Remote ID

Remote ID is a regulation of the US Federal Aviation Administration that requires registered drones (unmanned aircraft systems or UAS) to broadcast certain identifying and location information during flight, akin to a digital license plate for drones.^[1] Remote ID regulations are codified in Part 89 the Code of Federal Regulations.

Two types of Remote ID are available: standard remote identification, and remote identification modules.^[2] FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs) are defined geographic areas where drones can be flown if they don't have Remote ID equipment.^[3]

Remote ID information is meant to be broadcast to the public and readable by smart phones and similar devices.^[1] ASTM Open Drone ID is a commonly implemented standard that defines broadcasts over Wi-Fi for longer ranges and Bluetooth for shorter ranges.

The FAA classifies drones under 55 pounds as small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).^[4] These systems can operate either as limited recreational operations under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 or under Part 107 with more stringent requirements.^[5]

Remote ID compliance with one of the three methods is required. Standard remote identification hardware, which is factory-installed before sale, is one such method. Operators without standard hardware can still comply by using removable remote ID modules, which can be added to any UAS as needed. The third option is a FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA) where drones can be flown without any remote ID equipment.

FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs) are defined geographic areas where drones can be flown if they don't have Remote ID equipment.^[6][3]

Remote ID information is meant to be broadcast to the public and readable by smart phones and similar devices.^[1] The ASTM F3411 standard for very-low-level UAS specifies Open Drone ID broadcasts with common consumer electronics:^[7]

• Wi-Fi for longer range messages, either in beacon frames or public action frames on channels 6 and 149.^[8][9] Wi-Fi Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN, Wi-Fi Aware) service discovery frames are NAN-specific IEEE 802.11 public action frames.^[10]
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for short range messages. BLE advertising packets are transmitted on channels 37, 38, and 39.

Open Drone ID defines an application layer, including messages for identifiers, location, altitude, direction, speed, and other information.^[7][8] Libraries such as the Open Drone ID Core C Library provide application programming interfaces (APIs) for applications.^[9][11] Product developers can then focus on things like design and other aspects of the drone.

The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 called on the FAA to create a system to regulate the operation of small civil (i.e. nongovernmental) drones to integrate them into the National Airspace System.^[12][1][13] The FAA then promulgated a comprehensive set of regulations for routine use of small, unmanned aircraft in 2016.^[14][1] The FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 directed the FAA to develop the capacity to remotely locate drones in flight and contact their operators as needed to ensure regulatory compliance.^[15][1] In the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, Congress made clear that recreational sUAS are generally subject to the same rules regarding registration and marking, remote identification, and "maintaining the safety and security of the national airspace system" as applied to other unmanned aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems.^[1]

The final rule was published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2021.^[16] The effective date of the rule was March 16, 2021, with exception of amendatory instruction 19, while subpart C to Part 89 was effective September 16, 2022. Operators of sUAS were required to be in compliance by 16 September 2023 and the FAA ended its discretionary enforcement period 16 March 2024.^[17]

RaceDayQuads v. FAA, also known as Brennan v. Dickson, was a 2022 United States court case heard in the DC Federal Court of Appeals in which the online store RaceDayQuads attempted to challenge the constitutionality and legality of the Federal Aviation Administration's remote ID ruling and decision to require that all unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in US airspace to continuously transmit the location of both the drone and its operator during all operations.^[18] The suit, filed by RaceDayQuads owner and CEO Tyler Brennan, was intended to "save the drone industry", including drone racing by using "FPV drones".^[19][20] The suit ultimately failed at the DC Appeals Court, which in an opinion written by federal judge Cornelia Pillard sided with the FAA's arguments.

• Remote ID webpage of the FAA
  • Map of FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs)
• FAADroneZone website of the FAA
  • UAS Data Delivery System
• Part 89—Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft in the CFR
• Part 107—Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the CFR