Already a certificated pilot? Skip the $175 Part 107 test.

Under 14 CFR 107.61(d)(2), the FAA treats a current Part 61 airman's aeronautical knowledge as covering most of what the initial Part 107 (UAG) knowledge test checks. So instead of sitting the $175 exam, an eligible Part 61 certificate holder completes a targeted online course — ALC-451 — and that substitutes for the initial test.

This is not "any pilot skips the test." The exemption has two specific conditions, and both have to be true on the day you use them:

• Your certificate is a Part 61 certificate other than a student pilot certificate — Sport, Recreational, Private, Commercial, ATP, or a flight/ground instructor certificate all qualify. A student pilot certificate does not.
• You completed a flight review within the previous 24 calendar months — the same currency you already maintain to act as pilot in command.

Two conditions, both required:

• You hold a Part 61 pilot certificate other than a student pilot certificate (Sport, Recreational, Private, Commercial, ATP, or a flight/ground instructor certificate all qualify).
• You completed a flight review (14 CFR 61.56) within the previous 24 calendar months — a current flight review, the same recency you keep for PIC privileges.

If your flight review has lapsed, you can still get Part 107 — you would take the standard UAG knowledge test route instead. This shortcut is specifically for pilots who are already current.

1. Confirm eligibility. Part 61 certificate (non-student) plus a flight review completed in the previous 24 calendar months. See the check above.
2. Complete the free course.Take "Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) — ALC-451" on the FAA Safety Team site (faasafety.gov). No cost, self-paced. Save the completion certificate — this replaces the initial UAG knowledge test, not the application.
3. File Form 8710-13 in IACRA. Log into IACRA, start a remote pilot application (FAA Form 8710-13), and attach or reference your ALC-451 completion. You will need your FTN.
4. Complete TSA security vetting. The FAA forwards your application; TSA runs a security background check. No action needed unless you are contacted.
5. Get your certificate. You will receive an email to print a temporary Remote Pilot Certificate; the permanent card is mailed.
6. Make the drone legal, and stay current. Register the aircraft under Part 47/48 (required regardless of weight for Part 107) and comply with Remote ID (Part 89). Your 14 CFR 107.65 recency clock starts running from the day you completed ALC-451 — not the day the certificate arrives — and lapses at the end of the 24th calendar month. Before it lapses, the free ALC-515 recurrent course resets the clock for another 24 months.

Being rated is not the same as being cleared to fly a given mission. A legal Part 107 flight still needs:

• Aircraft registration under Part 47/48 — required regardless of weight for Part 107.
• Remote ID under Part 89.
• Airspace authorization where required (LAANC / 14 CFR 107.41).
• Weather within Part 107 minimums — 3 statute miles visibility, 500 feet below clouds.
• An airworthy aircraft.

Flying non-compliant can draw FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 (49 U.S.C. 46301) and certificate action. This is the honesty hinge of this guide — and the natural bridge into what AeroCopilot tracks for every one of these once you are rated.

AeroCopilot is the only platform that serves both your manned flying and your Part 107 flying — so adding the rating adds a full toolset to the subscription you already pay for, at $0 extra:

• "Can I fly here?" — instant airspace answer. Address-based airspace checker plus the FAA UAS Facility Map grid (ceiling color-coded) and TFR overlays, with an automatic check for whether the spot needs LAANC.
• 14 CFR 107.65 recency countdown, 4-tier. 60-day amber, 30-day red, 7-day pulsing, then expired — so you never silently lose the currency you just earned.
• Part 107 study hub with Live Context. A Part 107 practice bank plus questions generated from real current weather, NOTAMs, and flight conditions — practice material no static prep can copy — with knowledge-area readiness tracking and a mock exam.
• 14 CFR 107.9 incident reporting helper. A guided 3-step assessment with the 10-day deadline auto-tracked and an overdue banner if you are running late.
• Drone Fleet and Remote ID. Register manufacturer, model, serial, FA-number, and Remote ID, plus battery lifecycle and insurance expiry tracking.
• Drone weather and pre-flight, on Part 107 minimums. 3 SM visibility / 500 ft cloud clearance checks, Kp index, live PIREP vertical-gust warnings, a 49-item Part 107 pre-flight checklist, and mission briefing snapshots.
• Grow into paid work when you are ready. A commercial back-office — clients, projects, and invoices with client report templates — the only platform combining LAANC + airspace + back-office.
• AI Copilot on every tier. Free gives you 5 chats a day to try it; Pilot ($17.99/mo) and Pro ($29.99/mo) have no token caps. Every answer is grounded in official FAA/NWS data — never fabricated.

What is not live yet:direct LAANC submission to the FAA is coming soon. Today AeroCopilot gives you full airspace intelligence, the UAS Facility Map, and an automatic "do you need LAANC?" check — but in-app LAANC filing runs in mock mode until our USS credential goes live. We will not claim a submission we cannot yet make.