Does a drone under 250 grams need registering for paid work?
Yes. The under 250 gram (0.55 lb) exemption covers only recreational flying. Once you're paid for footage, or it helps a business, the flight falls under Part 107, and every drone flown under Part 107 must be registered whatever it weighs. That means a $5 registration per drone, good for 3 years, the number on an external surface, and a Remote Pilot Certificate for you.
From the lesson sUAS Registration and Marking
Why it matters on the exam
The test likes to pair a tiny drone with a paid job to see whether you'll wrongly apply the recreational weight line. If you remember that the 0.55 lb exemption belongs to hobby flying only, you can clear these questions quickly. The same idea runs through real jobs, where flying an unregistered drone for a client is a violation.
Key points
- The weight line is recreational only. The FAA exempts drones of 0.55 pounds or less (under 250 grams) from registration only when they're flown under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations.
- Pay isn't the test. The FAA says compensation, or the lack of it, doesn't decide whether a flight is recreational. Only flying purely for fun or personal enjoyment counts, and photos that help sell a property or service are Part 107 work.
- Part 107 means register. Under Part 107 each drone gets its own registration, $5 per drone and valid for 3 years, with the number marked on an external surface you can read without opening anything.
- Keep the proof with you. Carry the registration certificate, on paper or on your phone, at the operating site every time you fly.
- Remote ID comes along. A drone that must be registered also has to broadcast Remote ID unless it's flying inside a FAA-Recognized Identification Area.
| Rule | Purely for fun | Paid or business footage (Part 107) |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Not required at 0.55 lb or less | Required at any weight |
| Cost and term | Not applicable | $5 per drone, valid 3 years |
| Registration number | Not applicable | Marked on an external surface |
| Pilot credential | TRUST completion | Remote Pilot Certificate |
| Remote ID | Not required if not registered | Required, unless inside a FRIA |
Common trap
Candidates see a weight under 0.55 lb and pick the exempt answer. Check the purpose of the flight first. If it's for pay, a client or a business, the weight line disappears and the drone must be registered.
Question 1 of 5
A remote pilot plans to fly a 0.5 lb drone to film a local bakery's storefront for its website, and the bakery will pay for the footage. Which statement is correct?
Tap an answer and I’ll tell you why.
Question 1 is written for this page and checked by a person. The others are practice questions from the MindMax app. None are from a past exam.
Where it comes from
Lesson 1 in Operating Rules · Regulations (UA.I)
sUAS Registration and Marking
- State that every small UA flown under Part 107 must be registered, whatever its weight
- State the registration period (3 years) and the eligibility and age requirement for a registrant
- State the requirement to show the registration number on an external surface of the aircraft
- Identify when Part 47 registration is required instead of Part 48 (aircraft of 55 lb or more)
- State that registration information must be available at the operating site and that address changes must be updated within 14 days
Key terms in this lesson
- Part 48
- The rule for registering small unmanned aircraft under 55 pounds online, at $5 per drone for 3 years. Aircraft of 55 pounds or more register under Part 47 instead.
Learn more
FAQ
Selling footage isn't flying purely for fun or personal enjoyment, which is the only kind of flying the recreational exception covers. So the FAA's own test points to Part 107, meaning you'd need a Remote Pilot Certificate and a Part 107 registration. The FAA's advice when you're unsure is to assume Part 107.
Yes. The FAA lists taking photos to help sell a property as non-recreational flying, and it says being paid or not isn't what decides it. Even volunteering for a non-profit can count as non-recreational.
No. A drone registered under the recreational exception can't be flown under Part 107, and the FAA doesn't let you move a registration from one type to the other. You register the drone again under Part 107, at $5 per drone for 3 years.