Part 107 Remote ID: Standard Remote ID, Broadcast Modules and FRIAs Explained

Remote ID has its own task in the Remote Pilot ACS, UA.I.F, with seven knowledge elements: standard remote identification, alternative remote identification, operations for aeronautical research, ADS-B Out, confirmation of identification, the minimum message elements, and product labeling. The FAA added it to the UAG test on April 6, 2021, and its testing notice said the new questions were drafted from the rule. That makes 14 CFR Part 89 itself the best study text.

Does a Part 107 drone need Remote ID?

Yes, in every case. The logic has two steps:

1. Part 89 applies to drones that are registered or required to be registered. 89.101 sets that scope, and 89.105 makes Remote ID mandatory after September 16, 2023 (some FAA web pages say "beginning" or "as of" that date; either way it is in force now). The FAA's Remote ID page says the same for drones flown for recreation, business or public safety.
2. Under Part 107, every drone must be registered, regardless of weight. AC 91-57D says any small drone operated under Part 107 "regardless of weight must have a unique registration number." The 0.55-pound registration exception exists only for recreational flying.

AC 107-2A spells out the consequence: a drone that weighs 0.55 pounds or less, and so wouldn't need registration under Part 48 as a recreational aircraft, must still comply with Remote ID when flown under an operating part that requires registration. A tiny drone flown for a client falls under Remote ID.

The three ways to comply with Part 107 Remote ID

Remote ID never replaces the visual line of sight rule of 107.31 for a Part 107 flight. The Part 89 conditions are on top of it.

What a Remote ID broadcast contains

The ACS tests the minimum message elements (UA.I.F.K6). Part 89 lists them:

Two performance numbers are worth knowing: the reported position must be accurate to within 100 feet, 95% of the time, and the broadcast rate is at least one message per second (89.310 and 89.320). The FAA's Remote ID page says that in the future, operators of standard Remote ID drones may be able to choose between broadcasting the serial number and a session ID.

When you practice, check each answer against the rule text: explanations in planned Part 107 practice cite the Part 89 section behind each Remote ID answer.

Remote ID duties before and during a Part 107 flight

• Preflight self-test. A standard Remote ID drone tests its Remote ID automatically before takeoff, tells you the result, and can't take off unless it is broadcasting (89.310). With a module, the person at the controls must confirm before takeoff that the module is working (89.115(a)(3)).
• Don't disable it. A standard Remote ID drone may be flown only if its Remote ID equipment works from takeoff to shutdown and hasn't been disabled (89.110(b)).
• If the broadcast stops, land. The person manipulating the controls must land as soon as practicable if the drone stops broadcasting (89.110(a)(2) and 89.115(a)(4)).
• ADS-B Out doesn't count. 89.125 says ADS-B Out can't be used to comply with Remote ID, and Part 107 separately bans flying with ADS-B Out in transmit mode or with a transponder on, unless the FAA authorizes it (107.52 and 107.53).

Registering Part 107 drones and modules for Remote ID

The FAA's Remote ID page draws a contrast with recreational flyers. A recreational flyer registers once and uses one number for every drone in the inventory. Part 107 pilots must register each standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module separately, and each gets its own registration number. When you add a device in FAADroneZone, you answer "Yes" to the Remote ID question and enter the Remote ID serial number.

AC 107-2A adds that a module's serial number may be listed on only one Certificate of Aircraft Registration at a time. You may move a module between Part 107 drones, but you must move its serial number to the second drone's registration before flying. To see whether a drone or module is on an accepted Remote ID declaration, the FAA points to its Declaration of Compliance System. Only manufacturers submit those declarations.

FRIAs: where drones without Remote ID can fly

An FAA-recognized identification area is a defined geographic area where drones without Remote ID equipment may fly. The FAA's FRIA page and Part 89 set the conditions:

• The drone and the pilot both stay inside the FRIA's boundaries for the whole flight, and the pilot can see the drone at all times.
• Drones that do have standard Remote ID or a module may fly in a FRIA too, but must still broadcast.
• Only FAA-recognized community-based organizations and educational institutions, from primary schools to universities, can apply for one (89.205), through FAADroneZone.
• A FRIA lasts 48 calendar months unless renewed, and a renewal request is due at least 120 days before it expires (89.225).

AC 107-2A says a drone without standard Remote ID may operate within visual line of sight in a FRIA regardless of the operating part, Part 107 included.

Remote ID and flights over people

Remote ID matters for Subpart D. Categories 1, 2 and 4 may be flown in sustained flight over an open-air assembly only if the operation meets 89.110 or 89.115(a), meaning standard Remote ID or a broadcast module. A FRIA doesn't satisfy that condition, and Category 3 may never fly over an open-air assembly. The Part 107 operations over people guide explains the categories.

The other Part 89 knowledge elements on the Part 107 test

• Aeronautical research (89.120). The FAA may authorize operations without Remote ID solely for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations. The FAA's Remote ID page says it issues Letters of Authorization for these purposes, and that other operations, such as drone light shows under an FAA-issued waiver, may also be eligible.
• Confirmation of identification (89.130). Before flying a foreign-registered drone with Remote ID in the U.S., the operator files a notice of identification and gets a Confirmation of Identification, which must be kept at the control station and shown on request.
• Product labeling (89.525). A standard Remote ID drone and a broadcast module must carry a label, in English and legible, prominent and permanently affixed, indicating they meet Part 89.
• Two kinds of declaration of compliance. Under 89.1, a Remote ID declaration is a producer's record that a drone or module meets Part 89. It is separate from the Category 2 and 3 declarations of Part 107.

Small distinctions like these are easy to miss once and then forget, and Fix It, planned for full Part 107 prep, keeps each missed question until you get it right.

Remote ID practice scenarios written by Passy

These are original practice scenarios, not FAA test items.

1. A 0.49-pound camera drone without Remote ID is used for a paid real estate shoot. Not compliant as flown, unless it's inside a FRIA. The flight is under Part 107, so the drone must be registered, and registered drones need Remote ID.

2. During a roof inspection, the controller warns that the broadcast module has stopped transmitting. Land as soon as practicable (89.115(a)(4)).

3. A pilot moves a broadcast module from one Part 107 drone to another the same afternoon. Allowed, but the module's serial number must be moved to the second drone's registration before the flight.

4. A pilot asks whether an ADS-B Out transmitter would cover the Remote ID requirement. No. ADS-B Out can't be used for Remote ID, and a Part 107 drone may not fly with ADS-B Out transmitting unless the FAA authorizes it.

If you'd like to rehearse Remote ID inside a full-length sitting later, a 2-hour mock exam scored at the end is planned for Part 107 prep. For now, try the free Part 107 practice questions, and see how Remote ID fits the recreational rules in the Part 107 or TRUST guide.