After the exam: applying via IACRA and staying current
The short version
- Passing the exam does NOT make you a remote pilot. You must submit an application in IACRA afterwards.
- Timeline - temporary certificate in IACRA after 5-7 days (valid 120 days), permanent card in the mail in 30-40 days.
- Currency is every 24 CALENDAR MONTHS via FREE online RECURRENT TRAINING at FAAsafety.gov. The recurrent TEST was abolished on 1 March 2021.
- The currency clock starts from your KNOWLEDGE TEST date, not the date printed on your certificate - they differ by roughly a month.
- The certificate itself NEVER expires. Only your currency lapses, and it can be restored at any time with no time limit and no re-examination.
The concepts
Applying in IACRA 0:00:00
The FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, where you convert a passed knowledge test into a certificate.
You already have an IACRA account from scheduling the exam.
Path - log in, accept terms, choose APPLICANT, Start New Application, Pilot, then REMOTE PILOT INITIAL.
Sections - personal information, supplementary data (English proficiency, drug convictions), basis of issuance, then review and submit.
Basis of issuance is COMPLETION OF A KNOWLEDGE TEST - not 'completion of a training course'. The Pilot Institute course does NOT qualify as a training course for this purpose.
Enter your airman identification (driver's licence, passport, or state ID under "other") and your knowledge test exam ID.
If the exam ID is not found, the result has not propagated yet - wait a few hours.
You must OPEN the Pilot's Bill of Rights and Privacy Act notices before the submit button appears.
"Have you ever been denied a certificate?" is answered NO even if you previously FAILED the exam.
Because you pass the exam doesn't mean that you're remote pilot just yet.0:00:00
Temporary and permanent certificates 0:00:00
A temporary certificate is issued electronically, followed by the permanent card by post.
Temporary appears in IACRA after about 5-7 days and is valid 120 DAYS. Download and print it - you may operate on it.
Permanent card arrives in 30-40 days.
The temporary shows PENDING instead of a certificate number. That is normal - enter 'pending' where apps demand a number.
Your permanent number is assigned in IACRA a couple of days before the card ships.
After the exam, the ACS lets you decode the topic codes on your results report to see exactly which subject areas you missed.
Staying current 0:06:54
Every 24 CALENDAR MONTHS you must complete free online recurrent training at FAAsafety.gov. The recurrent knowledge TEST was eliminated effective 1 March 2021.
The clock runs from your KNOWLEDGE TEST date (or your last recurrent training), NOT from the date on the certificate.
Calendar months means it runs to the END of the month - a 15 September 2021 test gives currency until 30 September 2023.
The training is FREE and produces a completion certificate. Print it, save a PDF to your phone, and be able to show it to the FAA.
No new certificate is issued and no IACRA resubmission is needed.
THREE SEPARATE FAA SYSTEMS with separate accounts - IACRA (applications), FAADroneZone (registration and waivers), FAAsafety.gov (training).
If currency lapses you may not exercise Part 107 privileges - only recreational flight - but the certificate itself never expires.
There is NO time limit on regaining currency; take the training whenever, with no re-examination and no further fee.
Flying non-current shifts full liability to you - it is the first thing an insurer will ask for - and can attract an FAA fine.
You don't want to use the number on your certificate. You really want to use the number that is on your written exam.0:06:54
Every concept, three clicks deep
The same concepts as a quick reference: the closed row is the glance, open is the study card, and every timestamp jumps into the recording.
01Applying in IACRAThe FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, where you convert a passed knowledge test…0:00:00›
The FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, where you convert a passed knowledge test into a certificate.
You already have an IACRA account from scheduling the exam.
Path - log in, accept terms, choose APPLICANT, Start New Application, Pilot, then REMOTE PILOT INITIAL.
Sections - personal information, supplementary data (English proficiency, drug convictions), basis of issuance, then review and submit.
Basis of issuance is COMPLETION OF A KNOWLEDGE TEST - not 'completion of a training course'. The Pilot Institute course does NOT qualify as a training course for this purpose.
Enter your airman identification (driver's licence, passport, or state ID under "other") and your knowledge test exam ID.
If the exam ID is not found, the result has not propagated yet - wait a few hours.
You must OPEN the Pilot's Bill of Rights and Privacy Act notices before the submit button appears.
"Have you ever been denied a certificate?" is answered NO even if you previously FAILED the exam.
02Temporary and permanent certificatesA temporary certificate is issued electronically, followed by the permanent card by post.0:00:00›
A temporary certificate is issued electronically, followed by the permanent card by post.
Temporary appears in IACRA after about 5-7 days and is valid 120 DAYS. Download and print it - you may operate on it.
Permanent card arrives in 30-40 days.
The temporary shows PENDING instead of a certificate number. That is normal - enter 'pending' where apps demand a number.
Your permanent number is assigned in IACRA a couple of days before the card ships.
After the exam, the ACS lets you decode the topic codes on your results report to see exactly which subject areas you missed.
03Staying currentEvery 24 CALENDAR MONTHS you must complete free online recurrent training at FAAsafety.gov.0:06:54›
Every 24 CALENDAR MONTHS you must complete free online recurrent training at FAAsafety.gov. The recurrent knowledge TEST was eliminated effective 1 March 2021.
The clock runs from your KNOWLEDGE TEST date (or your last recurrent training), NOT from the date on the certificate.
Calendar months means it runs to the END of the month - a 15 September 2021 test gives currency until 30 September 2023.
The training is FREE and produces a completion certificate. Print it, save a PDF to your phone, and be able to show it to the FAA.
No new certificate is issued and no IACRA resubmission is needed.
THREE SEPARATE FAA SYSTEMS with separate accounts - IACRA (applications), FAADroneZone (registration and waivers), FAAsafety.gov (training).
If currency lapses you may not exercise Part 107 privileges - only recreational flight - but the certificate itself never expires.
There is NO time limit on regaining currency; take the training whenever, with no re-examination and no further fee.
Flying non-current shifts full liability to you - it is the first thing an insurer will ask for - and can attract an FAA fine.
Tools referenced
| Tool | Coverage | Moment | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| IACRA (iacra.faa.gov) | demonstrated | 0:00:00 | Certificate application after passing the knowledge test. |
| FAADroneZone | demonstrated | 0:00:00 | Aircraft registration, waivers and authorizations - a THIRD, separate account. |
| FAAsafety.gov | explained | 0:00:00 | Free recurrent training every 24 calendar months. |
| Airman Certification Standards | mentioned | 0:00:00 | Decoding the topic codes on your exam results report. |
Action items
Resources mentioned
- docAudio review - staying current is covered in the Regulation audio (MP3) 2:35:41
Extraction notes
This page was built from an auto-generated transcript, which garbles product and people's names. Those were corrected silently in everything above and logged here for transparency. The warnings flag claims that were true on the recording day but change fast.
Transcript corrections applied
| The transcript says | The trainer actually means |
|---|---|
| FA / EFA | FAA |
| iACRA / IACRA | IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application) |
| FASafety.gov / faasafety.gov | FAASafety.gov |
| a small, I mean, aircraft system | small unmanned aircraft system |
| your investment here is $160 for the exam | the knowledge test fee as of recording |
True on recording day — verify before relying
- The exam costs $160. - STATUS: OUTDATED. FAA knowledge test fees have risen. Check the current fee with the testing provider.
- Temporary certificate in 5-7 days, permanent in 30-40 days. - STATUS: POINT-IN-TIME processing estimates. Directionally useful; actual times vary.
- Recurrent TEST eliminated 1 March 2021, replaced by free online training every 24 calendar months. - STATUS: CURRENT as taught. Verify against the present rule before relying on it.
- The IACRA screen flow and field names. - STATUS: UI CHANGES. The sequence is stable in substance but screens are revised; expect differences.