Penalties And Fines Can Now Be Imposed By The FAA

The FAA's February 19th deadline for UAV owners to register their aircraft with the federal government has come and gone, and the FAA says 368,472 unmanned aircraft were added to its hastily-crafted database before the deadline.

Now, operators of unregistered drones face hefty fines and even the possibility of prison time. The law which created the registry set civil penalties of up to $27,000 and criminal fines of up to $250,000. Conviction on a criminal offense could land a drone operator in federal prison for three years.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta has said that the purpose of the registration database and the law is not to harass drone operators, assess fines and throw people in jail. It is intended, he has said in the past, to give authorities access to information about the operators of unmanned aircraft that may have committed a violation.

The Hill reports that Huerta says he is "encouraged" by the response to the drone registration rules. In a speech at a recent UAV policy summit, Huerta said "The speed with which we were able to roll this out is a testament to the invaluable input we received from the diverse task force of stakeholders we brought together to work on this issue. It’s proof that when government and industry partner, we can innovate, cut through red tape, and use technology to tackle emerging risks."

UAV owners have complained that the $5 registration fee amounts to a "Drone Tax." The fee was waived for those who registered their aircraft early on. And the question as to whether the FAA actually had the authority to require drone operators to register is still the subject of two lawsuits; one brought by an individual attorney in Maryland and the other by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).

(Image from file)

FMI: UAV Registry FAQ