If the job is in controlled airspace, you'll need a separate authorization, usually through LAANC. Sort that out once your certificate is in hand.

Be honest with the client about timing. Most applicants clear in days, but the official benchmark is 10 business days, and a backlog can stretch it to several weeks. If you haven't taken the test yet and a job is coming, leave at least two weeks between test day and the shoot.

Already a Part 61 pilot? Your path is faster

If you hold a Part 61 pilot certificate with a current flight review, you take the free online ALC-451 course instead of the knowledge test. Then you apply in IACRA and meet a FSDO, a DPE, an ACR or a CFI to verify your identity.

Because you've already been vetted by the TSA, the rule says you get the temporary certificate as soon as the FAA receives your completed application in IACRA. That applies even if you chose to take the knowledge test instead. One catch is that CFIs can't issue temporary certificates. If you need to fly right away, meet with a FSDO, DPE or ACR. The permanent card follows within several weeks.