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Can Local Police Ask To See Drone License

It's a small UAS Certificate of Registration. That's what's printed on it.

Obtained Jan 2016, originally was to expire Jan 2019, but FAA site shows it's good until Dec 2020. Probably was extended because of the lawsuit against registration back in 2016 which suspended the operation for several months. Others noticed the extension too.

I wasn't required to register then as I had a Syma at the time. But for $5 I figured why not. Later that year I got a P3A for Christmas so I was already good to go. Slap on a spare sticker and fly.

Other possible reason for the extension was that early adopters were supposed to get their registration fee back as an incentive. That never happened.
Thanks for clarifying! I'm in the same boat! I'll photoshop in the extension date!
 
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I think we are overlooking the primary reason behind the 250g minimum for hobbyist pilot registration: safety. Anything under 250g is so light weight that it really is a toy, and the potential for damage is minimal. DJI has come a long way from the Inspires and the Phantoms, which were big enough and heavy enough to do some real damage. The entire flying Mavic Mini weighs less than the battery inside the M2. Even if the sky were to start raining down Mavic Minis, no one is likely to get hurt. They are all geofenced anyway, so no harm to aviation either. The threat from 249g drones is de minimus.

"Legal principle based on the Latin maxim 'de minimus non curat lex,' the law does not consider itself with trifles. It is applied in cases where the authorities refrain from prosecuting because of the relative insignificance of an offense."

250 grams is 8.81849049 ounces. I personally would NOT like to be under such a weight dropping from 400 feet or 50 feet for that matter. As a basis of comparison, an official baseball (hard) weighs 5 to 5 1/4 ounces. It would hurt. A LOT.
 
250 grams is 8.81849049 ounces. I personally would NOT like to be under such a weight dropping from 400 feet or 50 feet for that matter. As a basis of comparison, an official baseball (hard) weighs 5 to 5 1/4 ounces. It would hurt. A LOT.
It's still highly unlikely to cause major harm, especially given the weight distribution, which is far more distributed than a baseball.
 
"Whether you are a recreational or commercial pilot in the United States you must have your pilot certificate with you in order to exercise the privileges granted by that certificate."



Hi Rangemaster,
Would you be so kind as to enumerate the "privileges" granted by that certificate to us hobbyists? All I see is a "registration" that costs $5 in the USA.

Per the FAA website:
Do I always have to have my Certificate of Aircraft Registration with me while flying my UAS?
Yes. You must have the FAA registration certificate in your possession when operating an unmanned aircraft. The certificate can be available either on paper or electronically.If another person operates your UAS, they must have the UAS registration certificate in their possession. You can give them a paper copy or email a copy to them.

Federal law requires UAS operators to show the certificate of registration to any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer if asked. You can show it electronically or show the printed certificate.


So yes...your registration as a Recreational sUAS pilot is a ‘certificate’, in the case of a Recreational application this certificate covers both the pilot and aircraft (or multiple aircraft).

The privileges granted by that certificate are the ability to fly an sUAS outdoors, subject to the limitations stated for Recreational pilots...also explained on the FAA website.

 
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Yes you have to show any airman license if ask by law officer.

does the officer has reasonable suspicion to detain you? If yes, then he can likely demand to see your airman certificate.

if no reasonable suspicion, I would argue they cannot demand your certificate. Reason is, that once an officer has your papers, the courts have ruled you are detained until you get them back. The courts have also ruled that you cannot be detained without reasonable suspicion of a crime.

courts have also ruled that you cannot be stopped while driving an automobile just to check that your registration and insurance are valid. Rather, they need to have reasonable suspicion to believe your registration or insurance is Not valid.

I would appreciate if someone can cite either a law or a court case that indicates a regular law enforcement officer can demand your part 107 certificate without reasonable suspicion of a crime.

the faa put out a pamphlet for leo recently that indicates One must show certain documents upon request but do not have to provide others. but did not provide a cite to back up this interpretation....an interpretation that doesn’t make any sense. Either they have the authority to demand all documents, or none, but there is no scenarioi am aware of that allows grants leo authority to see some faa documents and not others.
 
Excerpt from the FAA publication “Law Enforcement Guidance for Suspected Unauthorized UAS Operations”:

...Other investigative methods also may prove useful, such as consensual examination of the UAS, equipment trailers and the like. However, other law enforcement processes, such as arrest and detention or non-consensual searches almost always fall outside of the allowable methods to pursue administrative enforcement actions by the FAA unless they are truly a by-
product of a state criminal investigation. We do not mean to discourage use of these methods and procedures where there is an independent basis for them under state or local law. We simply wish to emphasize that work products intended for FAA use generally should involve conventional administrative measures such as witness interviews, “stop and talk” sessions with suspected violators, consensual examination of vehicles and equipment, and other methods that do not involve court orders or the potential use of force by law enforcement personnel.


The FAA is not authorizing law enforcement to conduct non-consensual searches, etc. or using force under the pretense of FAA compliance...there must be a suspicion of a valid state/local criminal offense involved and the FAA is smart enough to stay out of that one.

That being said current FAA rules indicate you must produce your registration/pilot certificate on demand by the police...in the same publication they state:
... The operator of the UAS must carry a Certificate of Aircraft Registration and make it available to law enforcement upon request. Operators may verify registration by carrying a paper copy or by showing an electronic registration.
 
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the new CAA rules in the UK,are now law ,and they give the police powers to check if someone is flying legally, by requesting to see a flyer ID which must be carried while flying,and an operator ID clearly visible on the drone,failure to comply,could result in a fine of up to £1000
 
When I took my 107 exam this month the test center said they have been getting LEO's taking the 107 test on a daily basis so it seems they may be having them get certified so they know the regulations.
He mentioned this was a big increase.

The part I put in bold is not the case. Departments are not certifying LEO's in part 107 so they can take enforcement action.
 
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The part I put in bold is not the case. Departments are not certifying LEO's in part 107 so they can take enforcement action.

I agree. Most likely they are getting their Part 107 in order to participate in a Dept UAS program.
 
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I agree. Most likely they are getting their Part 107 in order to participate in a Dept UAS program.

Exactly. I took my Part 107 class and test a couple weeks ago, and the entire class was public safety. There were about 8 firefighters from a couple departments, and the rest of us 25 or so, were LEO's. All of us were going through to get on our agencies drone teams (Sorry... "UAS Teams" :p...we get in trouble for calling them "drones"). Drone teams are the hot thing right now, with a gazillion agencies across the country starting them up. That's why the dramatic rise in cops in Part 107 classes. The side benefit of that is that more cops out there will be familiar with what is, and is not, a violation of FAA regs. But nobody is paying training providers and authorizing OT coverage for cops simply to get educated about Part 107, just for enforcement. Local governments don't work that way.
 
Our city recently put around 15 people through a 107 class. Police, fire, public works, code enforcement, city lawyer and other departments. For most it was to get pilots certified, but for the police and city lawyer it was also to learn the regulations for enforcement as there have been numerous instances of the bad pilots breaking all kinds of FAA regs plus local laws. The bad pilots fly over people, moving vehicles, beyond VLOS, and hover over sunbathing women. There is even video from the USCG of a drone chasing their helo and I swear it looks like a Mavic. The department will usually have at least one person available that took the class to respond to any drone incidents. If you fly legally and responsibly they could care less and the only interaction you would get is drone talk when you land as most people who took the class have bought their own. They would only ask for ID, cert or registration if they thought you had broken a law or they witness you doing so. They really prefer to educate these bad pilots as ALOT of drone owners in my area are totally ignorant of FAA regs.
 
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The answer was always going to be YES. Someone has to uphold the rules and regs and who better other than the department that hands out the license.
My thoughts are if in the USA and a police officer asks you to do something, do it before you get shot.
 
The answer was always going to be YES. Someone has to uphold the rules and regs and who better other than the department that hands out the license.
My thoughts are if in the USA and a police officer asks you to do something, do it before you get shot.
Maybe not shot... a bit extreme, but arrested and charged with a multitude of offenses for sure.
 
Starting 3/16/2021:
Law Enforcement can:
- Ask the pilot/operator to see proof of registration of the aircraft
- Ask to see the waiver for drone operations within the TFR

And now if you are exercising the privileges of your PART 107 certificate:
- Ask the pilot/operator to see UAS FAA Remote Pilot Certificate
- Ask the pilot/operator to see Identification


See
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2020-28947/p-amd-12

"Have in that person's physical possession and readily accessible the remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating and identification when exercising the privileges of that remote pilot certificate."

Also note this great objection to the change that unfortunately did not change the new rule:
https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...l-unmanned-aircraft-systems-over-people#p-602


Before 3/16/2021:
Law Enforcement can ask for:
- Ask the pilot/operator to see proof of registration of the aircraft
- Ask to see the waiver for drone operations within the TFR

"law enforcement can ask, a UAS or drone pilot IS NOT required by federal regulation to make their UAS FAA Remote Pilot Certificate available."

See https://www.faa.gov/uas/public_safe...oolkit/media/Public_Safety_Drone_Playbook.pdf
 
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That is a question on every written exam I've ever taken from PVT to ATP..YES you must show your license to a law official. I think I have only been ask once when I was walking to the aircraft on a dark ramp around midnight.
 
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