The required FAA costs for commercial drone flying are small. The spending that surprises small businesses comes from study courses, spare batteries, insurance and the gear around the aircraft.
This guide is general information for creators and businesses in the U.S., not legal advice. Copyright, licensing and drone rules depend on the facts and change over time; check the Copyright Office, the FAA or a lawyer for your situation.
Quick notes
- The only required fees are the Part 107 knowledge test at about $175 per attempt and drone registration at $5 per drone, adding up to roughly $180.
- Recurrent training is a free FAA online course completed every 24 calendar months to stay qualified to fly under Part 107.
- Retaking the test costs another $175 plus a 14-day wait, which is why paid prep courses at roughly $147 to $299 can pay for themselves.
- One industry estimate puts typical first-year spending at $1,000 to $2,000 once the drone itself and insurance are included.
- Any flight that supports a business counts as commercial, even a free shoot, so get the certificate before the first paid or promotional flight.
Most small businesses budget for the drone and forget the paperwork. The required FAA costs are smaller than most people expect: the certificate path adds up to about $180. What pushes the first-year total toward four figures is everything around it, from study courses and spare batteries to insurance. This breakdown walks through each line item, starting with the fee you cannot avoid and ending with a sample budget you can adapt to your own plans.
The Part 107 Test: The Fee That Gets You the Certificate
If a drone flight supports your business in any way, you need an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107. The FAA’s definition of commercial is broader than most people expect. Posting footage to a monetized channel counts. Using drone photos to promote your own brand counts. Even a free flight shot for a client’s marketing counts, because the payment can be indirect. A paid real estate shoot and an unpaid favor for a friend’s listing land in the same category.
The required cost is the aeronautical knowledge test, approximately $175 per attempt, paid to PSI, the company that operates FAA-approved testing centers. Roughly 800 test center locations operate across the United States. Sixty of the exam’s multiple-choice questions count toward your score and five more are unscored. The topics run from regulations and airspace to weather, operations, and how loading and performance affect the aircraft. You get 2 hours to finish, and a score of 70% or higher passes.
A failed attempt means a 14-day wait and another $175 fee before you can sit the test again. That waiting period and that second fee are the real reason preparation matters more than the exam itself. To qualify in the first place, you must be at least 16 years old, able to read, write, speak and understand English, and in a condition to fly safely. The FAA describes the test fee as approximate rather than fixed nationwide, so confirm the amount when you book.
Careful: Flying for a business without a Part 107 certificate can lead to FAA fines that cost far more than the certificate itself. When in doubt, get certified, because a free flight that promotes a business still counts as commercial.
Registration: $5 Per Drone, Good for Three Years
Part 107 flying requires every aircraft to be on the FAA’s registry. Registration runs $5 per drone, stays valid for three years, and takes about 10 minutes online at FAA DroneZone. One detail trips up new pilots: the exception for drones under 250 grams applies to recreational flying, not to Part 107 operations. Register the aircraft even if it is light.
After you register, mark the registration number visibly on the drone before every flight and keep proof of registration with you when you fly.
If the drone belongs to your business rather than to you personally, you have two routes. Registering online under the person who runs the drone program is the fastest option and costs $5, but if that person leaves the company or changes roles, the drone has to be registered again. The paper route registers the aircraft to the company itself using an Aircraft Registration Application, AC Form 8050-1, along with a notarized affidavit verifying ownership. That option takes 2 to 3 weeks to process, still costs $5, and survives staff changes. For a business that expects to grow, the paper route is often worth the wait. Note that the person named on the registration does not need to hold the certificate; the pilot flying does need to carry proof of registration.
Staying Current: Free Training Every 24 Calendar Months
The certificate carries a 24-month currency requirement. To keep flying under Part 107, you complete the FAA’s free online recurrent training course, ALC-677, every 24 calendar months. It costs nothing. The course takes about 2 hours, and at the end you have 90 minutes to pass a short multiple-choice test of 45 questions. You can retake the test as many times as you like and review the course material while you take it.
If your currency lapses, there is no penalty and you do not have to retake the initial exam, but you are not legal to fly under Part 107 until you finish the course again. Completing it also qualifies you to fly at night if a job calls for that. Keep the certificate of completion and a photo ID with you when you fly, along with your original certificate. If you also hold a Part 61 certificate with a current flight review, you take the ALC-515 course instead, which is also free.
Study Costs: $0 to About $300
This is the line item you control. Free FAA study materials are a genuine option, and a self-studying applicant can budget only the test fee. Most pilots choose some structure, because airspace charts and regulations are where people get stuck, and because a failed attempt costs another $175 plus another trip to a testing center.
Paid prep courses sit roughly between $147 and $299. Courses on the market include one listed at $147, one at $199, one at $249 that has been shown on sale for $159, and one at $299 for individuals that drops to $249 per person for groups of 2 to 4. Prices change often, so check current listings before you decide. If a course keeps you from failing once, it has usually paid for itself.
The Drone, Batteries and Insurance: Where the Budget Actually Grows
No FAA fee covers any of this, and it is where most of the money goes. One industry estimate puts typical spending at $1,000 to $2,000 once a person adds a drone and insurance to the $180 in required fees. Aircraft prices climb with what the camera can do and how long the drone stays in the air, so think about the jobs you will actually take before buying. Our guide to cameras and gear explains what the specs mean if you are comparing models.
Batteries deserve their own line. A single battery rarely covers a real client shoot, and a battery that dies mid-job costs you a return trip. Most working pilots carry at least one spare, and batteries wear out over time, so plan to replace them.
Insurance is the item small businesses most often skip and most often regret. Ask your insurer directly whether business flights are covered and what a policy for your operation would cost. Coverage and pricing vary by insurer and by the kind of work you do, so get quotes before your first job rather than after an incident.
Ongoing Costs People Forget
Several small expenses never appear on a budget spreadsheet and show up anyway:
- Props. They are consumable. Buy spares before you need them, not after a hard landing.
- Repairs. Crashes happen, and even minor ones can mean a replacement part and grounded weeks.
- Storage. Drone video files pile up fast, and the same backup discipline you apply to other client work applies here. Our guide to protecting your work covers the 3-2-1 rule.
- Travel. Testing centers are not always nearby, and each attempt means a trip.
None of these is large on its own. Together they are the difference between the $180 certificate and a real operating budget.
A Sample First-Year Budget in Dollars
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Part 107 knowledge test | About $175 per attempt |
| Drone registration | $5 per drone, every 3 years |
| Recurrent training | $0, every 24 calendar months |
| Test prep course (optional) | $0, or roughly $147 to $299 |
| Drone and spare batteries | Varies with the aircraft and your workload |
| Insurance | Varies; get business-use quotes from insurers |
| Props, cards, storage and repairs | Varies; budget for spares and one repair |
Read the table this way: the required FAA spending is about $180. Add a mid-priced prep course and the path to legal flying runs to roughly $380. Add the aircraft, batteries and insurance, and a realistic first year for most people lands in the $1,000 to $2,000 range. If you fail the test once, add $175 and two weeks.
Before you spend any of it, make sure you understand what the rules ask of you once you are airborne. Our shooting guides cover drones alongside product photos and video, and our content for social category covers formats and shooting for feeds if the drone footage is headed to an audience online.
Related reading: Drone Rules for Photographers: Part 107, Remote ID and Where You Can Fly and What It Really Costs to Make Videos for Social Media.
FAQs
How much does it cost to get a Part 107 certificate?
The required FAA costs are about $175 for the knowledge test and $5 to register a drone, or roughly $180 total. Optional paid prep courses run from about $147 to $299, and free FAA study materials are also available.
Do I need a Part 107 certificate if I am not charging for the flight?
Yes, if the flight supports a business in any way. Posting footage to a monetized channel or shooting free photos for a client’s marketing both count as commercial use under the FAA’s rules.
How much does drone registration cost?
Registration costs $5 per drone and is valid for three years. The under-250-gram exception that applies to recreational flying does not apply to Part 107 operations, so register the aircraft even if it is light.
What happens if my recurrent training lapses?
There is no penalty, and you do not retake the initial test, but you are not legal to fly under Part 107 until you complete the free online recurrent training course.