If you have a drone, you’ll now have to register it with the U.S. government

Drone operators will now have to register their devices with the federal government as part of a new national registry, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The plan was established for safety purposes after repeated interference with airport traffic control, firefighting, and first-responder rescue efforts highlighted the public’s inability to self-regulate and fly responsibly.

“Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” Anthony Foxx, the transportation secretary, said. “It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.”

Specifically, the D.O.T. is creating a task force consisting of public and private industry leaders to devise how the registration system will work. Secretary Foxx ensured that the agency will be working quickly to develop and implement this plan, with hopes to have recommendations in place by the middle of November and registration executed before December.

The Air Line Pilots Association stated that registering drones will help authorities track down misbehaving pilots. Lawmakers have called on regulators to take action as well. Rep. Peter DeFazio told a House panel that flight regulators should consider registration because “there should be a way to track these things back to irresponsible owners.”

The plan will force drone operators to learn the rules of flying and using devices safely, and will allow the F.A.A. to identify any pilot who breaks these regulations. While it’s currently easy to locate drones violating airspace through video surveillance or code that comes with newer models, it is often difficult to find the pilot – this new registration is intended to close that gap.

As it presently stands, the U.S. government is finalizing the rules allowing commercial use of drones nationwide; approximately 200 clearances have been granted.

Via Ars Technica and TechCrunch