Own a drone? Better register it by early next year or you could get three years in jail

If you own a small drone that weighs more than a pound, you must register it with the FAA by February 19, 2016.  

Failure to do so could lead to $27,500 in civil penalties, with criminal penalties for continued failure to register expanding to fines of up to $250,000 and / or up to three years of jail time.

This new statutory requirement follows recommendations put forth by a special task which considered such things as how registration might happen, as well as suggestions made by hobbyists on things like a half-pound limit being too restrictive. It covers quadcopters as well as small / simple model airplanes too. 

In order to register a drone, the owner must be at least 13 years old; those who are younger than this age bracket must have their drone formally registered by an individual older than 13. The registration fee is $5 for each aircraft; however, if the person is looking to exclusively fly their unmanned aircraft as model airplanes, then it is $5 to register a fleet of small unmanned aircraft. 

To encourage registration of existing drones and avoid penalizing individuals who purchased them before the law when into effect, the FAA is waiving the registration fee from December 21, 2015 to January 20, 2016. 

For those curious about the finer details of this new law, “small unmanned aircraft” is officially defined as “an unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds on takeoff, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft.” From there, things get a bit more granular, wherein things like tethered drones and the like are described.
 
Standing out in this section is the fact that the law as a whole does not apply to “paper airplanes that are not linked to a system.” That means a paper airplane can weigh more than a pound, but it won’t need to be registered unless it’s equipped with a motor and remote attached. 

Two hobbyist groups have issued formal responses to the FAA’s decision. First, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which represents model aviation hobbyists, expressed skepticism:

AMA is disappointed with the new rule for UAS registration. As a member of the task force that helped develop recommendations for this rule, AMA argued that registration makes sense at some level and for UAS flyers operating outside the guidance of a community-based organization or flying for commercial purposes. Unfortunately, the new rule is counter to Congress’s intent in the Special Rule for Model Aircraft and makes the registration process an unnecessary burden for our more than 185,000 members who have been operating safely for decades.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a drone industry lobby group, was a bit more positive about the FAA’s decision:

AUVSI is pleased that the FAA has moved forward with a final registration rule that will lead to increased accountability across the entire aviation community. Under the FAA’s proposed small UAS rule released earlier this year, commercial operators would be required to register their platforms. Extending this requirement to consumer UAS operators will help promote responsibility and safety. Task force members worked diligently to resolve their differences and find solutions that allow for the growth and development of UAS industry while providing increased accountability. Though it may not be perfect, this process and final rule shows that industry and government can come together quickly to develop policy. We are hopeful that same sense of urgency will be applied to the larger issues we must address for our industry. While the creation of a registration system is an important step to enhance safety, the FAA must continue its work to integrate UAS into the national airspace, starting by finalizing the small UAS rule. Putting the rule in place will provide the necessary tools and training to create a culture of safety that will help deter careless and reckless behavior.

You can read the full announcement issued by FAA here. 

If you wish to register your aircraft, you can do so here starting December 21st—registration is good for three years.