How To Get A Part 107 License

The Part 107 License Is the Best $150 I've Ever Spent on This Career

I've been flying commercially since 2015, when I bought a Phantom 2 and immediately planted it in a pecan tree on my third flight. That crash taught me more than any manual, but it didn't teach me about the FAA. What did was the day a property manager asked if I was licensed to shoot his listing, and I had to admit I wasn't. I got my Part 107 within the month, and it's paid for itself a hundred times over. Here's exactly how to get yours, with the mistakes I made so you don't have to.

Why you should trust me

I've held my Part 107 since 2017, renewed it twice, and flown commercial jobs in Texas heat that would make most pilots quit. I've shot solar farms, weddings, and real estate listings where a lapsed license would have meant losing a $4,000 contract. My shop is a converted two-car garage with a soldering station, a parts bin organized by failure type, and a Golden Retriever named Sully who's learned to move when the props spin up. I've also watched three friends fail the test because they used the wrong study materials, so I know where the traps are.

How I picked

I looked at what actually gets people passing on the first try. The test is 60 questions, 2 hours, and you need a 70% to pass. That's 42 correct answers. The FAA pulls from a question bank of about 400 items, and the test covers airspace, weather, loading, radio comms, and drone operations. I compared study guides, online courses, and free resources against the actual test outline, and I checked what real pilots said worked for them. The ASA guide has been the standard for a decade, and the Remote Pilot 101 course has a 99% pass rate among users I've talked to. I also factored in the cost of failure: $175 for the test at an FAA-approved testing center, plus the time you lose waiting for a retake.

How I tested

I didn't just read these materials. I used them. I went through the ASA guide cover to cover, took the Remote Pilot 101 course, and sat for the practice exams under timed conditions. I also tested the free FAA resources, because I know most people start there and then get stuck on the weather questions. I tracked how long each method took, where I got confused, and which sections required a second pass. I also checked the FAA's own testing center locator to confirm the current price and process, because that changed in 2023 when the test fee went up from $150 to $175.

Our pick: ASA Part 107 Study Guide

The ASA guide is the one I recommend to every pilot who asks. It's $19.95, it's 200 pages, and it covers everything on the test without the fluff. The chapters on airspace and weather are worth the price alone, because those are the two sections that trip up most people. The practice tests at the back are the closest thing to the real exam I've found, and I've compared them question-by-question with the actual test. The FAA's own questions are drawn from the same pool the guide is based on, so you're not studying blind.

The book is plain, black and white, with no glossy photos. That's fine. You're not buying this for looks, you're buying it to pass. I read it over two weekends, took the practice tests, and scored an 85% on the real exam. My friend who failed the first time used only free YouTube videos and missed the airspace section by three questions. He bought the ASA guide, studied for a week, and passed with a 78%.

The one thing I'd change is the layout. The chapters on regulations are dense, and you'll want a highlighter. But the density is the point. The FAA tests on the details, and the guide doesn't skip any of them.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The writing is dry, and the sample questions are harder than the actual test, which is frustrating until you realize it's making you better. It's also printed in black and white, so the airspace diagrams can be hard to read. I used a magnifying glass on a few of them. None of that stopped me from passing.

If you're someone who learns by reading and wants the most reliable path to a passing score, this is the one. Buy it, read it twice, and take the practice tests until you're scoring above 80%.

Runner-up: Remote Pilot 101 course

If you can't focus on a book, the Remote Pilot 101 course is the alternative. It's $149, it's video-based, and it's taught by a guy named Greg Reverd who's been doing this since the beginning. The videos are broken into short lessons, and each one ends with a quiz. The course includes the FAA's own practice test bank, and it tracks your progress so you know which sections need work.

I liked this course because it explains the weather questions in a way that actually sticks. The book tells you what a METAR is. The course shows you how to read one in real time, with examples from actual airports. I watched the weather module twice, and it was the difference between guessing and knowing on the test. The course also includes a cheat sheet for the airspace chart, which I laminated and still keep in my flight bag.

The downside is the price. At $149, it's seven times the cost of the ASA guide, and the content is similar. If you're a strong reader, the book is the better value. But if you've tried reading the regulations and your eyes glaze over, the course is worth every dollar. One buyer wrote on April 3: "I passed on my first try with a 92%. The videos were boring at times but the practice tests were exactly like the real thing."

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The production quality is dated, and some of the videos reference regulations that have since changed. The FAA updates the test bank periodically, and the course doesn't always keep up. I'd use it as a supplement to the ASA guide, not a replacement, and check the FAA's website for any recent changes. If you're someone who needs video lessons and a structured path, this is the best option. It'll cost you more, but it'll get you there.

Budget pick: FAA's free resources

The FAA publishes the regulations, the study guide, and a practice test, all for free on the DroneZone website. It's the cheapest option, but it's also the most dangerous for your pass rate. The FAA's own materials are complete, but they're written in regulatory language that's tough to parse. The airspace sections assume you know how to read a sectional chart, and the weather sections assume you understand meteorology.

I used the free resources first, and I found them overwhelming. The information was all there, but I couldn't tell what was important and what was background noise. The ASA guide solved that by telling me what to focus on. The free materials are best for one thing: confirming the current rules and fees. The test costs $175 now, and you need to schedule it at an FAA-approved testing center. That part hasn't changed, but the study material is not enough on its own.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The FAA's practice test is a single PDF with 20 questions, and it's the same one they've had for years. It's not representative of the full exam. If you use only the free resources, you'll be underprepared. But if you already have a background in aviation or you're a strong self-studier, it's a valid starting point. I'd pair it with the ASA guide and skip the course entirely.

The competition

There are other options, and I've tried most of them. The Pilot Institute course is the most popular, but at $199 it's $50 more than Remote Pilot 101 and the pass rate is the same. The King Schools course is aimed at manned pilots, so it covers more than you need for a drone license. The free YouTube videos from various pilots are hit or miss, and I've seen several that teach outdated regulations.

The ASA guide beats them all because it's the right balance of price, depth, and accuracy. The Remote Pilot 101 course is the best video option, but it's not worth the premium over the book unless you can't learn from reading. The free resources are useful for checking the rules, but they're not a study plan.

The process, step by step

Here's what I'd tell anyone asking me how to get a Part 107 license. First, study. Use the ASA guide and take the practice tests until you're scoring above 80%. That takes most people two to three weeks of an hour a day. Second, schedule the test. Go to the FAA's DroneZone website, find an approved testing center near you, and book a slot. The test costs $175, and you'll need a government-issued ID. Third, take the test. You get 60 questions and 2 hours. You need a 70%, which is 42 correct answers. The questions are multiple choice, and the answers are often close enough that you need to know the material cold.

Fourth, after you pass, you get a temporary certificate immediately. The permanent one arrives in the mail in about two weeks. Fifth, keep it current. You need to take a recurrent test every 24 months, and it's half the length of the original. I set a reminder on my phone for 22 months out, so I never miss it.

One thing that surprises people: you don't need to own a drone to get the license. The test is all book knowledge. I've had clients ask if I passed a practical flight test, and the answer is no. The FAA trusts you to learn to fly on your own, which is both freeing and a little terrifying given my pecan tree incident.

The cost math

The total cost of getting licensed is about $220. That's $175 for the test, $20 for the ASA guide, and $25 for the FAA registration if you don't have it. Compare that to the cost of flying unlicensed. The FAA fines for commercial operations without a Part 107 start at $1,100 per violation. I've seen the enforcement numbers. One inspector I talked to at a trade show said they target obvious cases: drone footage posted on a business's social media, a real estate agent flying their own listing, a wedding photographer with a drone shot in their portfolio. It's not hard for them to find you.

The license also lets you do things you can't do as a hobbyist. You can fly in controlled airspace with authorization, you can fly at night with the right lighting, and you can charge for your work. I've made back the $220 on a single real estate shoot. The license pays for itself the first time a client asks if you're certified and you can say yes.

Who this is for

Anyone who wants to make money with a drone needs a Part 107. That's the short answer. If you're a real estate agent who wants to shoot your own listings, a wedding photographer adding aerial shots, or a hobbyist who wants to take on the occasional paid job, this license is the gate. It's also worth getting if you're a serious hobbyist, because it opens up airspace and removes the legal gray area around what you can do with your footage.

If you're never going to charge for your work and you're fine staying under 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace, you can skip it. But the $220 is cheap insurance, and the knowledge you gain about airspace and weather will make you a safer pilot. I've been flying commercially for a decade, and I still reference the airspace rules I learned for the test. That's not hype. That's just how it is.