After you pass the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Test, your testing center should provide clear next steps to apply for and receive your Remote Pilot Certificate.
Just to be clear, after you pass the test, the FAA doesn’t automatically send you your Remote Pilot Certificate. You still need to apply for the Certificate, and when you do that, the TSA will run a background check on you and confirm that you are eligible to be a Remote Pilot.
If the testing center doesn’t provide you with directions, or if you’re still unclear about what steps to take, please use this lecture to navigate the application process and let us know if you have any questions.
- After passing your test, visit the FAA’s IACRA website and log back into the account that you already created when getting your FTN number prior to taking your test.
- Once logged in, click “Register” in the top-right part of the screen.
- Select “Applicant” and then agree to the Terms of Service (TOS).
- Leave the “Certificate Information” top section blank. This confuses a lot of students. You don’t have an Airman Certificate number yet! You leave this whole section blank.
- Fill out each other section on the page and click the “Register” button.
- Now you have your username and password!
Here is a video I shot that walks through the rest of the application process. Please note the additional bullet points below that summarize the video.
Note — this video was recorded prior to the FAA’s new FTN number process, so please skip to 1:10 to see what the application looks like after logging into IACRA with your existing account.
- Log into the IACRA system with your username and password to begin your application.
- Click on “Start New Application” and 1) Application Type “Pilot”, 2) Certifications “Remote Pilot”, 3) Other Path Information, 4) Start Application.
- Follow application prompts.
- When prompted, enter the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID (NOTE: it may take up to 48 hours from the test date for the Knowledge Test to appear in IACRA).
- Sign the application electronically and submit to the Registry for processing.
- A confirmation email will be sent to you within about 5-10 days. This email will provide instructions for printing a copy of your temporary Remote Pilot Certificate from IACRA.
- A permanent Remote Pilot Certificate card will be sent via mail once all other FAA-internal processing is complete. This usually takes 6-8 weeks.
