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President Trump has signed a bill that reinstates mandatory drone registration in the US, reversing a court ruling from earlier this year that eliminated the requirement. Mandatory drone registration was first established in the U.S. in late 2015 by the FAA, but the requirement was reversed earlier this year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after it ruled that the FAA lacked authority over such devices.
The reinstatement was included in the National Defense Authorization Act; although whether or not Trump was aware of its inclusion when he signed the bill into law is unclear.
In a statement provided to TechCrunch, an FAA spokesperson praised the registration requirement, saying:
We welcome the reinstatement of registration rules for all small unmanned aircraft. Ownership identification helps promote safe and responsible drone operation and is a key component to full integration.
Operators in the U.S. must register their drone if it weighs between 0.55lbs and 55lbs. The FAA’s registration website currently states, “You will be subject to civil and criminal penalties if you meet the criteria to register an unmanned aircraft and do not register.” Drones weighing more than 55lbs must be registered by paper rather than online.
The agency provides full aircraft registry details here.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
