Part 107 or TRUST? How the FAA Decides Whether Your Drone Flight Is Recreational

There are two sets of rules for small drones in the U.S., and which one applies depends on why you're flying, not on the drone. The FAA's Recreational Flyers page, updated October 14, 2026, describes them as Part 107, the rule for flying for work or business, and a limited statutory exception for flying purely for recreation. The exception is the law at 49 U.S.C. 44809, and its knowledge requirement is the free online TRUST test.

The FAA's test for a recreational drone flight

The statute's first condition is that "the aircraft is flown strictly for recreational purposes." The FAA explains what that means in three places:

• Its FAQ: recreational flying "means flying only for fun." Flying "for work, payment, or as part of any business (even if not being paid)" is not recreational.
• Its Recreational Flyers page: compensation, or the lack of it, "is not what determines if a flight was recreational or not." Goodwill can also be non-recreational, such as volunteering your drone to survey coastlines for a nonprofit.
• AC 91-57D (June 24, 2025): recreational purposes exclude flights for any compensation, "monetary or otherwise," and flights "related to or in furtherance of a business." A person "may not combine recreational and commercial purposes in a single flight." The AC also says the decision is made for each operation, case by case.

One addition comes from the law itself. A statutory note to 44809 (section 350 of Public Law 115-254, as amended), repeated in AC 91-57D, counts some educational flying as a recreational purpose: flights by elementary schools, secondary schools and institutions of higher education for educational or research purposes, flights in an established JROTC program, and flights in an educational program chartered by a recognized community-based organization. The AC still treats each flight case by case.

The FAA's own examples of non-recreational Part 107 flights include taking photos to help sell a property or service, roof inspections, and taking pictures of a high school football game for the school's website. Its advice for uncertain cases is direct: "When in doubt, assume Part 107." The FAA also offers a User Identification Tool on its site for people who aren't sure which type of flyer they are.

What the FAA's pages say about YouTube and monetized videos

"Do you need Part 107 for YouTube?" shows up in Google's search suggestions, but none of the FAA pages checked for this guide mentions YouTube, social media or monetized videos by name. What they give you is the test above. Applied plainly: if the flight is for fun and stays that way, the recreational exception can apply. If the flight is part of a business, earns compensation of any kind, or serves a business purpose even without pay, the FAA's definitions point to Part 107. Because the FAA decides case by case, Passy can't give a ruling on a particular channel. The FAA's guidance for doubt is to assume Part 107.

Part 107 and TRUST compared

Sources for the table: 49 U.S.C. 44809(a), AC 91-57D, the FAA's TRUST, Recreational Flyers and registration pages, 14 CFR Part 107 and the FAA's TRUST age FAQ. The Part 107 test details are in the Part 107 test format guide.

The FAA words the recreational registration threshold in slightly different ways. The registration page exempts drones of "0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams)," the TRUST page and AC 91-57D require registration above 0.55 pounds, and the Recreational Flyers page says to register at "250 grams (0.55 lbs) or more." They differ only for a drone right at the threshold.

Three traps worth knowing:

• Registrations don't transfer. The FAA says a drone registered under the recreational exception can't be flown under Part 107, and a registration can't be moved between the two.
• Ground level means the ground. AC 91-57D says a recreational flyer may not launch from a 10-story rooftop and climb another 400 feet. The structure exception in 107.51(b) is a Part 107 rule only.
• Controlled airspace isn't free for anyone. Both paths need prior authorization in Class B, C and D airspace and in Class E surface areas for an airport. The Part 107 airspace authorization guide explains how that works.

If Part 107 is where you're heading, you can compare the free Part 107 resources with the full prep planned for launch before choosing how to study.

Can a recreational flyer choose Part 107 instead?

Yes. The FAA's FAQ on flying for recreation lists two options: fly under the statutory exception, or fly under Part 107 with a remote pilot certificate and a drone registered under Part 107. Part 107 isn't only for businesses. The trade-off is the knowledge test and the stricter registration and recency rules, in exchange for flexibility: the same rules cover flights for any purpose, and waivers are possible.

The reverse matters too. AC 91-57D calls recreational status an operation-specific determination, so what decides the rules is the purpose of each flight, not which certificate you hold. If you'd rather prepare for the certificate with structure, practice one content area at a time is part of full Part 107 prep planned for launch.

Getting TRUST, or starting on Part 107

TRUST. The FAA's TRUST page, updated August 21, 2026, lists 16 FAA-approved test administrators, all of which offer the test free. After you pass, you download, save or print your completion certificate. Test administrators don't keep a record of it, so keep your own copy.

Part 107. The path is an FAA Tracking Number in IACRA, the UAG test at a PSI center, then FAA Form 8710-13 and a TSA check. The Part 107 certificate steps guide walks through each, and the Part 107 test cost guide covers the FAA's approximately $175 testing fee. The certificate also changes your registration and Remote ID picture, which the Part 107 Remote ID guide explains.

To see whether the knowledge test suits you, start with the free Part 107 practice questions. If you then want structured preparation, full Part 107 prep planned for launch runs in any web browser, on a computer, tablet or phone, once checkout opens.