FAA Remote ID
Broadcast modules and FRIAs
Remote ID is the FAA's rule (14 CFR Part 89) requiring a drone in flight to broadcast identification and location information that others can receive. It helps the FAA, law enforcement and other agencies locate the control station when a drone appears to be flying unsafely or where it should not. It applies to every drone that is registered or required to be registered with the FAA, whether it is flown for business, recreation or public safety.
This guide covers the three ways to comply, what each option broadcasts, the registration step operators most often miss, the Declaration of Compliance list, FRIA basics, the FAA's enforcement position, and how Remote ID fits with Part 107 waivers and the proposed Part 108 rule as of October 2026.
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The three ways to comply
Since 16 September 2023, Part 89 says no one may fly a drone in US airspace unless the operation meets one of its compliance routes, except where the FAA has authorized otherwise. There are three:
- Standard Remote ID drone: the aircraft was produced with Remote ID broadcast built in. It must broadcast from takeoff to shutdown, and its Remote ID function must not have been disabled.
- Remote ID broadcast module: a separate device fitted to a drone without built-in Remote ID. The pilot must check the module is working before takeoff and must be able to see the drone at all times.
- FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA): a defined site where drones without Remote ID may fly. The drone and the pilot must both stay inside the boundary, and the pilot must keep the drone in sight throughout.
What is broadcast, and what to register
A standard Remote ID drone broadcasts, at minimum, its identity (its serial number), the latitude, longitude and altitude of both the drone and the control station, the drone's velocity, a time mark and an emergency status. The rule also allows a session ID in place of the serial number, which the FAA describes as an option operators may be able to choose in future. A broadcast module sends a shorter set: the module's serial number, the drone's position, altitude and velocity, the take-off location and altitude (instead of the control station), and a time mark. The broadcast must use radio spectrum compatible with personal wireless devices, so people nearby can receive it. If the broadcast stops in flight, the pilot must land as soon as practicable. ADS-B Out cannot be used instead.
Your registration must carry the Remote ID serial number: the drone's own serial number for a standard Remote ID drone, or the module's serial number for a module. Part 107 operators register each device (standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module) separately in FAADroneZone, and each gets its own registration number. For a drone you have already registered, edit the existing device in your Part 107 inventory: answer yes to the Remote ID question and enter the serial number. You do not need to register it again.
Before you do, check that the drone or module appears on an FAA-accepted Remote ID Declaration of Compliance in the FAA's Declaration of Compliance System. Declarations come from producers, not operators, so do not submit one yourself. The FAA keeps accepted declarations under ongoing review and can rescind acceptance, for example if listed equipment does not meet the performance requirements, so check the list when you buy equipment and again from time to time across the fleet. Foreign-registered drones flown in the US also need a notice of identification and an FAA Confirmation of Identification, kept at the control station.
FRIAs: who can apply, and when they help
Only FAA-recognized community-based organizations and educational institutions (from primary and secondary schools to trade schools, colleges and universities) can apply to establish a FRIA. Applications go through FAADroneZone, with guidance in Advisory Circular 89-3. An approved FRIA lasts 48 calendar months, and a renewal request must reach the FAA no later than 120 days before it expires.
The FAA publishes approved FRIA locations through its UAS Data Delivery System. Flying in a FRIA does not change the airspace rules: you still need any airspace authorization the location requires. Drones with Remote ID can fly there too, but must keep broadcasting.
For most commercial work a FRIA is of limited use, because the job is at the client's site rather than a club field or campus. It can help with training or testing aircraft that lack Remote ID at a fixed location.
Enforcement, waivers and Part 108
The FAA's period of enforcement discretion ended on 16 March 2024. The FAA says operators who do not comply could face fines and suspension or revocation of their remote pilot certificates.
A Part 107 waiver sets aside Part 107 limits. Remote ID is a separate rule in Part 89 with its own route. To fly without Remote ID or deviate from its requirements, you request a Remote ID Letter of Authorization by email, using the address on the FAA's Remote ID page. The FAA says it issues these for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations, and that other operations, such as drone light shows flown under a waiver, may also be eligible. Watch beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waivers in particular: the module route requires the pilot to see the drone throughout unless the FAA authorizes otherwise, so BVLOS work needs a standard Remote ID aircraft or a specific FAA authorization.
The BVLOS proposed rule published in August 2025 would require aircraft flown under a new Part 108 to meet the standard Remote ID requirements (a module would not be enough) and to broadcast an extra operational status showing BVLOS flight and the take-off location, at a range sufficient to give others nearby situational awareness. It also proposes letting one module's serial number appear on more than one registration held by the same owner. As of October 2026 these are proposals only and no final rule has been published. Check the Federal Register for the current position.
What a consultant does, and what to ask before hiring
A consultant can audit your fleet against the Declaration of Compliance list, tidy up registrations, work out where a module or a Letter of Authorization is needed, and build Remote ID checks into your operations manual and pre-flight procedures. They cannot grant an authorization or promise an outcome: the FAA decides. Operators can compare vetted consultants on DOC, where regulator experience is shown as verified only where it has been evidenced.
- Have you helped operators bring a mixed fleet into Remote ID compliance, and how recently?
- Will you check every serial number against the Declaration of Compliance list and our registrations?
- How would our BVLOS or other waiver operations meet Remote ID?
- Have you requested a Remote ID Letter of Authorization, and for what kind of operation?
- What would we need to change if Part 108 is finalised as proposed?
Common mistakes
Most Remote ID problems are paperwork rather than hardware. Watch for these:
- Fitting a module but never adding its serial number to the registration
- Moving a module between Part 107 drones without updating each registration
- Buying equipment without checking it is on an FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance
- Assuming a Part 107 waiver also covers Remote ID
- Flying a module-equipped drone beyond visual line of sight without an FAA authorization
- Carrying on after the broadcast drops out instead of landing as soon as practicable
Common questions
Does Remote ID apply to commercial Part 107 operators?
Yes. Part 89 applies to anyone flying a drone that is registered or required to be registered with the FAA, including drones flown for business, recreation or public safety. Since 16 September 2023, each flight must use one of the compliance routes: a standard Remote ID drone, a drone fitted with a broadcast module, or flying within a FRIA, unless the FAA has authorized otherwise.
Can I use a broadcast module for beyond visual line of sight flights?
Not without FAA authorization. When you rely on a broadcast module, Part 89 requires the pilot to be able to see the drone at all times, unless the FAA has authorized otherwise. For BVLOS work under a Part 107 waiver, plan on a standard Remote ID aircraft or ask the FAA about a Remote ID Letter of Authorization. The proposed Part 108 rule would require standard Remote ID.
Can my company apply for a FRIA?
Only if it is an FAA-recognized community-based organization or an educational institution, such as a school, trade school, college or university. Other businesses cannot apply. An approved FRIA lasts 48 calendar months and can be renewed if the request reaches the FAA at least 120 days before expiry. Inside a FRIA, the rule lets a drone without Remote ID fly if the drone and pilot stay within the boundary and the drone stays in sight.
What happens if I fly without Remote ID?
The FAA ended its period of enforcement discretion on 16 March 2024. It says operators who do not comply could face fines and suspension or revocation of their remote pilot certificates. If the broadcast fails during a flight, the rule requires the pilot to land as soon as practicable, so treat a Remote ID fault like any other equipment failure in your procedures.
Does a Part 107 waiver cover Remote ID?
No. A Part 107 waiver sets aside Part 107 limits, and Remote ID is a separate rule in Part 89. To fly without Remote ID or deviate from its requirements, you request a Remote ID Letter of Authorization from the FAA by email. The FAA says it issues these for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations, and that operations such as light shows flown under a waiver may also be eligible.
How do I update my registration for Remote ID?
Your registration must include the Remote ID serial number of the standard Remote ID drone or the broadcast module. For a drone already registered, edit the existing device in the Part 107 dashboard on FAADroneZone: answer yes to the Remote ID question and enter the serial number. Part 107 operators register each device separately. Check first that it appears on an FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance.