Regulations — Part 1 (Core Scope + Conduct)

FAA Part 107 Prep — Certification, RPIC, Registration & Core Part 107 Rules

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you can:

• Explain what Part 107 covers, what it does not cover, and why the "civil small UAS under 55 pounds" boundary matters on the exam.
• Apply the hazardous operation rule (§107.23) — no careless or reckless operation, no dropping objects that create an undue hazard.
• Explain your compliance duties when the FAA comes asking — presenting your certificate and allowing inspection or testing (§107.7).
• Apply the alcohol and drug rules (§107.27, via §§91.17/91.19) as a personal "am I fit to fly?" check before every operation.

Scope note: certification, RPIC duties, and registration were covered in Remote Pilot Certification through Aircraft Registration. Preflight checks and safety event reporting come next in Regulations, Part 2: Preflight, Aircraft Condition, and Safety Event Reporting. Remote ID, night ops, and waivers live in Modern Part 107 Rules — Remote ID, Ops Over People, Night, Waivers; operating limits and VLOS live in Operating Limitations & Flight Rules. This lesson is just the core scope and conduct rules.

Plain-English explanation

1. What Part 107 actually covers

Part 107 applies to the registration, pilot certification, and operation of civil small unmanned aircraft systems within the United States, and to their eligibility to operate over people (§107.1(a)). A small unmanned aircraft weighs less than 55 pounds at takeoff, including everything attached (§107.3). Civil operations include commercial and other non-recreational flights. An agency flight is not automatically a public aircraft operation; its legal status depends on how that flight is conducted.

Section 107.1(b) lists four situations in which Part 107 does not apply:

• Air carrier operations (§107.1(b)(1)).
• Aircraft subject to the recreational flyer exception in 49 U.S.C. 44809 (§107.1(b)(2)).
• Operations conducted under a qualifying exemption under section 333 of Public Law 112-95 or 49 U.S.C. 44807, unless the exemption says otherwise (§107.1(b)(3)).
• Operations a person elects to conduct under Part 91 with a small UAS that has an airworthiness certificate (§107.1(b)(4)).

Public aircraft operations fall outside §107.1(a)'s civil scope. Separately, AC 107-2A paragraph 4.1 states that Part 107 does not apply to amateur rockets, moored balloons, unmanned free balloons, or kites; those operations are governed by other parts. Those aircraft types are not a fifth item in the §107.1(b) list — keep that list as the four exclusions above.

If you fly a civil small UAS for business or another non-recreational purpose, check whether Part 107 applies and whether you are using one of the specific §107.1(b) alternatives.

2. Hazardous operation — §107.23

Two short prohibitions with big teeth:

1. You may not operate a small UAS in a careless or reckless manner that endangers the life or property of another.
2. You may not allow an object to be dropped from a small UA in a way that creates an undue hazard to persons or property.

Note the nuance on dropping: the rule doesn't ban dropping objects outright — it bans dropping them in a manner that creates an undue hazard (§107.23). A controlled release over an empty, controlled field can be fine; releasing anything over people or traffic is not.

3. Alcohol and drugs — §107.27

Section 107.27 doesn't write its own alcohol rules — it applies the manned-aviation rules of §91.17 and §91.19 to Part 107 crew. The numbers you must memorize:

• No operating within 8 hours of consuming alcohol ("bottle to throttle")
• No operating while under the influence of alcohol — even outside the 8-hour window
• No operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater
• No operating while using any drug that affects your faculties in a way contrary to safety (§91.17 via §107.27)
• §91.19's prohibition on carriage of certain controlled substances also applies (§107.27)

These apply to the remote pilot in command, the person manipulating the controls, and visual observers acting as crew (§107.27; AC 107-2A).

Certificate consequences are separate from the operating ban. Section 107.57(a) says a conviction for a Federal or State drug offense of the kind the section lists — growing, processing, manufacture, sale, disposition, possession, transportation, or importation of narcotic drugs, marijuana, or depressant or stimulant drugs or substances — is grounds for denial of an application for a remote pilot certificate for up to 1 year after the final conviction, or for suspension or revocation of the certificate. Section 107.57(b) says committing an act prohibited by §91.17(a) or §91.19(a) is grounds for the same consequences, up to 1 year after the date of the act, even without a separate criminal conviction. Section 107.59 says refusing a law-enforcement alcohol test requested under §91.17(c), or refusing to furnish or authorize release of results the Administrator requests under §91.17(c) or (d), is grounds for denial for up to 1 year after the refusal, or for suspension or revocation. There is no §107.58.

4. Inspection and testing on request — §107.7

The RPIC, owner, or person manipulating the controls has specific duties under §107.7:

• When exercising certificate privileges, keep the remote pilot certificate and identification physically possessed and readily accessible (§107.7(a)(1)).
• Present the certificate and identification on request to the FAA Administrator, an authorized NTSB or TSA representative, or any federal, state, or local law enforcement officer (§107.7(a)(2)).
• Make required documents, records, and reports available to the Administrator on request (§107.7(a)(3)); allow the Administrator's tests and inspections described in §107.7(b).

Practically: carry your certificate and ID when you fly, and respond to an authorized request.

Why this matters on the Part 107 exam

• The exam loves boundary questions: know the civil small UAS / less than 55 lb scope and the four exclusions in §107.1(b).
• The 8 hours and 0.04 BAC numbers are classic recall items, and distractors will offer 12 hours or 0.08 (the driving limit) to bait you.
• Dropping-object questions test whether you know the standard is "creates an undue hazard," not "never drop anything."
• §107.7 questions test who must respond to an FAA request and what must be made available.

Official rule / reference

• 14 CFR §107.1 / §107.3 — Applicability and definitions (Subpart A) (FAAREF-001, FAAREF-002)
• 14 CFR §107.23 — Hazardous operation (FAAREF-009)
• 14 CFR §107.27 — Alcohol or drugs, applying §§91.17 and 91.19 (FAAREF-011)
• 14 CFR §107.7 — Inspection, testing, and demonstration of compliance (FAAREF-001 / Subpart A)
• AC 107-2A, paragraph 4.1 — Part 107 does not apply to amateur rockets, moored balloons, unmanned free balloons, or kites (FAAREF-030)

Real-world drone example

You run a roof-inspection business with a 3-pound quadcopter. That's a civil small UAS, so Part 107 applies — even though your neighbor flying the identical drone purely for fun on weekends may fly under the recreational exception instead (§107.1). After a client dinner, you have two beers at 8 p.m. The 8-hour rule says no flying before 4 a.m. — but if you're still feeling the drinks at 5 a.m., you're still grounded, because "under the influence" and the 0.04 BAC limit apply independently of the clock (§107.27; §91.17). Next morning on site, an FAA inspector stops by and asks to see your certificate and look over the aircraft. You hand over the certificate and let them inspect — that's a direct obligation under §107.7, not a favor.

Common traps / misconceptions

• "Part 107 covers all drones." It covers civil small UAS under 55 lb; §107.1(b) names four exclusions, and public aircraft operations are outside its civil scope. AC 107-2A paragraph 4.1 separately puts amateur rockets, moored balloons, unmanned free balloons, and kites outside Part 107.
• "55 pounds or less." The scope is aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds — 55 lb and up is outside small UAS territory (§107.1/§107.3).
• "The alcohol limit is 0.08, like driving." Aviation's limit is 0.04 BAC — half the common driving limit (§91.17 via §107.27).
• "8 hours after drinking means I'm automatically legal." The 8-hour rule is a floor, not a guarantee — you also can't fly under the influence or at 0.04+ BAC (§91.17).
• "Dropping anything from a drone is illegal." The rule prohibits drops that create an undue hazard, not all drops (§107.23).
• "I only have to show my certificate to the FAA," or "I can just email it later." §107.7 requires physical possession and presentation to the listed officials upon request.

Quick recap

• Part 107 covers civil small UAS under 55 lb at takeoff within the United States (§§107.1(a), 107.3). Section 107.1(b) excludes air carriers, recreational-exception aircraft, specified exemption operations, and qualifying Part 91 operations; public aircraft operations are outside the civil scope. AC 107-2A paragraph 4.1: amateur rockets, moored balloons, unmanned free balloons, and kites are outside Part 107.
• No careless or reckless operation; no dropping objects that create an undue hazard (§107.23).
• 8 hours bottle-to-throttle, 0.04 BAC max, no impairing drugs (§107.27 applying §§91.17/91.19).
• Carry your certificate and ID; present them to listed officials and allow FAA inspection/testing as §107.7 requires.

Additional ACS knowledge: records, aircraft categories, and truthful documents

The ACS also tests falsification, multiple-category aircraft, record retention, and aircraft manufactured before current category declarations. Since November 3, 2025, §107.5 is reserved. The prohibition now lives in 14 CFR §3.403, which applies to Part 107: no fraudulent or intentionally false statement, and no production, reproduction, or alteration for a fraudulent purpose, of a certificate, authorization, record, report, or similar document. That conduct can lead to denial, suspension, or revocation, or to a civil penalty (§3.403(d)). Keep required records accurate and make them available when the FAA requests inspection under §107.7. Category 4 operators have specific aircraft maintenance-record duties under §107.140. Separately, a person who submits a Category 2/3 Declaration of Compliance has supporting-information retention duties under §107.165. Do not generalize those provisions into a logbook-retention rule for every small-UA operator.

An aircraft's age or marketing label does not itself authorize flight over people. For a Category 2 or 3 operation, verify the aircraft and operation meet the applicable rule, including any required FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance (DoC), operating instructions, and label. A modification can invalidate the declaration or category eligibility; check the manufacturer's current compliance information before flight.