FAA Part 107 basics for public safety agencies

If your department is thinking about flying drones for patrol, search and rescue, crash reconstruction, or event coverage, the first question is almost always the same: what certification do we actually need? Here's the practical version, without wading through the full regulation.

Part 107 is the standard path

Part 107 of the federal aviation regulations covers commercial and government drone operations under 55 pounds. For most agencies, the pilot flying the mission needs a Remote Pilot Certificate earned through Part 107, which requires being at least 16 years old, passing TSA vetting, and passing a 60-question knowledge test on airspace, weather, and operating rules. Certification isn't a one-time event either. Pilots need to complete recurrent training every 24 months to stay current.

A note on public aircraft operations

Government agencies technically have a second option: operating under Public Aircraft Operations (PAO) authority instead of Part 107. In practice, most departments still choose the Part 107 route, because PAO comes with its own self-certification and oversight burden that's usually more overhead than it's worth for a small or mid-size program. Part 107 is well-documented, consistent, and the FAA has already built the infrastructure to support it.

The operating rules that actually affect your missions

Once your pilots are certified, day-to-day operations are governed by a short list of limits:

• Altitude: 400 feet above ground level, unless flying near a structure and staying within 400 feet of it.
• Visual line of sight: the pilot (or a visual observer) must be able to see the aircraft, unless operating under a waiver.
• Daylight or civil twilight: night operations are permitted with anti-collision lighting, which covers most search and rescue and patrol scenarios.
• Weight: aircraft must be under 55 pounds, which covers the vast majority of public safety drones on the market.

Remote ID is not optional

Since 2023, nearly all drones flown under Part 107 are required to broadcast Remote ID, essentially a digital license plate that transmits the drone's location, altitude, and the operator's location while airborne. If your department is buying new equipment, this is almost always built in already. If you're flying older hardware, it may need a broadcast module added before it's legal to fly.

What's changing: BVLOS and Part 108

Right now, flying beyond visual line of sight requires a case-by-case waiver from the FAA, which is exactly the kind of paperwork that slows down real search and rescue missions. The FAA has proposed a new rule, Part 108, specifically to make BVLOS operations more accessible without a waiver for every flight. It's still working through the rulemaking process, but it's worth watching if your agency wants to expand into longer-range search patterns or infrastructure inspection down the road. Part 107 isn't going away. Part 108 will sit alongside it for higher-risk, longer-range operations.

The mistakes agencies actually make

• Assuming any officer can fly for the department. Recreational flight rules don't apply once a drone is being used for official duties, even informally.
• Skipping Remote ID compliance on older equipment, which puts every flight technically out of compliance.
• Letting certifications lapse. The 24-month recurrent training requirement gets missed more often than you'd expect, especially in departments where the certified pilot has since transferred or retired.
• Building a program around one person. If your only certified pilot leaves, the program stops. Training more than one officer from the start avoids this.