Drone Registration 101: FAA DroneZone vs N-Number

Every drone you fly for work has to be registered with the FAA. The question is which system it goes in. A Mavic 3M or Matrice 4T goes in FAADroneZone online in a few minutes. A T25P or T100 spray drone goes through the same Aircraft Registry that handles airplanes and gets an N-number (the same kind of tail number a Cessna wears). Mix them up and you can end up with an exemption petition that stalls or a new drone sitting in the shop. Here's how to tell which one you need, how to mark the aircraft, and when each one expires.

The 55-pound line

Everything hinges on one number. The FAA defines a small unmanned aircraft as one that weighs less than 55 pounds at takeoff, including everything on board or attached (14 CFR 1.1). That means the battery, the payload, and on a spray drone, the liquid or granular product in the tank. The FAA's Part 137 page says it plainly: under 55 pounds "including the weight of the substance being dispensed."

• Under 55 lb at takeoff: register online in FAADroneZone under 14 CFR Part 48. You get a registration number that starts with FA.
• 55 lb or more: register under 14 CFR Part 47, the traditional aircraft registry, and get an N-number. The FAA's unmanned aircraft registration page says DroneZone is only for drones under 55 pounds, and Part 47 is required at 55 pounds and up.

Weigh the drone the way you'll actually fly it. A spray rig that's 40 lb empty but 70 lb with a full tank is a 55 lb+ aircraft.

Where common models land

From the manufacturer specs (check your own setup):

• DJI Mavic 3M and Matrice 4T: well under 55 lb. DroneZone.
• DJI Agras T25P: DJI lists 33 kg (about 73 lb) with the battery, before any product goes in the tank (DJI T25P specs). N-number.
• DJI Agras T100: DJI lists a 75 kg (about 165 lb) spraying weight (DJI T100 specs). N-number.

Most spray operators end up using both: DroneZone for the scouting drone, the Aircraft Registry for the sprayer.

DroneZone (Part 48): what to know

Who needs it. Under 14 CFR 48.15, the only drones that skip registration are ones flown purely for recreation that weigh 0.55 lb (250 grams) or less. If you fly under Part 107 (the FAA's commercial small drone rule), you register no matter how small the drone is.

Part 107 vs recreational. Part 107 registration is $5 per drone, and each drone gets its own number. Recreational registration is $5 and covers every drone in your inventory. Both are good for three years (FAA: How to Register Your Drone). The FAA also says a registration can't be moved between the two, so a drone registered as recreational can't be flown for work.

What you'll need. Physical address, email, phone, make and model, and a credit or debit card. You also need the Remote ID serial number (the ID the drone or its broadcast module sends out in flight) for a standard Remote ID drone or broadcast module (48.110). If you can't find it, the FAA's advice is to check with the manufacturer. More on that in our Remote ID guide.

Keep it current. If your address changes, or you sell, crash beyond repair, or export the drone, update DroneZone within 14 calendar days (48.115). The buyer registers it under their own name.

Carry it. The FAA says you must have the registration certificate (paper or digital) when you fly, and show it to law enforcement if asked. If someone else flies your drone, they need a copy too.

N-number (Part 47): what to know

How you apply. The FAA's Part 137 page says to get your N-number through CARES (Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services, the registry's online system) or by mail. The FAA's UA registration page lists what goes in the package:

• AC Form 8050-1, the Aircraft Registration Application
• A notarized affidavit describing the drone (manufacturer, model, serial number, class, max takeoff weight, engines) and showing how you got it, plus a statement that it isn't registered in another country
• A bill of sale (AC Form 8050-2) or other ownership papers
• An LLC information sheet if an LLC is the owner
• The $5 registration fee (47.17)

For drones with Remote ID, the serial number on the affidavit must be the Remote ID serial and must match the 8050-1. We walk through the forms step by step in How to Get a Tail Number (N-Number) for Your Drone, so we won't repeat that here.

Picking a number. A random N-number is free. A special one you choose is $10 (FAA N-number page).

No flying while you wait on a brand-new drone. The temporary authority in 47.31(c) (carrying a copy of the application in the aircraft) only applies to aircraft last registered in the U.S. A brand-new T100 out of the box isn't covered, so you wait for the certificate. Start the registration as soon as the drone is bought, not the week you plan to spray.

It ties into everything else. For Part 137 work, the FAA asks for each aircraft's FA- or N-number and owner. For 44807 operations (FAA permission to fly drones over 55 lb), the COA (certificate of waiver or authorization, your airspace approval) needs a registration number under the same name as the exemption holder (FAA 44807 page). Register the drone under the legal name you're petitioning under. Our Part 137 timeline shows where registration fits.

Selling one. The seller signs a bill of sale to the buyer, completes the back of the registration certificate, and returns it to the Registry. The buyer files a new 8050-1 with the bill of sale and $5 (FAA UA registration page). Rule 47.41 gives you 21 days to notify the FAA when registration ends. That's separate from the DJI account side of a sale, which we cover in transferring ownership of an Agras drone.

Moved? Tell the Registry in writing within 30 days of a mailing address change (47.45).

Marking rules

DroneZone drones. Put the registration number on an outside surface of the drone. It has to stay legible and stay on for the whole flight (48.205). The FAA's labeling sheet lists engraving, a permanent label, or permanent marker. Inside the battery bay doesn't count. A printed vinyl label holds up better than marker.

N-numbered drones. Part 47 aircraft follow Part 45, Subpart C: a capital N followed by the number, no ornamentation, contrasting color, legible, and painted on or affixed about as permanently as paint. Full-size marks are 12 inches tall on airplanes and helicopters, which won't fit on a spray drone. Rule 45.29(f) covers that: when no surface is big enough, the marks go on as large as practicable. FAA exemption grants for drones have spelled out that same "as large as practicable" condition, (example grant, PDF), so read the marking and document conditions in your own exemption. On a T25P or T100, that usually means a contrasting vinyl N-number on the largest flat body panel, clear of the tank lid and arm folds.

Renewals

Sources: 48.100(c), 47.40, 47.17.

Put both dates on the calendar with your Part 107 recurrent training and exemption renewals. The FAA warns that flying a drone that should be registered and isn't can bring regulatory and criminal penalties.

Quick checklist

1. Weigh the drone as flown, with a full load. Under 55 lb goes to DroneZone. 55 lb or more gets an N-number.
2. Register under the legal name that's on your exemption and COA.
3. Have the Remote ID serial number ready for either system.
4. Mark it before the first flight: FA number on an outside surface, or N-number per Part 45 and your exemption.
5. Carry the certificate (digital is fine for DroneZone; for N-numbered drones, follow your exemption's document conditions).
6. Calendar renewals, and update the FAA within 14 days (DroneZone) or 30 days (Part 47 address change).

Need a hand with the paperwork?

If you're setting up a spray operation, our FAA Part 137 Package covers the Part 137 and exemption paperwork, and we can point you in the right direction on getting the drone registered. Questions about whether your setup crosses 55 lb? Call 1-877-992-8279 (M–F 9–5 MT) or email sales@avarydrone.com.

This article is general information, not legal advice. FAA rules, fees, and your exemption conditions can change. Check the current regulations and your own documents before you fly.

Sources

• FAA: How to Register Your Drone (DroneZone, fees, 3-year validity, carrying the certificate)
• FAA: Aircraft Registration, Unmanned Aircraft (Part 47 vs DroneZone, affidavit, fees, selling)
• FAA: Dispensing Chemicals and Agricultural Products with UAS (55 lb incl. product, FA vs N-number, CARES)
• FAA: Section 44807 (COA needs registration number, matching names)
• FAA: Special N-numbers
• FAA: How to Label Your Drone (PDF)
• 14 CFR 1.1 (small unmanned aircraft definition)
• 14 CFR Part 48 (small UA registration and marking)
• 14 CFR Part 47 (aircraft registration)
• 14 CFR Part 45, Subpart C (nationality and registration marks)
• DJI Agras T25P specs / DJI Agras T100 specs