Your FAA drone pilot license does not expire in the ordinary sense: the Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small UAS Rating is a permanent credential with no expiration date printed on it. What does expire is your authority to fly. Under Part 107, you cannot act as a remote pilot in command unless you have completed approved recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months.1eCFR. 14 CFR 107.65 – Aeronautical Knowledge Recency So the honest answer to how long your license is valid is: the card is good indefinitely, and your privileges are good for two years at a time.
The 24-Month Currency Clock
The distinction between the certificate and its currency is what trips people up. The FAA treats the Remote Pilot Certificate like a manned-aircraft pilot certificate: once issued, it stays yours unless the FAA revokes it or you surrender it. There is no reissuance fee on a fixed schedule and no card to renew.
Currency is different. A certificate issued on March 10, 2025 gives you current privileges through the end of March 2027. On April 1, 2027, the plastic in your wallet is still valid, but you cannot legally fly commercially until you satisfy the recurrent training requirement again. There is no grace period. If your currency lapses on March 31, you cannot fly on April 1 while you plan to get around to it.
How to Renew Your Currency
The FAA offers two paths. Nearly everyone takes the free one.
Free Online Recurrent Training
The FAA Safety Team hosts a free recurrent course on FAASafety.gov. If you do not hold a separate manned-aircraft certificate under Part 61, the course you need is “Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent Non-Part 61 Pilots” (ALC-677).2FAASafety.gov. Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent Pilots who also hold a current Part 61 certificate take a narrower version, ALC-515.3Federal Aviation Administration. Recurrent Training Courses for Drone Pilots Available Online
The material covers airspace rules, updated operational procedures, night-flying requirements, and operations over people. It ends with a multiple-choice knowledge check that you can retake until you pass. Budget about two hours from start to finish. Your 24-month clock resets from the date you complete the course.
In-Person Knowledge Test
You can also retake the Part 107 aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center. It runs roughly $175.4Federal Aviation Administration. How Much Does It Cost to Get a Remote Pilot Certificate? Since the online version became free, the practical reasons to choose this path come down to personal preference for a proctored environment or wanting a formal test report for your records.
What Happens If Your Currency Lapses
A lapse is inconvenient but not catastrophic. You do not lose the certificate, you do not pay a penalty, and you do not restart the initial certification process. You simply cannot exercise remote pilot in command privileges until you complete one of the recurrent options.1eCFR. 14 CFR 107.65 – Aeronautical Knowledge Recency
Flying commercially during a lapse is a federal regulatory violation. That exposes you to FAA enforcement, including fines and possible certificate revocation. There is a second problem that hits harder in practice: commercial drone insurance policies almost universally require a current Part 107 certificate, so a claim filed while your currency was lapsed can be denied.
The fix is quick. Complete ALC-677 (or ALC-515 if you hold a current Part 61 certificate), pass the knowledge check, and your privileges return the moment you finish. You will not retake the original initial knowledge test, and you will not reapply through IACRA.
What You Have to Carry on Every Flight
A valid certificate is only useful if you have it with you. Federal regulations require every remote pilot in command to carry the Remote Pilot Certificate and a government-issued photo ID during all drone operations, and to present both if asked by FAA personnel, law enforcement, the NTSB, or the TSA.5eCFR. 14 CFR 107.7 – Inspection, Testing, and Demonstration of Compliance Anyone manipulating the flight controls under your direct supervision must also have those documents readily accessible.
Keeping a digital copy of your recurrent training completion on your phone is worth the ten seconds it takes. Reconstructing it in the field while an inspector waits is not.
Address Changes Can Suspend Your Privileges
One obligation catches people off guard because it has nothing to do with training. If you move, you have 30 days to notify the FAA of your new mailing address. After that window closes, you cannot legally exercise your certificate privileges until the update is on file.6eCFR. 14 CFR 107.77 – Change of Name or Address You can update online through the FAA’s portal or by mailing a letter to the Airman Certification Branch in Oklahoma City. Your recurrent training can be spotless and your card can be in your pocket, and you can still be grounded because the FAA has an old address for you.
One boundary worth noting: everything above applies to Part 107 certificate holders flying for any non-recreational purpose. If you only fly for fun, you do not need a Remote Pilot Certificate at all; recreational flyers take the free TRUST test instead, which never expires.7eCFR. 14 CFR 107.12 – Requirement for a Remote Pilot Certificate With a Small UAS Rating The 24-month recurrent cycle is a Part 107 obligation, not a rule that touches hobbyists.