Part 107 by the Numbers: FAA Drone Data
481,760 certificated remote pilots, 1.2 million TRUST certificates, 837,513 registered drones. What the FAA's own numbers say about Part 107 in 2026.
The FAA counts 481,760 certificated remote pilots, according to its Drones by the Numbers page as of November 2025. That is fewer than half the 1,226,168 TRUST certificates issued to recreational flyers over the same period. Registered drones total 837,513, and slightly more of them are registered for commercial use than for recreation. Here is what those numbers say, and what they do not.
What does the FAA report?
All figures come from the FAA's Drones by the Numbers page, dated November 2025.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Certificated remote pilots (Part 107) | 481,760 |
| TRUST certificates issued | 1,226,168 |
| Total drones registered | 837,513 |
| Commercial drone registrations | 453,635 |
| Recreational flyer registrations | 371,334 |
| Paper registrations | 12,544 |
2.5 to 1
TRUST certificates issued for every certificated remote pilot
What stands out?
Recreational flyers far outnumber certificated pilots. About 2.5 TRUST certificates have been issued for every remote pilot certificate. TRUST only covers flights for personal enjoyment, so every recreational flyer who starts doing paid work, flying for a business or volunteering for an organization needs Part 107 first. The Part 107 or recreational quiz sorts out which side a flight falls on.
Commercial registrations exceed recreational ones. 453,635 commercial registrations against 371,334 recreational flyer registrations. The two are not directly comparable: a commercial registration is per aircraft, while a recreational flyer registration covers all of one person's recreational drones.
Not every certificate is current. The 481,760 figure counts certificates issued. To act as remote pilot in command you also need to be current under §107.65: the initial test or recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months. The FAA page does not say how many certificate holders are current.
These are FAA totals as published. We have not adjusted them, and the FAA page gives no breakdown by state, age or industry.
What do the numbers mean for someone studying now?
The certificate is common, but it is still a real exam: 60 questions in two hours, 70% to pass, with Regulations now 48% of the test under the blueprint in effect since September 29, 2025. The exam mistakes post breaks the blueprint down, and the knowledge-not-flying post explains what the certificate proves and what it does not.
Where can you check the numbers yourself?
On the FAA's Drones by the Numbers page, which the FAA updates periodically. If the figures there change, the ratios above change with them.
What this means for the exam
Statistics are not tested. What the counts highlight is tested: the line between recreational and Part 107 flying, and the 24-month recency rule. The ten real scenarios post covers the first; the eligibility and recency post covers the second.
Test results are a separate FAA dataset; the Part 107 pass rate post breaks them down.
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