To be in compliance with current Canadian laws, you have to register your drone. This may seem like a daunting step, but it will make your drone legal and reduce your chance of getting fined. Here’s what you need to know about your Transport Canada drone registration:
Transport Canada Drone Registration
Drones or other Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems that weigh between 250g and 25kg must be registered. If your drone weighs less than 250g, you don’t need to register it. If it weighs more than 25kg, you are required to get an SFOC (Special Operations Flight Certificate).
Step 1: Registering Your Drone
To get your Transport Canada drone registration, you will need to go to the Drone Management Portal. It should only take about 3 minutes to register your drone on the site, and you will need the following information:
- Purchase date
- Serial number, make, model, weight, and drone type
- A credit card
Step 2: Choose a Sign-in Option
You have two choices when it comes to signing into the Drone Management Portal. You can either sign in with your GCKey or your online banking login. Once you are in, you will then upload the necessary information to register your drone and pay the $5 fee.
Step 3: Mark Your Drone
After you have gotten your Transport Canada drone registration number, you will then need to add this to your drone. You can mark it in any way so that the number is visible and easy to read. If you don’t mark your drone before you fly it, you may be fined. This fine can be up to $1,000 for an individual and $5,000 for a business.
Benefits of Registering Your Drone
There are many benefits to getting a Transport Canada drone registration, including the fact that this will keep you in compliance with the law. If you don’t register it, you will be subjected to fines. Another benefit to registering is that, if you lose your drone, having it registered greatly improves your chances of getting it back.
If there is a recall from the manufacturer, and if your drone is registered, you may be able to get this information from Transport Canada. This will ensure that you are always safely operating your drone to avoid injury and other accidents.
Certification for Advanced Operations
If you are looking to use your drone for advanced operations, you must first determine if the aircraft has been approved for this function. You have the option of registering your aircraft when you receive it, but you won’t be able to use it for advanced operations until Transport Canada receives a safety declaration from the manufacturer. Until that occurs, you can only use your drone for basic operations.
Other Registration Information
If you lose your drone or it gets damaged beyond repair, you’ll need to de-register your drone. If you sell your drone or transfer it to another owner, you must also de-register it. All of these steps can be accomplished in the Drone Management Portal.
For transfer of ownership, you don’t have to remove the registration number. The new owner will use this to place the drone under their name. They will also need to pay the $5 registration fee.
Drone Certification
When you get a Transport Canada drone registration for a drone that falls into the proper weight categories, this gives you the ability to use them for basic flight. If you need to get certification because of weight or to use the drone for business purposes, this will require obtaining a certification.
To get this certification, call Drone Pilot Training and see how to sign up for classes. They can also give you information on drone registration and inform you of the most current rules and regulations.
