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The short answer: no, not if you fly it just for fun. The FAA says every drone must be registered except one that weighs under 250 grams (0.55 lb) and is flown for fun.

One catch: the weight counts everything on the drone at takeoff. A bigger battery or add-ons can push a “249 g” drone to 250 grams or more, and then it needs registering.

And “no registration” doesn’t mean “no rules.” Before the first flight you still need to pass a free online safety test, and a few simple rules apply every time you fly. For more on this weight class, see our guide to drones under 250 grams.

Before your first flight: take the free test

  1. Take the free FAA safety test. It’s called TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test). It’s online, free, and has no minimum age. You can correct your answers until you pass, so nobody fails. You’ll get a certificate at the end.
  2. Save the certificate where you can find it. You must carry proof that you passed when you fly. Download it to your phone or print it, and have it with you when you fly. The test sites don’t keep a copy, so if you lose it you’ll have to take the test again.

You take the test through one of the FAA’s approved providers, listed on the FAA’s TRUST page. They include the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the Boy Scouts of America and several colleges.

The rules every time you fly

These apply to every drone flown for fun, whatever it weighs:

  • Stay at or below 400 feet. Near an airport, fly no higher than your approval allows.
  • Keep the drone where you can see it with your own eyes. A friend standing right next to you can watch it for you.
  • Give way to planes and helicopters. They can fly low, and not just near airports.
  • Get permission before flying near an airport. The FAA calls this “controlled airspace.” You can ask for permission through an FAA-approved app, and it often comes back right away.
  • Follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized drone group. The FAA lists these community-based organizations on its site.
  • Fly safely. Don’t fly in a way that puts other aircraft at risk.

Not sure if a spot is OK? The FAA’s B4UFLY service shows where you can and can’t fly. It’s offered through several FAA-approved apps. States, cities and parks can also have their own rules about where you can take off and land, so check those too.

What counts as “for fun”?

Flying for your own enjoyment: filming a hike, a beach day or the family at the park. The FAA says being paid is not the test. These don’t count as fun flying:

  • taking photos to help sell a house,
  • checking a roof for someone,
  • filming a school game for the school’s website.

Volunteering your drone for a charity can count as work too. Flying like that comes under the FAA’s rules for work and business, called Part 107, where every drone must be registered and the pilot needs an FAA certificate. The FAA’s advice if you’re unsure: “When in doubt, assume Part 107.”

What about Remote ID?

Remote ID is a signal some drones send out while flying, saying who and where they are. Think of it as a digital license plate. The FAA requires it for drones that must be registered or have been registered.

So a drone under 250 grams that you fly for fun, and haven’t registered, doesn’t need it. If you register it anyway, it then has to meet the Remote ID rule. The same goes for a drone that add-ons push to 250 grams or more: once it must be registered, it needs Remote ID too.

Common questions

If the whole family flies it, who takes the test?

Everyone who flies it. The FAA says all recreational flyers must pass the test and carry proof, so each person needs their own certificate. It’s free, so there’s no cost to adding a second pilot.

What if my drone is 250 grams or more?

Then you register it on the FAA’s DroneZone website. For fun flyers it costs $5 at the time of writing (check the FAA’s registration page for the current fee), covers all your drones, and lasts three years. You label each drone with the number and carry the certificate when you fly. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident and 13 or older; for a younger owner, someone 13 or older registers it.

Which drones are under 250 grams?

Plenty of good camera drones are built to come in just under the line. See our picks of the best drones under 250 grams, and if you’re buying for someone else, what to know before you give one.

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