TRUST certificate: the Recreational UAS Safety Test for drone flying
If you fly a drone just for fun in the U.S., federal law requires you to pass TRUST, the FAA's Recreational UAS Safety Test, and to show proof when the FAA or law enforcement asks.
- Cost of the test
- $0
- Questions on the test
- 23
- Correct, before the certificate
- 100%
- FAA-approved administrators
- 16
- Minimum age
- None
What is the TRUST certificate? The law behind the Recreational UAS Safety Test
TRUST is the one test the law asks of people who fly drones for fun. It is free, online, the same FAA test at every approved administrator, and it is not a Part 107 license.
The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) is the aeronautical knowledge and safety test that federal law requires of recreational drone flyers. Congress wrote the requirement into 49 U.S.C. 44809 in 2018 (Public Law 115-254, section 349) and amended the section in 2024 (Public Law 118-63, section 928). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) writes the test content, and since June 2021 FAA-approved test administrators give it to you as an online test.
The exact rule
The operator has passed an aeronautical knowledge and safety test described in subsection (g) and maintains proof of test passage to be made available to the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(7), Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft
What it means: to fly for fun without Part 107 certification, you pass TRUST, keep the completion certificate, and show it if the FAA or law enforcement asks.
Subsection (g) says the test is given electronically, by the FAA or by someone it designates, and that it checks two things: your understanding of aeronautical safety and your knowledge of the FAA rules for flying a drone in the national airspace. The FAA's TRUST page puts the timing plainly: if you fly under the Exception for Recreational Flyers, “you must pass the test before you fly.”
Who needs to pass the TRUST: recreational drone flyers, not Part 107 flights
Everyone who flies only for fun, whatever their age. A flight for work, paid or not, follows Part 107 and needs the remote pilot certificate instead.
- Flying for fun (49 U.S.C. 44809)
Pass TRUST before you fly. The exception covers flights “strictly for recreational purposes”, which the FAA describes as flying “purely for fun or personal enjoyment”. The FAA's TRUST page: “The law requires that all recreational flyers pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test”, and TRUST is that test.
TRUST - Part 107 (14 CFR part 107)
Not TRUST: the remote pilot certificate. Flights for business, commercial or non-profit work follow Part 107, and Part 107 does not apply to “Any aircraft subject to the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 44809” (14 CFR 107.1(b)(2)). A Part 107 flight needs a remote pilot certificate, not TRUST. The FAA's advice when you are unsure which applies: “When in doubt, assume Part 107.”
Part 107 - Children
No minimum age. The FAA's answer on age: “Congress set no minimum age. All persons operating a drone under the exception for limited recreational operations are required to take and successfully pass TRUST.” The person at the controls is the one who takes the test, whatever their age.
Any age - Visitors from other countries
No citizenship or residence condition in the statute. The statute's conditions apply to “a person” flying under the exception and set no citizenship or residence condition. The FAA's page for international operators tells visitors flying for fun to read the rules for recreational flyers and to submit a Notice of Identification (NOI) in FAADroneZone. That page does not name TRUST.
Same law - Language
English only. The FAA's 2022 answers for test administrators say: “At this time, the FAA only provides TRUST content in English.”
English
How to pass the TRUST online for free
The test is free and online at any FAA-approved test administrator, and every answer can be corrected before you get the certificate.
The FAA's TRUST page gives three steps:
-
The rules in short
Understand the recreational flying rules
B4UFLY appThe FAA points to its Recreational Flyers page and its B4UFLY mobile app.
-
Test administrators
Take TRUST
Free, online“You may take the free online test through any of the FAA approved test administrators.”
-
Your certificate
Receive your certificate
Keep a copyAfter you pass, the test administrator you chose gives you a completion certificate; download, save or print it.
“All FAA-approved TRUST test administrators offer the test free.” The FAA says administrators “may not charge recreational flyers directly or indirectly to take the test”, and its operating rules name the indirect way: “(i.e. requiring membership)”. TRUST is online only: “there is no option for in-person testing”.
What the test covers
“The test consists of 23 questions” on eight topics, in the FAA's list:
- Recreational requirements
- Airspace restrictions
- Authorization for controlled airspace
- Pre-flight assessments
- Community-based organization (CBO) safety guidelines
- Visual line of sight
- Getting to know your drone
- Joining the community
Every answer can be corrected: “All test questions are correctable to 100% prior to issuing your completion certificate.” The FAA does not state how long the test takes, so this page gives no time. Its operating rules do say that an administrator who adds its own extra lessons must warn you they “may increase the time needed to complete the TRUST”.
FAA-approved test administrators
16 organizations give the same free FAA test online. Pick any one of them.
The FAA's TRUST page, last updated August 21, 2026, lists 16 FAA-approved test administrators. Each gives the same FAA test content. This is the list as we read it on November 13, 2026; the current list is on the FAA's TRUST page, under “List of FAA Approved Test Administrators”.
- Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)
- Boy Scouts of America
- Chippewa Valley Technical College
- Community College of Allegheny County – West Hills Center
- CrossFlight Sky Solutions
- Drone Trust
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU)
- HSU Foundation
- Lake Area Technical College
- Pasco-Hernando State College
- Pilot Institute
- Proctorio Incorporated
- Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
- Tactical Aviation
- UAV Coach
- University of Arizona Global Campus
The list changes: in 2022 the FAA counted 17 approved administrators. Each administrator's agreement with the FAA “is valid for 24 calendar months” and has to be renewed.
Your TRUST certificate of completion: keep it, show it on request
It shows your name, the administrator, the date and a token number. Keep it on paper or on your phone, and show it when the FAA or law enforcement asks.
The certificate of completion shows your first and last name, the test administrator's name, the date you completed the test and a token number, and the FAA's operating rules say it “serves as evidence” that you meet 44809(a)(7). The token is “a random, 15-digit alpha numeric token. The first four characters identify the test administrator.” The administrator sends the token to the FAA, and “When provided with alpha numeric token, the FAA can verify that the test was taken.”
Nobody keeps your copy for you. The FAA says: “Neither the test administrator, nor the FAA, will maintain personally identifiable information about the recreational flyer,” and “Test administrators will not keep a record of your certificate.”
The exact rule
… so long as it is readily accessible, legible, and can be presented to the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.FAA Advisory Circular 91-57D, paragraph 2.2.7.2, proof of test passage
What it means: a paper copy or a file on your phone both work, as long as you can show it when you fly.
The FAA's answers say proof may be carried “in an electronic or paper format”, and why you carry it: “It is required by law.” Who may ask: the statute says the FAA Administrator or law enforcement, and the FAA's TRUST page says “You must present a copy of your certificate if asked by law enforcement officers.”
Lost your TRUST certificate? Take the test again
Nobody keeps a copy for you, so a lost certificate means taking the free test again.
The FAA's TRUST page: “If you lose your certificate, you will need to re-take TRUST.” Test administrators keep no record of your certificate, so there is no copy to ask for; you take the free test again and get a new certificate. To avoid that, download your certificate when you pass, and keep the file and a printout or a photo of it.
Does the TRUST certificate expire?
Neither the law nor the FAA sets an end date for it; lose it and you take the test again.
- Your certificate
No expiry and no renewal for flyers in any of the documents we searched.
No end date - If you lose it
Take TRUST again for a new certificate: it is free.
Retake - The 24 months
That term is the administrators' agreement with the FAA, not your certificate.
Not yours
Neither the statute nor the FAA sets an end date. We searched 49 U.S.C. 44809, AC 91-57D, the FAA's TRUST pages, its TRUST answers and the administrators' operating rules for an expiry or a renewal, and found none for flyers. The FAA names one reason to take the test again: you lost the certificate. The only 24-month term in those documents is the administrators' own agreement with the FAA, not your certificate.
TRUST vs Part 107 certification
TRUST is for flying for fun. Every other flight needs the remote pilot certificate under Part 107, and the two do not stand in for each other.
TRUST
For flying for fun under 49 U.S.C. 44809. Free, online, 23 questions, no minimum age, and no end date set.
How to pass itPart 107 certification
For every other flight. You fly under a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating (14 CFR 107.12). To be eligible you must be at least 16 and pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test, or, if you already hold a pilot certificate for manned aircraft, complete the FAA's training (14 CFR 107.61).
Drone license guideA TRUST certificate does not let you fly for money or for work. A remote pilot certificate is not TRUST either: when a Part 107 pilot flies for fun under the recreational exception, the exception's conditions apply, TRUST among them. Part 107 itself, its knowledge test and its training are covered on our drone license guide.
Before you fly: the other rules for recreational drone flyers
Register a drone over 0.55 lb, stay at or below 400 feet, and get authorization before you fly near airports.
TRUST is one item of the FAA's list for recreational flyers. The others, in short:
- Registration
Register your drone in FAADroneZone unless it weighs 0.55 lb (249 g) or less, and carry proof of registration: the statute makes it something you show on request too (49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(8)).
Over 0.55 lb - Height
Fly at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace. How high you can fly, case by case.
400 ft - Near airports
Get prior authorization before you fly in controlled airspace near airports, through LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) or FAADroneZone, and stay at or below the authorized altitude.
Authorization
The FAA's recreational page ends the list with: “Individuals violating any of these rules, and/or operating in a dangerous manner, may be subject to FAA enforcement action.”
Can I fly here?
Once you have the certificate, check where you can fly: airspace, ceilings and temporary no-fly zones for the spot and the hour you pick.
Passed TRUST? Check your spotAdditional resources
Before you fly
The place, the height and the airspace.
Your drone
Registration, Remote ID and drones to start with.
Rules
The license for work, and every rule in one place.
Questions about the drone TRUST certificate
How long is the drone TRUST test?
It has 23 questions. The FAA does not say how long it takes, and every question can be corrected until you have it right.
Is the FAA TRUST test online?
Yes, and only online: you take it on an FAA-approved test administrator's site, and there is no option for in-person testing.
Is there a TRUST certificate app?
The FAA lists test administrators, not an app, for taking the test. Its B4UFLY mobile app appears in the FAA's steps as a place to learn the recreational rules before you take TRUST.
Is TRUST a recreational drone license?
It is a test, and its completion certificate is your proof that you passed, which the law asks you to keep. The license-like document is the Part 107 remote pilot certificate, a different thing for flights that are not just for fun.
Where do I find the drone TRUST test answers?
You do not need them: “All test questions are correctable to 100% prior to issuing your completion certificate.”
Do I take TRUST in FAA DroneZone?
No. FAADroneZone is where you register your drone. TRUST is taken on an approved test administrator's site.
Does my child need a TRUST certificate?
Yes, if your child flies the drone for fun. Congress set no minimum age, and everyone flying under the recreational exception must pass TRUST.
I have a Part 107 certificate. Do I need TRUST?
Not for Part 107 flights. If you choose to fly for fun under the recreational exception, its conditions apply to you, TRUST among them.
Does the TRUST certificate expire?
Neither the statute nor the FAA sets an end date. The FAA names one reason to take the test again: you lost the certificate.
I am visiting the U.S. Do I need TRUST?
The FAA's page for international operators tells visitors flying for fun to read the recreational rules and submit a Notice of Identification in FAADroneZone; it does not name TRUST. The statute's conditions, TRUST among them, apply to “a person” flying under the exception.
Can I fly for money with a TRUST certificate?
No. TRUST covers flying for fun only; flights for business, commercial or non-profit work follow Part 107.
Sources Named, not linked. Checked November 14, 2026.
Documents are named, not linked. Each was read on November 13, 2026, and the administrator list, the FAA pages' dates and the rule texts were read again on November 14, 2026.
Law and regulations
- 49 U.S.C. 44809, Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft: (a)(1), (a)(7), (a)(8), (b) and (g) (U.S. Code release point 119-142)
- 14 CFR 107.1, 107.12 and 107.61: who Part 107 applies to, the remote pilot certificate and its eligibility (eCFR)
FAA pages and answers
- FAA, The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST): the three steps and the list of approved test administrators
- FAA, TRUST for Industry: the first administrators (June 2021) and online-only testing
- FAA FAQs on TRUST: what TRUST is, the minimum age, what the test covers, fees, proof of passage, verifying a test, why to carry proof
- FAA, Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations: the recreational rules list
- FAA, International UAS Operators in the United States: flying for fun as a visitor
- FAA, What Kind of Drone Flyer Are You?: recreational or Part 107
FAA documents
- FAA Advisory Circular 91-57D (June 24, 2025), Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft: paragraph 2.2.7
- FAA, TRUST Test Administrator Operating Rules (June 2022): fees, the completion certificate, supplemental content, agreements
- FAA, TRUST Test Administrator FAQ (2022): the number of administrators then, English only
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