Ground school · Lesson 9 of 11
Remote ID and ADS-B
Area I · Regulations · 4 min read
ACS UA.I.F, UA.I.B.K28 · 14 CFR 89.105-89.125 · 14 CFR 89.205 · 14 CFR 89.305 · 14 CFR 89.315 · 14 CFR 107.53
Remote ID is a digital license plate. Your drone broadcasts who it is and where it is, and anyone nearby with a phone app can receive it. Every drone that has to be registered has to meet the rule, and under Part 107 every drone has to be registered.
Three ways to comply (§89.105)
- Standard Remote ID: built into the aircraft by the manufacturer. Most new drones have it.
- Broadcast module: a small add-on that gives an older drone Remote ID.
- Fly inside a FRIA (FAA-Recognized Identification Area) with no Remote ID at all.
What gets broadcast
| Standard Remote ID (§89.305) | Broadcast module (§89.315) | |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft identity | Serial number or session ID | Module serial number |
| Aircraft position, altitude, speed | Yes | Yes |
| Second location | Control station (where you stand) | Takeoff point |
| Emergency status | Yes | No |
| Time mark | Yes | Yes |
| Beyond visual line of sight | Allowed with a waiver | Never |
The two exam favorites: a module reports the takeoff location, not the pilot's location, and only standard Remote ID broadcasts emergency status.
- The broadcast goes out by radio straight from the aircraft. No internet or cell coverage needed.
- A standard Remote ID drone tests itself before takeoff, tells you the result, and will not take off if Remote ID is not working. It broadcasts from takeoff to shutdown.
- If the broadcast stops in flight, land as soon as practicable. That means a safe landing spot, not finishing the job.
- The serial number goes on your FAA registration: the aircraft's for standard Remote ID, the module's for a broadcast module.
FRIAs
A FRIA is a mapped area where drones without Remote ID may fly. The drone and the pilot both stay inside the boundary, and the pilot keeps the drone in sight. Only two kinds of applicant may request one: an FAA-recognized community-based organization (like a model aircraft club) or an educational institution. A commercial operator cannot.
The only other way to fly without Remote ID is an FAA authorization for aeronautical research or to show compliance with regulations (§89.120).
✈ Quick check
What does a Remote ID broadcast module report that standard Remote ID does not?
ADS-B: the manned-aircraft system
ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is how manned aircraft report themselves to air traffic control and to each other.
- ADS-B Out is a transmitter. About once a second it broadcasts the aircraft's GPS position, altitude, speed and identity. Most manned aircraft must carry it in busier airspace.
- ADS-B In is a receiver. It shows the broadcasts from nearby aircraft on a screen. Some drones have it built in to warn you about manned traffic.
§107.53: a drone may not fly with ADS-B Out in transmit mode unless the FAA authorizes it. Thousands of drones transmitting would clutter the frequencies that pilots and controllers depend on. Receiving with ADS-B In is fine.
§89.125: ADS-B Out and transponders do not count as Remote ID. Remote ID is a separate, low-power broadcast meant for people on the ground.
| Drone may use it? | Counts as Remote ID? | |
|---|---|---|
| ADS-B In (receive) | Yes | No |
| ADS-B Out (transmit) | No, unless authorized | No |
| Remote ID | Required | Yes |
✈ Quick check
May you use ADS-B Out to meet the Remote ID requirement?
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