FAA Imposes Mandatory Registration for all Drone Owners: Is it Legal?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated that all drone owners must register all drones that they own. Newsweek reports that it took the FAA just two months to get the online drone registration program started, which is considered no minor feat considering the short turnaround time.

Since the registration plan was unveiled last October, it was met with lingering questions and concerns on how this would be enforced and whether it would be practical at all. Aviation lawyers are contending that the entire process is premised on shaky legal ground, as some believe that FAA has circumvented at least 2 laws: the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, and the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

Letting drones fly unregulated has some risks; there are 28 recent incidents which pilots deviated from their flight path in order to avoid a collision with a drone, writes Johnson City Press. There are also concerns that drones could critically damage an aircraft while in flight.

BGR writes that if a United States citizen or a legal permanent resident and own a drone that weighs between 250 grams and 55 pounds, then they are required to register on the FAA's new webpage. For all drones that have a weight of more than 55 pounds, instead of going to the new webpage, they are required to register on the Aircraft Registry page. Even if they own more than one drone, they are only required to register once.

For drone owners who are 12 years old and below, a legal representative or a guardian will have to register the drone on their behalf.

The registration fee is very affordable, the fee is only $5, and they can get a full refund if they register before midnight Eastern Time on January 20, 2016.

If a drone is caught operating illegally, a fine of no more than $27,500 could be imposed.