In June 2021 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that all recreational flyers of unmanned aircraft systems (e.g., drones) must pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test and provide proof of test passage (the TRUST completion certificate) to the FAA or law enforcement upon request. As defined by the FAA, a recreational flyer is someone who operates their drone for fun or personal enjoyment purposes only. This includes operating a drone within an educational setting.

Effective June 2021, all faculty, staff, and students operating under 49 USC 44809: Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft must pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test or TRUST.

The FAA provides education and testing content to FAA Approved Test Administrators of TRUST who in turn provide the content to recreational flyers for free. The TRUST certification can be taken as a free online test through any of the approved test administrators found on the FAA TRUST webpage.

Note: Drone operations conducted entirely indoors or outdoors in a completely netted location with no means to escape into the National Airspace System (NAS) do not fall within FAA jurisdiction and do not need to operate under FAA regulations.

For more information about TRUST certification or FAA regulations for operating unmanned aircraft systems, please contact the FAA UAS support center by phone at (844)FLY-MY-UA or by email at UAShelp@FAA.gov.