Part 107 Recurrent Training Every 24 Months

Part 107 Recurrent Training: What the 24-Month Renewal Covers

If you hold a Part 107 remote pilot certificate, you must complete recurrent training every 24 months to maintain your certification. This isn’t just a formality—the FAA mandates this training to ensure commercial drone pilots stay current with evolving regulations, safety protocols, and operational procedures.

Why Recurrent Training Exists

The drone industry changes rapidly. New regulations, airspace procedures, and safety requirements emerge regularly. The FAA implemented the 24-month recurrent training requirement to:

• Keep pilots updated on regulatory changes and amendments to Part 107
• Reinforce critical safety concepts and aeronautical decision-making
• Ensure pilots maintain proficiency in airspace classification and authorization procedures
• Review weather minimums, emergency procedures, and crew resource management
• Update pilots on new technology requirements like Remote ID

When You Need to Complete Recurrent Training

Your Part 107 certificate includes an expiration date—exactly 24 calendar months from the date you passed your initial knowledge test or last recurrent training. You can take recurrent training before your certificate expires, but not more than 3 calendar months prior.

Important timing: If your certificate expires before you complete recurrent training, you must retake the full initial Part 107 knowledge test at a testing center. The recurrent training option is only available if your certificate is current or within the 3-month window before expiration.

Two Ways to Complete Recurrent Training

Option 1: Online Recurrent Training Course (Most Common)

The FAA offers a free online recurrent training course through the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) website. This self-paced course typically takes 2-3 hours and covers:

• Updates to Part 107 regulations
• Airspace classification and authorization (LAANC system)
• Operating requirements and limitations
• Weather theory and sources
• Loading and performance
• Emergency procedures
• Crew resource management
• Aeronautical decision-making
• Maintenance and preflight inspection
• Remote ID compliance requirements

After completing the course, you’ll receive a completion certificate that you must carry as proof of currency until your updated certificate arrives from the FAA.

Option 2: In-Person Knowledge Test

You can also complete recurrent training by taking an in-person recurrent knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center. This 40-question test costs around $175 and requires a score of at least 70% to pass. Most pilots choose the free online option instead.

What Topics Are Covered

The recurrent training mirrors many topics from the initial Part 107 test but focuses on:

Regulatory Updates: Changes to Part 107 rules, including operations over people, night flying requirements, and Remote ID mandates.

Airspace Procedures: Current LAANC authorization procedures, understanding controlled airspace, and special use airspace restrictions.

Safety Enhancements: Lessons learned from drone incidents, crew resource management improvements, and risk mitigation strategies.

Operational Limitations: Review of visual line of sight requirements, altitude restrictions, right-of-way rules, and prohibited operations.

Weather Minimums: VFR weather requirements, weather reports and forecasts, effects of weather on small UAS performance.

How to Access the Free Online Course

Visit the FAA Safety Team website (faasafety.gov) and search for “Part 107 Remote Pilot Recurrent” in the course catalog. You’ll need to create a free FAASTeam account if you don’t already have one.

The course is self-paced with no time limit. You can complete it in one sitting or return to it over several days. There’s a short quiz at the end of each section, and you must pass a final exam to receive your completion certificate.

After Completing Recurrent Training

Once you pass the online course or in-person test:

1. You’ll receive a temporary completion certificate—print this and carry it when operating
2. The testing center or FAA will submit your completion to the FAA database
3. Within 2 weeks, your updated certificate will appear in the FAA’s online database
4. A new plastic certificate will be mailed to you (this can take several weeks)
5. Your new expiration date will be 24 months from your recurrent training completion date

Consequences of Letting Your Certificate Expire

If you fail to complete recurrent training before your expiration date, you cannot legally operate under Part 107 for commercial purposes. You must:

• Stop all Part 107 commercial operations immediately
• Schedule and pass the full initial Part 107 knowledge test ($175, 60 questions)
• Wait for FAA processing to receive a new certificate

This process is more time-consuming and expensive than simply completing recurrent training on time.

Best Practices for Staying Current

Set calendar reminders: Mark your calendar for 21 months after your certification or last recurrent training to give yourself a 3-month buffer.

Complete training early: Don’t wait until the last minute. Complete recurrent training 2-3 months before expiration.

Review material regularly: Don’t rely solely on recurrent training. Stay updated on regulatory changes through FAA newsletters and industry publications.

Keep your completion certificate: Always carry proof of recurrent training completion until your updated certificate arrives.

Key Takeaways

Part 107 recurrent training keeps commercial drone pilots current with regulations and safety procedures. Complete the free online course every 24 months, at least 3 months before your expiration date. The training takes 2-3 hours and covers critical updates to airspace procedures, regulatory changes, and operational safety. Don’t let your certificate expire—recurrent training is far easier than retaking the full knowledge test.