Remote ID

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Remote ID Fast Facts

Remote ID is a new requirement by the FAA that will not directly affect drone pilots until September 16, 2023. Currently there are no drones that are Remote ID compliant, so do not worry if your drone is not. Newer drones will start to be made with Remote ID build in in September 2022 and older drones will have options to retrofit with a remote ID beacon. So, do not worry if you are concerned about Remote ID affecting your drone operations.

What is Remote ID?

Remote ID is essentially a scaled up version of a license plate. When you're flying your drone, others in the area, like law enforcement or the FAA, can receive information about your drone and it's location. The Remote ID rule came into effect on April 21, 2021. Drone manufacturers will need to comply with the rule by September 16, 2022. Drone pilots will need to operate in compliance by September 16, 2023.

Does my drone have remove Remote ID?

More than likely, it does not. Drone manufacturers don't have to be compliant with the Remote ID until September 16, 2022, therefore we probably won't see any drones with Remote ID built-in until after that time.

If I buy a drone now, will it be useless after September 2023?

Absolutely not. While your drone may not have Remote ID built into it, there are many companies out there working on after-markets products that could be added to your drone to bring it into compliance. One example is a company called dronetag and their product the Dronetag Mini. Additionally, we still don't know much about how manufacturers like Autel Robotics, DJI, Skydio and others will try to resolve this issue with their older drones.

The FAA is asking me if my drone has Remote ID when I'm registering it. What do I do?

When registering your drone on FAADroneZone, select NO, when asked if your drone broadcasts FAA Remote ID Information.

What else should I know?

If you would like to read more in-depth about Remote ID, you can check out the UAS Remote Identification Overview on the FAA website.

Also, there is a current legal challenge to the Remote ID rule. You can read about that HERE.