Part 107 Recurrent Training: What You Need to Know in 2026

Your Remote Pilot Certificate never expires. But your currency does, and the two are very different things.

A remote pilot who has not completed recurrent training in more than 24 months still holds a valid certificate but cannot legally exercise its privileges. Understanding this distinction is itself a testable topic on the Part 107 exam.

What is the 24-month rule?

Under 14 CFR § 107.65, you must complete recurrent training every 24 calendar months to stay current. That can be either an approved online training course or a proctored recurrent knowledge test.

The 24 months counts from the date you passed your initial test, or from your last recurrent completion if you have already done one.

The test asks this as "24 calendar months." Not "2 years." Not "24 months from your certificate issue date." Not "annually." Calendar months, counted from your last qualifying event.

What changed in April 2021?

Before April 2021, recurrent training meant a proctored knowledge test at an approved testing center. It cost money and required scheduling.

The FAA updated the rules to allow completion of a free online training course as an alternative. The course is at FAASafety.gov (the FAA Safety Team site) and takes a few hours.

You can still take the proctored test if you prefer, but almost no one does. The online course satisfies the 24-month requirement.

How do I complete Part 107 recurrent training?

• Go to FAASafety.gov and create a free account (or log in if you already have one).
• Search for "UAS" or "Part 107" in the course catalog.
• Complete the online recurrent training course. It covers regulatory updates, airspace changes, and safety topics. You can pause and resume.
• Save your completion certificate. The FAA does not automatically update your currency status, so keep the document as proof.
• If you prefer the proctored test, book at faa.psiexams.com the same way you booked your initial test. The recurrent test fee applies.

What counts as "current" under Part 107?

You are current if, within the last 24 calendar months, you have done one of three things:

• Passed the initial Part 107 knowledge test.
• Passed a recurrent knowledge test at a PSI testing center.
• Completed an FAA-approved recurrent training course.

Your certificate itself shows no currency status. There is no stamp, no sticker, no updated date. The FAA trusts you to self-track. Your FAASafety.gov completion record and any test reports are your documentation.

What happens if my Part 107 currency lapses?

If your currency lapses, you cannot legally act as remote pilot in command for Part 107 commercial operations. Your certificate is still valid. You have not lost anything permanently.

You simply cannot exercise the privileges until you restore currency.

To restore currency: complete the online recurrent training course at FAASafety.gov or pass the recurrent test. That is it. No reapplication, no FAA form, no waiting period. Complete the training and you are current again from that date.

How is recurrent training different from the initial test?

The initial Part 107 knowledge test is 60 questions at a PSI testing center, costs $175, and requires 70 percent to pass.

The recurrent online course is free, self-paced, and completion-based. There is no minimum score, just completion.

The recurrent proctored test is similar in format to the initial test but is typically shorter and focused on regulatory updates since you last tested.

The online course covers any regulatory changes since your initial test. The Part 107 rules have been updated several times since 2016 (night operations, over-people categories, Remote ID requirements). The recurrent course is how the FAA keeps the pilot population current on those changes.

What about Remote ID in recurrent training?

Remote ID became fully effective in March 2024. It is the requirement for drones to broadcast identification and location data. If you were certificated before then, your recurrent training will cover it.

Remote ID is now a tested topic on both the initial and recurrent exams.

Your drone must broadcast Standard Remote ID, or you must operate within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA). If your Remote ID module fails during flight, the correct action is to land as soon as practicable.