One of the first things that needs to be done with your new drone is completing the registration with the FAA. This article will walk you through the steps to register your new drone that weighs more than 55 lbs.
N-Number Overview
An N-Number is a unique identifier assigned by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to all U.S.-registered aircraft, including drones. It is a combination of letters and numbers that must be displayed on the aircraft's exterior for identification purposes. The "N" represents the United States, and the rest of the characters are customized to be unique to each aircraft. This number helps in tracking ownership, registration status, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
N-Number Format
N-Numbers consist of a series of alphanumeric characters. U.S. registration numbers may not exceed five characters in addition to the standard U.S. registration prefix letter N. These characters may be:
One to five numbers (N12345)
One to four numbers followed by one letter (N1234Z)
One to three numbers followed by two letters (N123AZ)
To avoid confusion with the numbers one and zero, the letters I and O are not to be used.
Other Requirements
An N-Number may not begin with zero. You must precede the first zero in an N-Number with any number 1 through 9. For example, N01Z is not valid
Registration numbers N1 through N99 are strictly reserved for FAA internal use
The FAA no longer issues numbers beginning with NC, NX, NR, or NL
The FAA has guidelines on how to properly form N-Numbers. One of the most common format is to have three numbers and two trailing letters (Ex. N123AZ).
Finding a Available N-Number
The First step in the registration process is to find an available N-Number. This can be done by going to the FAA's Aircraft Inquiry Website.
Here you can enter in two trailing letters, something that makes sense to you. For example, for Rantizo-owned drones, we use the trailing characters RZ. So, if I want to find a N-Number ending with RZ and somewhere between 100 and 199, I’d enter the following information.
Tip: The trailing characters can be an abbreviation of your company's name, ensuring all your drones have a consistent ending if you own multiple.
Once you hit Submit, you will then see a list of available numbers in that range. When you reserve the number, you’ll reserve the number shown, but an "N" is added to the start. So, if I reserved 106RZ, I’m actually reserving N106RZ.
Reserving an N-Number
Once you have found an available N-Number that you want to reserve, head to the following website:
Reserving an N-Number for a Single Drone
Here, you’ll enter the N-Number you found in the previous step, then hit “Proceed with Request”.
Important Note: We do not recommend using the "Reserve blank N-Number(s) ending in blank" Doing so lets the FAA pick the N-Number for you causing delays in paperwork submission.
The status should display as available (green), allowing you to enter your personal or company information for the reservation.
Important Note: If registering the drone to a company, the 'Name' field must contain the company name.
Most applicants will need to pay the $10 reservation fee for "Individual or Company Reservations". Click "Proceed with Request" once all information is entered.
Review the information you have entered and click "Submit (Verify Request is Correct)".
You will then be prompted to pay the $10 fee by credit card.
Once you pay the $10 fee you will see a confirmation screen. It is advised to take a screenshot of this page as you will not receive a verification by email of the N-Number you have reserved.
Reserving N-Numbers For Multiple Drones At Once
Reserving multiple N-Numbers is similar to reserving a single one, but there are a few important details to be mindful of.
The following example demonstrates how to reserve 3 N-Numbers. It’s important to enter only the exact number of N-Numbers you wish to reserve. Although there are 5 available slots, you do not need to fill all of them. After entering the desired N-Numbers, click “Proceed with Request.”
Important Note: We advise against using the “Reserve blank N-Number(s) ending in blank” option. This allows the FAA to select the N-Number for you, which can lead to delays in paperwork processing.
The status should display as available (green), allowing you to enter your personal or company information for the reservation.
The “How many N-Numbers available for request do you want reserved?” should be the same amount as how many N-Numbers you have requested, if this is not the case, this will greatly increase the time it takes to register your drone(s) as then the FAA gets to decide which N-Numbers they will reserve to you.
Enter in all your information.
Important Note: If registering the drone to a company, the 'Name' field must contain the company name.
Most applicants will need to pay the $10 reservation fee per N-Number for "Individual or Company Reservations". Click "Proceed with Request" once all information is entered.
Review the information you have entered and click "Submit (Verify Request is Correct)".
You will then be prompted to pay the $10 fee per N-Number by credit card.
Once you pay the $10 fee per N-Number, you will see a confirmation screen. It is advised to take a screenshot of this page as you will not receive a verification by email of the N-Number you have reserved.
Registration Paperwork
Once you have your N-Number(s) reserved, the next step is to fill out the needed forms. If you have multiple above 55lb drones, each drone will need individual paperwork.
Important Note: If you purchased your drone from Rantizo, we will prepare the necessary paperwork outlined in this article for you. Your Registration Packet will include instructions on how to complete, sign, and finalize the documents. Kindly complete the form below with your reserved N-Number(s) and details, and Rantizo will prepare the necessary paperwork for you.
Once you have filled out up the above form, you can skip this section and go to Displaying N-Number On Your Drone
Aircraft Registration Application (8050-1)
The first form to fill out is the Aircraft Registration Application form 8050-1. Click the link below to find a copy.
Important Note: Use a blue ink pen for all signatures. Registration can get rejected if black ink is used.
Box 1 | Input the N-Number you have reserved |
Box 2 | Enter in Drone Manufacturer name (Ex. DJI, XAG) |
Box 3 | Aircraft Model for DJI Drones is "Agras T_" (Ex. Agras T50) |
Box 4 | The FAA recognizes the drone's RID (Remote Identification) as the Serial Number. |
Box 4 Cont. | For DJI drones, the RID can be found in the RC under Device Management. For all DJI drones, the RID starts with 1581F........ |
Box 4 Cont. | For XAG drones, the RID is created by using the following formula: 1863FPEG + Frame Serial Number |
Box 5 | Select the correct type of business or individual registration for your company |
Box 6 | Enter in the entity that the drone will be registered to(normally a company). This needs to match who the N-Number was reserved to. |
Box 7 | Provide a phone number |
Box 8 | Provide an email address |
Box 9 | Enter in your mailing address, this is where the registration card will be mailed to |
Box 10 | If a P.O. Box is listed in Box 9, make sure a physical address is listed |
Box 11 | This is only used if you are reporting a change of address for an existing registration |
Box 12 | Check the appropriate box for your organization |
Box 13 | Make sure to sign, date, print, and enter your title. It is important that the person signing this paperwork be a senior member of management. Acceptable titles are: Director, President, Vice President, CEO, COO, Manager, etc. Owner is NOT an acceptable title under FAA regulations. |
Boxes 14-17 | These 4 boxes only get filled out when needing to use the second page. |
Boxes 18-26 | These boxes only get filled out if more than one individual needs to sign for registration |
Evidence of Ownership
You will need to provide some evidence that you purchased the drone.
Bill of Sale
A bill of sale can be used. The FAA has a form 8050-2 that can be filled out. The N-Number, Aircraft Serial Number (which would be the drone's RID) and name of purchaser must match what is on the Aircraft Registration Application (8050-1).
If you don't have a bill of sale, an invoice from the place where you purchased the drone can also suffice.
Affidavit of Ownership of Unmanned Aircraft
An Affidavit of Ownership is required for registration and must be notarized by a notary.
Use the below information to assist in filling out the Affidavit of Ownership.
Class | Use "Rotorcraft" for UAS |
RID | New drones like T40, T50, etc. have built in RID units, this is called "Standard Remote ID." If you are using a third-party device for broadcasting RID signal, then you will need to fill in "Remote ID Broadcast Module" |
RID Cont. | For DJI drones, the RID can be found in the RC under Device Management. For all DJI drones, the RID starts with 1581F........ |
RID Cont. | For XAG drones, the RID is created by using the following formula: 1863FPEG + Frame Serial Number |
Drone Model | Max Takeoff Weight (lbs) | Number of Engines |
Agras T50 | 227.07 | 8 |
Agras T40 | 222.67 | 8 |
Agras T30 | 171.96 | 6 |
P100 Pro | 241.51 | 4 |
Note: If you don’t have a Bill of Sale from the person or company you purchased the drone from, you MUST state as part of the Affidavit how, from whom, where, and when the aircraft was obtained; why a bill of sale or equal ownership transfer document is unavailable for filing, and attach any other evidence of the transaction(s) such as a sales receipt, invoice, etc.
Filing as a LLC
If you are registering under an LLC, please refer to the FAA document titled Limited Liability Companies for the required filing information, addition information is required.
Submitting Paperwork
Registration Fee
The Registration fee currently is $5.00 per drone. If you are registering multiple drones, a single check can be issued. The check should be made payable to: FAA Aircraft Registration.
Mailing Address
After gathering all your paperwork, we've found that it's easiest to mail in paper copies of all the documents. The mailing address for the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch is:
FAA Aircraft Registration Branch
P.O. Box 25504
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0504
After Submission
Once you have sent the paperwork in, you should receive a new Certificate of Aircraft Registration in 2-3 months. It will contain the aircraft's N-Number, owner's details, and other registration information that was on the Aircraft Registration Application(8050-1). This certificate confirms legal ownership and it must be present during flight operations in its original form or a digital copy.
Displaying N-Number On Your Drone
You can use a Sharpie or stickers, depending on your preference. The goal is to ensure the N-Number is easily visible. We recommend placing the N-Number on the front of the tank, as it’s a highly visible area, and also on the side frame of the drone as a backup in case the first one wears off.
Here is an example of an N-Number on the front of the spray tank.
This is an example of a label on the side frame of the drone.
Additional Resources
To learn more about registering a drone over 55 pounds, visit the FAA’s website linked below.