When you get your Part 107 temporary certificate and whether you can fly with it
You get your temporary certificate only after the TSA security background check clears, and the FAA doesn't publish how long that takes. Your test result can take up to 48 hours to reach IACRA before you can apply. Once TSA clears you, the FAA emails instructions to print it, and you can fly Part 107 with it for up to 120 days while the plastic card comes by mail.
From the lesson Remote Pilot Certificate Eligibility and Requirements
Why it matters on the exam
The exam checks that you know the order of certification, apply, vet, temporary, permanent, and that the temporary certificate lasts up to 120 days. Questions often tempt you to think you're legal the moment you pass or hit submit. Knowing that TSA clearance comes first keeps you from picking the wrong answer and from flying a job illegally.
Key points
- TSA comes first. Your IACRA application goes to the TSA for a security background check, and no temporary certificate is issued while that check is open.
- Up to 120 days. Under 14 CFR 107.64 the temporary certificate is issued for up to 120 calendar days. It ends on the date shown, when the permanent card arrives, or on notice of denial or revocation.
- Yes, you can fly. The temporary certificate you print from IACRA is a real remote pilot certificate, so you can fly Part 107 operations with it.
- Keep it on you. Whether temporary or permanent, the certificate must be in your possession and easily accessible during every operation.
- No published wait. The FAA gives no turnaround time for the TSA check or the plastic card on the first time path, so don't promise a client a fixed date.
| Step | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create an IACRA profile to get your FTN | Before you book the test |
| 2 | Pass the UAG test at a PSI testing center | On test day |
| 3 | Result appears in IACRA | Up to 48 hours after the test |
| 4 | Submit Form 8710-13 with your 17 digit exam ID | As soon as the result shows |
| 5 | TSA security background check | No published time |
| 6 | FAA emails how to print your temporary certificate | Valid up to 120 days |
| 7 | Permanent plastic card arrives by mail | After FAA internal processing |
Common trap
Many candidates think the temporary certificate appears the moment they pass the test or submit in IACRA. It doesn't. Nothing is issued until the TSA check clears, and flying before then means flying without a certificate.
Question 1 of 5
An applicant passes the UAG knowledge test on Monday and submits Form 8710-13 in IACRA on Tuesday. On Wednesday a client asks for a paid roof inspection, but the TSA security background check is still open. 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 Remote Pilot Certification · Regulations (UA.I)
Remote Pilot Certificate Eligibility and Requirements
- List the eligibility requirements (at least 16, English proficiency, no known disqualifying condition, passing the knowledge test)
- Describe the route for Part 61 certificate holders with a current flight review (online course instead of the test)
- State that the temporary certificate is valid for up to 120 days and is issued after the TSA security check
- State that the certificate must be in the remote PIC's possession during operations
- State that a change of permanent mailing address must be reported within 30 days
Learn more
FAQ
The FAA mails the permanent card once its internal processing is done, and it doesn't publish a set turnaround for first time applicants. For the Part 61 pilot path, the FAA says the card arrives within several weeks. Your temporary certificate covers you for up to 120 days while you wait.
Create your IACRA profile and FTN before you book the test, then book with PSI as early as you can. Submit Form 8710-13 the moment your result shows in IACRA, which can take up to 48 hours. After that, timing depends on the TSA check, which the FAA doesn't time, so a job next week is never guaranteed. If you hold a Part 61 certificate with a current flight review, you can take the free ALC-451 course and have a FSDO, DPE or ACR sign your application and issue a temporary certificate on the spot, though a CFI cannot issue one.
The certificate covers you as the pilot, but paid work needs more. Your drone needs Part 107 registration, Remote ID and its registration number marked on the outside. You also need authorization through LAANC or FAA DroneZone for controlled airspace, and you should check for TFRs before every flight.