FAA: 300,000 Drones Registered In First 30 Days

In the first 30 days since the drone registration requirement went public, the FAA has announced about 300,000 drones were registered in the US. To help encourage drone owners to register, the FAA had offered to wave the $5 registration fee for the first month, perhaps leading to the very high number of registrations. New registrations pour in regularly.

The FAA announced the successful registrations on Friday, with US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx saying, "I am pleased the public responded to our call to register. The National Airspace System is a great resource and all users of it, including UAS users, are responsible for keeping it safe."

The registration requirement applies to recreational and hobby drones that are heavier than .55lbs but lighter than 55lbs, and it went into effect right before Christmas. Now that it is live, drone owners with applicable UAVs are required to register before they can fly, and must provide basic personal information — the privacy of which has been called into question.

The FAA is working now on creating a separate registration system that will be for non-model UAVs, including commercial drones. Once completed, registrations are effective for three years, and a certificate is issued with a registration number that must be presented on the drone.

SOURCE: FAA