There are all sorts of reasons to make a move. Maybe you’ve landed a new job in a different state, or you’re simply done with long, cold winters and are looking for year-round warm weather. Whatever necessitates your move, the excitement that comes with a new home can also bring the bureaucratic headache of updating your address of record with banks, government agencies, and utility companies. If you are a plane owner, you will also need to notify the FAA about your change of address.
Should you be lucky enough to own your own aircraft, you probably aren’t a stranger to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paperwork. You may have already submitted an initial registration or a registration renewal during your aviation career. As you can likely gather, the FAA likes to keep thorough and accurate records, and as such, they also like to know when plane owners move to a new address.
Functions of the Federal Aviation Administration
Existing in one form or another since 1938, the FAA regulates U.S. skies by establishing laws and safety practices for aviators and aircraft owners. Their mission is to keep the skies safe for passengers and pilots alike, while also maintaining a database of all aircraft housed in the U.S. So, why is it so important that they know about your change of address?
For one, it is important that the FAA is able to get in contact with you. By having an accurate, permanent address on file, they can better notify you of updated safety practices, provided they are applicable to your area. They can also inform you of upcoming seminars and events that are of particular interest to aviators such as yourself. Lastly, from time to time, the FAA may want your input. This government agency values the opinions of pilots and aircraft owners, and they often consider feedback when crafting new regulations. You may also be asked about issues happening at a more local level, including potential airport closures.
Federal Aviation Requirement 61.60 confirms that plane owners and airmen must inform the FAA of their current address. A failure to comply with this regulation can result in penalties, including suspensions and revocations of your airman certificate. One way that you can avoid having to change your address repeatedly is to establish a P.O. Box. This way, your mail can go to one consistent place, even if you change homes.
How Can You Notify the FAA of a Change of Address?
If you move, and your address of record no longer matches what the FAA has on file, you have 30 days to update them on this information. You can do this by visiting the FAA’s website, locating the correct form, and completing it in ink. You can then mail this document via the United States Postal Service to the FAA office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Of course, there is also a simpler way. At the National Aviation Center, we are a private service that specializes in helping plane owners submit their FAA documentation online. We offer a helpful, easy-to-complete web form for changing your address of record with the FAA. This online document, coupled with our SSL-encrypted web portal, allows you to submit your change of address form securely in just a matter of minutes.
Getting Your Registration Renewal, Release of Mortgage, and Other Documents
If you are in the process of moving, and you have decided to complete the process of notifying the FAA, it may be a good time to assess your other documentation needs. Maybe it is time to renew your aircraft’s registration? This must be completed every three years. The FAA will send you a heads-up notification about this in the mail six months before it comes due. If that notification letter has been collecting dust on your desk, why not request your renewal using our convenient, one-stop website? Simply take the security code from your notification document and enter it on our web form along with some other pertinent details, and you can be well on your way to having a new, current registration.
We also offer a number of other useful web forms for FAA documentation matters. Do you need to deregister an aircraft that is no longer in service? We can help you with that. Maybe you are seeking a claim of lien against a plane that you performed mechanical work on–we can help you with a simplified documentation process for that. Even if you are brand new to aircraft ownership, our web portal makes it easy for you to fill out and submit your initial registration, saving you the time it takes to print out a bunch of forms, fill them out, and then head down to the post office. No matter what your FAA paperwork needs may be, the National Aviation Center has you covered. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact one of our seasoned customer service agents today.