Hobby Drones No Longer Require Registration, Court Rules
Non-commercial drones bought in the US will no longer have to be registered with with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a decision reached this week by a federal court.
According to the court ruling, FAA’s drone regulation rules—in place for more than two years—violate a law established in 2012, which prohibits the national authority from passing rules on the operation of model aircraft.
Quoth the ruling:
The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft” . . . The FAA’s Registration Rule violates Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act.
Those flying drones for commercial uses will still need to register their aircraft with the FAA.
The FAA may appeal the decision. Alternatively, Congress could intervene by clarifying the administration’s authority on hobby aircraft.
