Do you need a license to fly a drone for real estate photos?
Yes, if the flight is for work or pay. The rule is 14 CFR 107.12: "no person may act as a remote pilot in command unless that person has a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating." The FAA page says: "To qualify under Part 107, you must register your drone and hold a Remote Pilot Certificate." A real estate shoot paid for by a seller or an agent is a commercial flight.
The FAA calls the credential a Remote Pilot Certificate. People call it a Part 107 license or a drone license. It is not a pilot's license for airplanes.
If you hire a pilot, you are not the one who needs it. The pilot does. But a client who hires an uncertified pilot can end up with files nobody should use and no insurance behind the flight.
Part 107 versus TRUST for recreational flyers
| Part 107 remote pilot | Recreational flyer (TRUST) | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | Paid or business flying, such as a listing shoot | Flying for fun only |
| What it takes | Pass the knowledge test, apply through IACRA, security check | Pass the free Recreational UAS Safety Test before the first flight, and register the drone |
| Airspace | LAANC near-real-time and further coordination requests | LAANC near-real-time only |
The FAA says to operate as a recreational flyer you "must register your drone and take the Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) before your first flight," and the recreational rules do not cover paid photography. Whether a one-time photo of your own house for sale counts as recreational is a gray area we did not verify. For anything you pay someone to do, expect a Part 107 pilot.
How a pilot gets the certificate
The FAA's page on becoming a pilot lists the steps. A new pilot must:
- Be at least 16 years old and able to read, speak, write and understand English.
- Be in a physical and mental condition to fly safely.
- Pass the "Unmanned Aircraft General - Small" knowledge test at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. The test covers regulations, airspace and weather, loading and performance, radio communication, maintenance and preflight checks and decision-making.
- Apply for the certificate in the FAA's IACRA system, using the test ID. The FAA then runs a security background check.
- Print a temporary certificate after the email arrives, then get the permanent one by mail.
Test cost. A training company reports the knowledge test costs $175 per attempt, paid to the testing center, and says the FAA application, security check and certificate card are free. We could not find the fee on an FAA page, so confirm it when you schedule.
To keep the certificate current, the pilot must complete online recurrent training or pass a test within the previous 24 calendar months (14 CFR 107.65). The pilot must also have the certificate and an ID on hand and show them to the FAA, police or the NTSB on request (14 CFR 107.7).
How to check a pilot's certificate
Start by asking for a copy of the remote pilot certificate and a photo ID that matches. The FAA says a certificate holder must be able to show it on request, so a real pilot will have it.
The FAA Airmen Inquiry lets you search airmen by name or by name and certificate number. We could not confirm from that page whether every remote pilot appears in it, so do not treat a missing listing as proof either way. The certificate itself is the main check.
Also ask for the certificate's issue date and whether the pilot has completed the 24-month recurrent training. Training taken before April 6, 2021 does not count for the operations-over-people rule, according to the FAA.
Insurance and Remote ID
Insurance. We found no insurance requirement in Part 107 itself, so insurance is a business and client expectation, not an FAA one. Massachusetts pilots often advertise liability coverage; for example, Flyover Creative lists "$1M insured" and Aerius View says its operators carry at least $1 million in general liability. Ask for a certificate of insurance and check that it lists drone work and is current.
Remote ID. Since September 16, 2023, drones must broadcast Remote ID unless an exception applies (14 CFR 89.105). A Part 107 pilot registers each device separately, and the FAA Remote ID page says each device gets its own registration number.
Airspace. In most of the towns north of Boston the pilot also needs authorization before flying. See our Logan airspace guide.
What to ask a pilot
- Please send a copy of your FAA remote pilot certificate.
- When did you last complete recurrent training?
- Is the drone registered and Remote ID compliant?
- Can I get a certificate of insurance that covers this job?
- How will you check airspace and get authorization at my address?
Pilots who meet this bar are the norm for listing work here, and their cost is already in the typical $250 to $900 draft range on our cost guide.