How to Get a Drone License in Virginia (Explained for Beginners)

Virginia has no shortage of spots where drone pilots can enjoy capturing unique footage. There’s only one obstacle standing in your way, and that’s a drone license.

So, what do you need to do to get a drone license in Virginia?

Here’s how to get a drone license in Virginia:

• Meet the criteria for becoming a pilot
• Sign up for an FAA Tracking Number
• Schedule a testing appointment at a Virginia FAA Knowledge Testing Center
• Study
• Show your stuff and pass the Part 107 exam
• Complete Form 8710-13

It’s a process that seems rather straightforward on the surface but can have some twists and turns you weren’t expecting, including several sites to register on and a paid examination fee.

That’s why I’m here to help you navigate it, so let’s get going!

Here’s how to obtain a drone license in Virginia

Your aspirations of becoming a commercial pilot in Virginia require you to hold a Remote Pilot Certificate. Please be advised this is different than the hobbyist license, known as the TRUST certificate.

The roads to the exams couldn’t be more different. You only need to pass a free online test, and the recreational license is yours. You can go back and change wrong answers and everything.

You have to take a sit-down test to get a commercial drone license. No one provides you the right answers while you’re taking it, and you can’t go back and change your answers after the fact.

Are you up to the task? Great! Here’s what you have to do.

Meet the criteria for becoming a pilot

Before you get in too deep, make sure you pass the basic criteria set up by the FAA. These rules aren’t meant to dissuade you but to make the skies a safer place for all pilots (and other aviation professionals).

So, what’s required of you? Well, you need to be at least 16 years old. Until then, you can fly with a licensed pilot, but you can’t become a commercial pilot yourself.

You also need to fully understand English, since that’s the language the FAA uses to communicate with pilots. The Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) is also only offered in English.

Besides that, you need to be a safe pilot who’s mentally and physically capable of operating a drone.

Sign up for an FAA Tracking Number

Easy-peasy, right? Awesome. You’re ready to continue through the process, signing up for your FAA Tracking Number or FTN.

An FTN is an FAA identifier used to determine if you’re flying legally. You need it to verify your identity as a non-certificate holder.

You can obtain an FTN by creating an account on IACRA, an acronym for the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application.

Never heard of IACRA before? It’s an FAA resource for pilot ratings and certifications, just as the name says. You can create an account for free in a few minutes, so let’s get started.

• Visit the IACRA site here.
• Click the Register link beneath the login boxes.
• Pick one or more roles. The categories are Applicant, Instructor, Certifying Officers, and Admin. As a new drone pilot, you should select Applicant.
• Read through the IACRA terms of service. Click the Agree to TOS and Continue button.
• Go straight to the Personal Information section, bypassing the Certificate Information section. You don’t have any information to add to that section (other roles require you to add it). Fill in all the fields in the Personal Information section.
• Choose from several security questions, typing in your answers.
• Make a username and password for IACRA. The password needs a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols, and numbers and must be at least 12 characters.
• Click the green Register button.
• Check your email. IACRA will confirm your account via your inbox.
• Log into IACRA and check your account information to see your FTN.

Schedule a testing appointment at a Virginia FAA Knowledge Testing Center

Next, it’s time to set up a date and time to take the Part 107 exam. You will need to use PSI for this part of the process.

PSI is a testing resource the FAA relies on for online exam scheduling. Its site is easy to use, so let’s get you registered.

• Click here to visit the PSI website.
• Click the Create an Account link on the homepage.
• Type your FTN and first and last name to verify yourself. Click Continue.
• Create an account by typing in your email address and full name. You also need a unique username and password, then you have to confirm the password.
• Click Continue.
• PSI will send you an email confirming your account. Click the link and sign in.
• Download an authenticator app with multi-factor authentication, a requirement of PSI since late 2023.
• Select Find a Test Center to begin searching for FAA Knowledge Testing Centers, which is where the FAA administers the Part 107 exam.
• Type your zip code, and don’t forget to select United States for the Country.
• Input your preferred driving distance in kilometers or miles.
• Choose Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) as the Exam type.
• Review the Knowledge Testing Centers on the list, scheduling an appointment with one.

Study

You’re ready to take the Part 107 exam. Well, you’re scheduled, but you’d like to feel ready. That’s more than fair considering the high price tag for this test.

The FAA charges $175 to take the exam (as of this writing), and that’s for each attempt!

In other words, if you don’t pass the first time and really want to become a commercial pilot, you must pay that $175 fee for your second retake attempt, and then a third if needed, and so on.

That’s why studying is so important. You’ll find plenty of free resources out there, but you get what you pay for (or don’t pay for, in that case).

Why settle for anything but the best when you’re spending so much to take the Part 107 exam? Droneblog has compiled the top beginner-friendly drone courses just for you.

All courses are available online, so you can learn at your leisure. The material is presented as video and text-based instruction, and you will have access to practice quizzes after the modules.

The quizzes feature questions used on past FAA exams, giving you a feel for what you’re in for.

I know you probably don’t want spend additional money right now, but your cash is going to a good cause.

You can get a full course refund and $175 to pay for your second exam attempt if you don’t pass your test after taking one of these Part 107 courses.

The pass rates for students is usually well over 95 percent, so you’re in good hands!

Show your stuff and pass the Part 107 exam

Now, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) exam.

You must be familiar with the FAA’s drone laws in full, from loading to performance, airspace classifications, pre-flight checks, factors that affect drone performance, and requesting authorization.

You’ll be put to task, answering 60 questions on the exam. They’re all presented in multiple-choice format, so bubble in the answer you believe is correct.

You will have two and a half hours to complete all the questions, so there’s no need to rush.

When you check in to the Virginia FAA Knowledge Testing Center, you will need a driver’s license or another form of government-issued photo identification.

Otherwise, there’s nothing else you need, but you can bring a math calculator or protractor if you wish.

Oh, and you can also have your phone when you check in. You’ll be presented with a locker to stash it in until you’re done with the test.

How do you pass the commercial drone exam? You need to score at least 70 percent. A higher score is fine, but all you need is that 70. That gives you some leeway, as you can get 18 answers incorrect and still pass.

IACRA will post your test results but don’t expect them to be instantaneous. You could end up waiting for several weeks at most.

Complete Form 8710-13

Okay, so there’s only one more step on the road to becoming a licensed drone pilot in Virginia, and that’s submitting FAA Form 8710-13. This form will issue a request for your license.

For now, you’ll end up with a temporary paper version of the license. The FAA will mail you the permanent version later, but they have a lot of related processing to do before that happens.

You can log into IACRA to send in a request for the temporary license. The form has prompts to guide you through.

You might need your Knowledge Test Exam ID at one point, a multi-digit code that will be in your IACRA account.

What happens after you sign and submit the form? IACRA will process your request. There’s a background check performed by TSA that also has to happen before you will hear from IACRA via email.

That email will include the downloadable, temporary Part 107 license. You finally did it, and now you have a certificate to prove it.

I have my drone license in Virginia – Now what?

Excellent job on reaching this point, but you can’t quite rest on your laurels yet. There is still so much for you to do.

For example, you should look into drone insurance. Do you need it? No, but it’s good to have it. I mean, what if you crash your drone?

Have you considered what you would do? You could end up paying thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, lawyer’s fees, and property repair costs.

Insurance will cull your spending so you don’t have to fall into financial ruin over a drone accident. That’s why it’s so important.

You should also learn Virginia’s state drone laws. For instance, the Code of Virginia 4VAC5-30-400 prevents you from flying a drone in any park throughout the state.

HB 2350 makes it illegal to use your drone for trespassing or spying on property you don’t own.

If you disobey the rules under HB 2350, it’s a Class 1 misdemeanor charge for you, including punishments of a year in prison and fines of $2,500 at most.

You also have to register your drone before you take it anywhere, paying FAA the $5 so your drone is covered for the next three years. And lastly, you need to have a recertification plan in your back pocket.

Your Remote Pilot Certificate will expire two years from the date it’s issued. The FAA wants you to stay on top of its drone laws, including new ones and changes to older ones, so you need to take a test to keep your license current.

No, not the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG), thank goodness. The FAA did away with that requirement in 2021.

Instead, it’s an online exam you can get through quickly after reviewing the modules. Oh, and did I mention this test is free?

Learn everything you need to know about license recertification here.