One of the appealing things about the Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro is that they are both sub-250g drones. This is great for countries that might require hobbyists to fly drones in this weight class.
In the United States, sub-250g drones are wildly popular because it means hobbyists do not need to register them. If the Mini 3/ Mini 3 Pro is being used commercially, it must be registered.
This article and the included YouTube video will serve as a step-by-step guide, going through the entire drone registration process, for both recreational flyers and commercial drone operators.
To help, we’ve identified and reviewed the best drone courses for beginners and professionals.
When to Register
As mentioned, the Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro do not need to be registered if you are flying them for recreational purposes only, as many hobbyists do.
However, there are those that choose to register their Mini drones, regardless if registration is needed or not.
Then there are those that must register the Mini 3 Pro. These are those individuals that are planning to use the Mini 3 for commercial purposes:
Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- All drones must be registered, except those that weigh 0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams) and are flown exclusively under the Exception for Recreational Flyers.
- Drones registered under part 107 may be flown for recreational purposes as well as under part 107.
- Drones registered under the Exception for Recreational Flyers cannot be flown for Part 107 operations.
In short, if the Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro is going to be flown commercially or for the furtherance of business, it will need to be registered under the umbrella of the owner’s Part 107 certificate.
» MORE: FAA Part 107 for Commercial Drone Pilots (Step-by-Step Guide)
» MORE: Can the DJI Mini 3 Pro Be Used Professionally?
How to Register the Mini 3 / Mini 3 Pro
Step 1: On a PC or Mac, open an internet browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox).
Step 2: In your web browser’s search bar, type in FAA Drone Zone and choose FAADroneZone Access – Home. You will be brought to the FAAs drone-related page.
STEP 3: On the left side of the screen you will see Register Your Drone, click on Create Account.
STEP 4: After being brought to the Create Account screen, enter all of your pertinent personal information, including a working email (as this will be used for login purposes) and a strong password for the account.
You will be sent a verification email to the email address used to create the Drone Zone account.
STEP 5: Log in to the email account you used to open your DroneZone account, then open the email from UAS.FAADroneZone@faa.gov. Click on Verify Account. You will be brought back to the FAA Drone Zone site.
STEP 6: After verification is successful, click on Back to Login.
STEP 7: Log in to the FAA Drone Zone site, using the verified account credentials you set up earlier. You’ll now be brought to the FAADroneZone Services page, where you can select various services.
STEP 8: Press +Add a Service, then select the Drone Owners and Pilots Service button. Now press the Add Service button at the bottom of the screen.
You’ll be brought back to the main FAADroneZone Services screen, with the Drone Owners and Pilots service populating your Service box.
STEP 9: Press the Launch Drone Owners and Pilots Dashboard button.
You’ll be brought to the Account Types area, where you can register your drone under either a Part 107 or Recreational Flyer account.
For Part 107 Registration
STEP 10: If you will be registering your Mini 3 or Pro under a Part 107 account, choose Set Up Part 107 account. You will be asked to fill in your Part 107 Profile.
If you are registering as a hobbyist, scroll down for the For Recreational Flying instructions.
After the Part 107 profile section is completely filled out, select Proceed to Dashboard at the bottom of the page.
STEP 11: On the Dashboard, select Manage Device Inventory on the Inventory portion of the dashboard on the left-hand side of the screen.
You’ll see your Shopping Cart and Registered Inventory are both empty.
STEP 12: Press Add Device on the upper right-hand side of the page. Here you will input all of the information for your Mini 3. After this is entered, press Add Device.
You’ll then get a message that the device has been added to your shopping cart and you’ll be brought back to your shopping cart.
STEP 13: At the Shopping Cart screen, Press Checkout.
STEP 14: On the next screen, Acknowledgement of FAA Requirements, check the small box at the bottom and hit Next.
This will send you through the steps to make your payment for the registration, which is $5 and is valid for three years.
For Recreational Flying
If you are registering as a hobbyist, choose Set Up Recreational Flyer Account.
STEP 11: Completely fill out the Recreational Flyers Profile and press Proceed to Checkout.
STEP 12: On the next screen, Acknowledgement of FAA Requirements, check the small box at the bottom and hit Next.
STEP 13: You’ll now be brought to an Inventory page. You’ll see your Inventory is empty. Press Add Device.
STEP 14: Input all of the information for your Mini 3. After this is entered, press Add Device.
You’ll receive an acknowledgment that a device has been added to your inventory.
STEP 15: Press Next while on the Inventory Page.
This will send you through the steps to make your payment for the registration, which is $5 and is valid for three years.
After these steps have been taken, whether as Part 107 or as a Recreational flyer, you can freely go into the FAADroneZone site dashboard and manage, add/or delete drones as you buy and sell them, as well as view lots of other drone-related information tied to your specific account.