Part 107 rules cheat sheet: every limit and its CFR section

Regulations are 48% of the Part 107 test under PSI’s current weighting, and most of them come down to a number, a unit and a condition. This sheet puts them in one place, each with the section of 14 CFR it comes from, so you can check the wording at eCFR whenever a practice question hinges on a word.

The eCFR text was current as of September 10, 2026 when we checked it.

Flight limits

Limit	Rule	Section
Groundspeed	87 knots (100 mph) maximum	107.51(a)
Altitude	400 ft AGL maximum	107.51(b)
Altitude near a structure	Within 400 ft of it, up to 400 ft above its uppermost limit	107.51(b)
Visibility	At least 3 statute miles from the control station	107.51(c)
Cloud clearance	500 ft below, 2,000 ft horizontally	107.51(d)
Aircraft weight	Less than 55 lb at takeoff, including everything attached	107.3
Aircraft at a time	One per person, as pilot or observer	107.35

Flight visibility is the average slant distance at which you can see prominent unlighted objects by day and prominent lighted objects by night.

Pilot and crew

Topic	Rule	Section
Eligibility	16 or older, English proficiency, no disqualifying condition, pass the test or Part 61 training	107.61
Test age	14 or older to take the knowledge test	ACS; 107.67(b)(3)
Carry documents	Certificate and ID on you; show on request to FAA, NTSB, TSA, police	107.7(a)
Recency	Test or recurrent training within previous 24 calendar months	107.65
Address change	Tell the FAA within 30 days or lose privileges	107.77(c)
Uncertificated pilot	Allowed under direct supervision of a remote PIC who can take control immediately	107.12(a)(2)
Remote PIC	Designated before or during flight; final authority	107.19
Medical condition	No flying or crew duty with a known interfering condition	107.17
Alcohol	Not within 8 hours of drinking, not under the influence, not at 0.04 or more	107.27, 91.17
Drugs	No drugs that impair; no knowingly carrying narcotics, marijuana, depressants or stimulants unless law allows	107.27, 91.17, 91.19
Visual line of sight	PIC or person at controls, or a VO, sees the aircraft unaided (glasses OK)	107.31
Visual observer	Optional; effective communication at all times	107.33

Aircraft and equipment

Topic	Rule	Section
Condition	Safe for operation; check before every flight	107.15
Registration	Effective registration required (Part 48 for small UA)	107.13, 91.203(a)(2)
Registration term	Non-recreational registration lasts 3 years	48.100(c)
Marking	Registration number legible, secure, on an external surface	48.205
Remote ID	Standard RID aircraft, broadcast module, or inside a FRIA	89.101, 89.105
Transponder and ADS-B Out	Off, unless the FAA authorizes	107.52, 107.53
Hazardous material	Not allowed	107.36

The 0.55-pound registration exception applies only to recreational flying. It doesn’t apply under Part 107.

Operating rules

Topic	Rule	Section
Careless or reckless	Prohibited; no dropping objects that create undue hazard	107.23
Moving vehicle	Never from a moving aircraft; from a land or water vehicle only over sparsely populated areas, never carrying property for hire	107.25
Right of way	Yield to all aircraft; don’t pass over, under or ahead unless well clear	107.37
Preflight	Assess environment, brief crew, check links and power, secure loads, confirm over-people category	107.49
Emergency	Deviate as needed; written report if the FAA asks	107.21
Inspection	Make the aircraft, people and records available to the FAA on request	107.7
Carrying property for hire	Allowed within one state, total weight under 55 lb, not from a moving vehicle	107.25(b); AC 107-2A ¶5.15

Airspace and restrictions

Topic	Rule	Section
Class B, C, D, E surface area	Prior ATC authorization	107.41
Airports	Don’t interfere with traffic or patterns	107.43
Prohibited and restricted areas	Permission from the using or controlling agency	107.45
NOTAMs and TFRs	Comply with flight restrictions	107.47
Authorization tools	LAANC near real time; further coordination at least 72 hours ahead; DroneZone at least 60 days	FAA guidance

The full explanation is in airspace classes and when you need LAANC.

Night and twilight

Topic	Rule	Section
Night	Test or training completed after April 6, 2021, and anti-collision lighting visible 3 SM	107.29(a)
Civil twilight	Anti-collision lighting visible 3 SM	107.29(b)
Twilight defined	30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset (outside Alaska)	107.29(c)
Lighting intensity	May be reduced for safety, never turned off	107.29

More on this in Part 107 night operations.

Over people and moving vehicles

Category	Key requirement	Section
Default	No flight over people unless they participate, are under cover or in a stationary vehicle, or a category applies	107.39
1	0.55 lb or less, no lacerating exposed rotating parts	107.110
2	Under 11 ft-lb injury threshold, declaration of compliance, label	107.115, 107.120
3	Under 25 ft-lb, restricted site or no sustained flight over people; never over open-air assemblies	107.125, 107.130
4	Airworthiness certificate and flight manual limits	107.140
Moving vehicles	Must meet a category plus site or sustained-flight limits	107.145

Details in operations over people categories 1 to 4.

Reporting and administration

Topic	Rule	Section
Safety event report	Within 10 calendar days: serious injury, loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the drone above the $500 threshold (see below)	107.9
Temporary certificate	Valid up to 120 calendar days	107.64
Retake after failing	Wait 14 calendar days	107.71
Cheating	1-year ban from applying or testing	107.69
Falsification	Now under 14 CFR 3.403 and 3.405 (§107.5 is reserved)	3.401 to 3.405
Drug or alcohol violations	Denial for up to 1 year, or suspension or revocation	107.57, 107.59

The property damage exclusion is worded precisely: no report if the repair costs $500 or less or, for a total loss, the fair market value is $500 or less. Older guidance words this differently, so learn the current rule.

What can be waived

The FAA may issue a certificate of waiver for these rules under §107.205:

Waivable	Section
Moving vehicle or aircraft (never for carrying property for hire)	107.25
Anti-collision lighting at night and twilight	107.29(a)(2), (b)
Visual line of sight (never for carrying property for hire)	107.31
Visual observer	107.33
Multiple aircraft	107.35
Yielding right of way	107.37(a)
Operation over people	107.39
Certain airspace	107.41
Operating limitations	107.51
Operations over moving vehicles	107.145

Alcohol and drugs (107.27), hazardous materials (107.36) and careless or reckless operation (107.23) are not on that list and can’t be waived.

Using this sheet

Read a table, cover the rule column, and say each limit out loud with its unit. Then take the free practice test and check which rows you missed. For how questions twist these numbers, see Part 107 practice test questions, explained, and for the full certification path, the Part 107 test guide.