Operator/Pilot must obtain a Remote Pilot certificate Small drones are generally operated under the small aircraft rule ( 14 CFR §107), which requires: The Federal Aviation Administration is the federal regulatory authority for aviation in the United States. The flight requires aircraft registration, but does not require Commercial Operations licensing because the drone is being used in business for a solely internal process. A commercial photographer uses a drone to figure out sightlines at a location, but the photographs provided to the client are actually taken from a lift-truck or scaffolding.Regardless of whether there was an additional charge for use of the drone, the flight is a commercial operation and requires both aircraft registration and Commercial Operations licensing. The photographs taken using the drone are given to the client after post-processing. A commercial photographer uses a drone to take photographs at a wedding.The determination is made on a case-by-case basis by considering whether the flight outputs are provided to a third-party. Do I need a Minnesota Commercial Operations License?Īlthough all drones used by a business generally need to be registered, not all businesses using drones need a Commercial Operations License. MnDOT is the state-level regulatory agency with responsibility for all aircraft. Commercial use of drones is regulated by both the federal government and the state of Minnesota.

Drone registration requirements