All aircraft registration has its expiration date. The Re-Registration and Renewal of Aircraft Registration final rule of 2010 established that aircraft registration renewal must be processed every 3 years for every single aircraft registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. Complying promptly will avoid your aircraft falling off registration so as to fly legally.
The validity period of the aircraft registration has been settled this way so the registry can be updated regularly. Back in the day, the lack of control and regulations over aircraft made the registry unreliable, as it was difficult to keep track of changes of address, transfers of ownership, and so on. This data is essential for safety, regulatory enforcement, and all levels of law enforcement.
The Three-Notifications System Of Aircraft Registration Renewal
There are a total of three instances that warn you about expiration before you need to apply for re-registration. You should get your act together as soon as possible, though you have another call.
First Notice
The Federal Aviation Administration will get in contact with you by sending a letter to the mailing address you last registered. The notice will say ‘Notice: Expiration of Aircraft Registration’, and it should arrive six months prior to aircraft registration expiration.
Once you get this letter, you know that is the right time to renew the registration. If you try to do it before, the FAA may reject it, send it back and ask you to wait a bit longer. The notice includes the expiration date as well as a file-by date.
If you are confident that the aircraft registration is close to the expiration date and still haven’t got any news from the Federal Aviation Administration in your mailbox, there might be some kind of issue with the address. Check the registry online to verify that the address is correct. It’s pretty common that if you moved one of the last things you had in mind was changing your address with the FAA registry.
Second Notice
Between three to two months before the aircraft registration expiration date, after the file-by date has passed, the Federal Aviation Administration will give you a wake-up call by sending another notice titled ‘Final Notice: Expiration of Aircraft Registration’. This is the last notice you will get before the registration definitely expires, and the last chance to apply for renewal.
Owners who filed their applications shortly before the file-by date may want to check the status of their Registration Renewal Application by contacting us. Keep in mind that applications that arrive at the Registry after the file by date have arrived late in the processing timeline. This means that the new certificate may be issued after the old certificate expires. During this interim, the aircraft would be without authority to operate and you’ll have to wait.
Third Notice
The final notice from the Federal Aviation Administration is titled ‘Aircraft Registration has EXPIRED – N-Number Pending Cancelation’. It will appear in your mailbox about a month since the expiration date has passed. Renewal is no longer available at this instance, and you will have to apply for re-registration of the aircraft. You could also lose your N-number as well.
The expired certificates cannot be extended. If your application was received before the expiration date, we will contact you to complete the renewal process. If the application was received after the expiration date, the renewal process no longer applies.
Get Your Registration Updated Today
Already notified of expiration by the FAA but not sure how to proceed? We can help. Look for the right form on our website. Our three-step application process makes it rather simple: fill in the form, submit your docs and fees, and you’re all set. We will get in touch to let you know if something’s missing and to report your renewal status.