On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, President Trump signed into law: the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill reinstates the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone registration requirement for all drones weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds.
Drone registration provides a way to quickly identify a small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) in the event of an incident or accident involving the sUAS. Registration also provides a way for the FAA to communicate directly with drone owners to provide education on safety requirements during the pre-flight registration process.
“We welcome the reinstatement of registration rules for all small unmanned aircraft,” the FAA said. “Ownership identification helps promote safe and responsible drone operation and is a key component to full integration.”
This reinstatement goes back into effect immediately. The FAA drone registration website states that those who do not comply will be subject to civil and criminal penalties. So everyone with a hobbyist or consumer drone weighing between .55 and 55 pounds will need to get their drones registered asap. You can register by visiting the FAA drone registration website (https://registermyuas.faa.gov/).