The process of registering an aircraft in the US is simple, but its simplicity all depends on how keen to details the buyer was during the purchasing process. The buying process can become even more tedious if the deal involves a used aircraft.
The buyer must get all relevant paperwork without which it will be impossible to register. FAA aircraft registration rules also require an aircraft owner or an airman to provide their permanent mailing address on the form and the owner should ensure they have these details ready.
FAA Aircraft Registration Rules for a First Time Registration
Before beginning the registration process, the aircraft owner should ensure they read the conditions of registering for the first time. These are conditions like citizenship requirements, importation, and legal evidence of ownership.
The first step is to visit the National Aviation Center website and fill in the Initial FAA Registration form. All the information provided must be accurate because any false information can lead to imprisonment or a hefty fine.
The details required when filling the form is the aircraft owner’s full legal name, telephone contact, and valid email address. The next portion will require details of the aircraft and the first point is whether the aircraft is owned by an individual, corporate, partnership, government, or non-citizen corporation. Rules are governing each type of ownership and it’s important to get familiar with them to avoid problems in the future.
Details required for the aircraft are its N-Number, manufacturer’s name, serial number, and the aircraft model. There is another section that will require the applicant’s information. This section captures the details of every partner involved in the ownership as captured in the type of registration section.
Other details to get ready with are your permanent mailing address and these are details that the FAA can use to reach the owner anytime with ease. It starts with the street number, route to a rural address, box number, city, state, and zip.
Once through with all the above sections, the applicant signs the certification section where they certify that the information provided is true to their best knowledge
How Long Does it Take to Register an Aircraft for the First Time?
FAA aircraft registration is not a complex process and the processing time is also short. The registration form is filled in triplicate and you retain the pink copy. This copy is proving that the registration process is ongoing and soon the certificate will be ready.
With the pink copy, you can legally fly the aircraft within the USA territory for up to 90 days. The certificate should not take more than thirty days to be processed unless there are too many applications to handle. When applying on the NAC site, you can indicate you want push processing if you want your certificate’s processing to be hastened.
How Long is the Validity of the Certificate?
From the registration date, the certificate expires within three months. It will expire at the exact date and month three years later but renewal must be done before the final expiry date. Renewal is done on the same NAC site. According to FAA, renewal applications should be done at least five months before the expiration date.
This gives the FAA and its agents time to process a new certificate and deliver it in time before the current one expires. If there were errors in the previous certificate, they should be noted for correction in the renewal form. If there are any other changes like change of address or telephone contact, it should be noted for adjustment.
FAA mails a renewal notice to the owner’s permanent mailing address six months before the expiry date. Expiries are due on the last day of each month and application for renewal is due on the first day of each month.
Safely Fill your Aircraft Initial Registration Form
FAA rules require new aircraft owners to fill the initial registration form and ensure it captures every finer detail about the aircraft, owner permanent mailing address, type of ownership, and applicant details. The process is not tedious but it requires help to ensure everything is in order. We will provide you with help from filling forms, delivery, and follow-up. Call us today at 1-800-357-0893 for further information and help.