Clarification regarding FAA licensing..non-commercial

FlyLikeMarv · Sep 9, 2017

Just a quick background, I've been a pilot since DJI phantom 3 came out. Went for an upgrade to mavic pro, actually I was one of the first wave that got the mavic when it got released last year. Basically I fly my UAS solely for recreation purpose only, non-commercial. I practice photography as a hobby, owned a couple DSLR cameras for personal use only.

I don't own FAA license or any kind but I fly very carefully. Safety of others and myself will always/ have always been my top priority. I know all the general rules, rule of thumb as they say, when flying a drone safety so no need to go there.

Its always on my mind when I fly, should I get an FAA license just to be on the safe side? So I did my research and came across multiple registration websites which offers from $24 to $50 to register, then I got to the official faa.gov and they only ask for $5 reg fee, why is it cheaper? is it because the official page don't offer the extra accessories? such as reg card, sticker label, etc..?

here are a couple sites I've came across that offers reg service. Please advise of which I should go for to reg my drone, or is it best to stay with the official FAA website?

Drone Authority
DRONE REGISTRATION

sUAS Registration ( official FAA page)

msinger · Sep 9, 2017

Registering as a hobbyist does not give you any special kind of license. If you'd like to register, do it on the FAA's website here.

JeepDSL · Sep 9, 2017

FlyLikeMarv said:
Just a quick background, I've been a pilot since DJI phantom 3 came out. Went for an upgrade to mavic pro, actually I was one of the first wave that got the mavic when it got released last year. Basically I fly my UAS solely for recreation purpose only, non-commercial. I practice photography as a hobby, owned a couple DSLR cameras for personal use only.

I don't own FAA license or any kind but I fly very carefully. Safety of others and myself will always/ have always been my top priority. I know all the general rules, rule of thumb as they say, when flying a drone safety so no need to go there.

Its always on my mind when I fly, should I get an FAA license just to be on the safe side? So I did my research and came across multiple registration websites which offers from $24 to $50 to register, then I got to the official faa.gov and they only ask for $5 reg fee, why is it cheaper? is it because the official page don't offer the extra accessories? such as reg card, sticker label, etc..?

here are a couple sites I've came across that offers reg service. Please advise of which I should go for to reg my drone, or is it best to stay with the official FAA website?

Drone Authority
DRONE REGISTRATION

sUAS Registration ( official FAA page)

Are you talking about registering your drone or getting a Part 107 pilot certification?
Fact Sheet – Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107)

FlyLikeMarv · Sep 9, 2017

JeepDSL said:
Are you talking about registering your drone or getting a Part 107 pilot certification?
Fact Sheet – Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107)

@msinger Awesome, thanks, I will do that.

I'm talking about pilot registration in general for non-commercial, I believe part 107 is required for drones used for business/commercial, correct me if I'm wrong.

JeepDSL · Sep 9, 2017

FlyLikeMarv said:
Its always on my mind when I fly, should I get an FAA license

It's the "license" part that I found confusing.

All you're doing at the sites you and @msinger listed is registering your drone, which is no longer required. Registering your drone doesn't give you any kind of license as @msinger already said.

FlyLikeMarv · Sep 9, 2017

@JeepDSL that was my thought exactly. Just wanted to have a second opinion that's all. I saw those articles regarding federal court that drone reg is no longer required, which mostly are 2-3 months old. Just thought it may have changed recently.

question, does still apply currently? "UAS weighing more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds may register online at or by using the legacy paper based registration process"