FAA Set Deadline For Drone Registration

For a while now the hot topic for technology being used by the public has been drones. Small devices capable of flight with everything from a camera to a gun attached to them. Recently a drone crashed into a power line in Hollywood, the end result being a power outage for several hours with no way to track the responsible party to a toddler losing an eye to a crashed drone, the concept of controlling this area of technology has been discussed by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for a while. The FAA has now clarified what the registration will entail and revealed details about the penalties for flying without a permit.

“The Qube is flown in a demonstration (pictured above) in Simi Valley, California, October 19, 2011. The tiny drone with four whirling rotors swoops back and forth about 200 feet above the ground scouring the landscape and capturing crystal-clear video of what lies below. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times/MCT)”

In order to register you will be required to pay a $5 fee, a fee that is being waived if you register in the first 30 days. You must register any drone that weighs between 0.55 and 50 pounds, by the deadline of February 19th, 2016.

The penalty for flying a drone without a license? Civil penalties could be a fine up to $27,500 while criminal penalties could include fees of up to $250,000 and up to three years in jail!

You can start the process now, but you won’t be able to fully register until December 21st. In order to register you must be 13 years old and upon completion will be issued a certificate that will include a unique ID that you must put on your drone.