The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set the effective date of March 16, 2021 for Remote ID, the rule and regulation applied to operations of any unmanned aircraft (UA) required to register a unique remote identification number to the FAADroneZone registration portal for unmanned aircraft.[1] United States Congress elected the FAA with the ability to do so as the authority of aviation safety regulation and enforcement.[2]
FAA's Remote ID along with all other federal agency rules and regulation are published first published in the Federal Register (FR) and then their respective chapters in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) when the date the final rules enactment arrives. Two types of remote ID are available to UA operators that comply with Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft, standard remote identification and remote identification modules.[2]
The Federal Register is where notices of rule-making and regulation propositions will be published on a daily basis, no weekend or holiday publication. This is a place of discourse when for public comments and response during specified stages of the rule making process. Dates the rules will become effective in the Code of Federal Regulation are published with the final rule on the proposal. Once codified, the changes to the CFR are effective.
thumb|Unofficial remote ID compliance label
The Federal Aviation Administration classifies UAS under 55 pounds as small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).[4] Small unmanned aircraft systems can operate in one of two ways never both, either a limited recreational operation or part 107 commercial operation, so long as one of the three remote identification methods are used. Standard remote identification hardware factory manufactured pre-sale is one remote identification satisfying operation. If the operator of a sUAS that is not standard remote ID can still be compliant with a remote ID module. Remote ID modules are removable and can be added to whichever UA in the operators inventory needing it.
Amendment 19 which was published as 14 CFR Part 89 Subpart C[5] September 16, 2022, outlines FAA Recognized Identification Areas (FRIA), the only airspace where limited recreational operation of unregistered sUAS can occur. Operators of sUAS were expected to comply with 14 CFR Part 89 on the day of September 16, 2023 and after. System notifications published on FAADroneZones website notifies all operators, part 107 certified and limited use recreational, that any sUAS operating outside of part 89 compliance on or after March 16, 2024 is violating enforceable code. Enforcing violation of 14 CFR Part 89 means penalties up to $25,000 can be applied and or revocation of certifications under part 61 and part 107 depending on the factors FAA will be considering when making decisions.[6]
