A Part 107 waiver is an FAA certificate that lets you fly outside specific Part 107 rules, such as beyond visual line of sight, over people or above 400 feet, when you show the operation can still be conducted safely. To get one, identify the exact rules you need to deviate from, apply online through the FAA’s Aviation Safety Hub, and answer the Waiver Safety Explanation Guidelines for each rule with a clear description of your risks and mitigations. The FAA aims to decide within 90 days, so apply well before the work begins.
This guide explains how to apply for a Part 107 waiver step by step: which rules can be waived, when you need an airspace authorization instead, how the new Aviation Safety Hub application works, how to write a safety explanation the FAA can evaluate and what to do once a decision arrives.
What Is a Part 107 Waiver?
The FAA describes a waiver as an official document that approves certain aircraft operations outside the limitations of a regulation. Under 14 CFR 107.200, the FAA may issue a certificate of waiver if it finds that a proposed small UAS operation can be conducted safely under the waiver’s terms. The request must contain a complete description of the operation and a justification that establishes it can be flown safely, and the FAA may add limitations it considers necessary.
A waiver does not replace your Remote Pilot Certificate or the rest of Part 107. You may deviate only to the extent the certificate of waiver specifies, and you must comply with every condition and limitation it contains. The FAA also notes that you do not need a waiver at all when your operation complies with every Part 107 rule as published.
Which Part 107 Rules Can Be Waived?
Only the regulations listed in 14 CFR 107.205 can be waived. Everything else in Part 107, including the certificate requirement itself, stays in force. The table below summarizes the waivable rules and the operations they usually cover.
| Rule | What it requires | Typical reason for a waiver |
|---|---|---|
| 107.25 | Limits on flying from a moving vehicle or aircraft | Operating from a moving vehicle over populated areas, or from a moving aircraft |
| 107.29(a)(2) and (b) | Anti-collision lighting at night and during civil twilight | Flying at night without lighting visible for 3 statute miles |
| 107.31 | Visual line of sight | Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) inspections, mapping or public safety work |
| 107.33 | Visual observer requirements | Using an observer without meeting every observer requirement |
| 107.35 | One aircraft per remote pilot | One pilot flying multiple aircraft |
| 107.37(a) | Yielding the right of way | Operations that cannot meet the standard right-of-way requirements |
| 107.39 | Operations over people | Flights over people that do not meet Category 1, 2, 3 or 4 |
| 107.41 | Operation in certain airspace | Normally handled through an airspace authorization instead (see below) |
| 107.51 | Speed, altitude, visibility and cloud clearance limits | Above 400 feet AGL away from structures, faster than 100 mph, or reduced visibility |
| 107.145 | Operations over moving vehicles | Flights over moving vehicles outside the category conditions |
Two limits are written into the rule: no waiver of 107.25 or 107.31 will be issued to allow carrying another person’s property by aircraft for compensation or hire. For a closer look at the category system before you request a 107.39 or 107.145 waiver, see our guide to drone operations over people.
You Probably Do Not Need a Night Waiver
Since April 2021, Section 107.29 allows night operations without a waiver if the remote pilot has completed the current knowledge test or training under 107.65 and the drone has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision. A night waiver is needed only when you cannot meet that lighting requirement. Night waivers issued before April 21, 2021 can no longer be used.
Waiver or Airspace Authorization?
Many pilots confuse the two. Flying in Class B, C or D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of a Class E surface area designated for an airport, requires ATC authorization under Section 107.41. The FAA states that Part 107 airspace authorization requests remain in FAADroneZone until further notice, while operational waivers have moved to the Aviation Safety Hub. At LAANC-enabled airports, flights at or below the UAS Facility Map altitudes are typically approved in near real time through LAANC authorization. If a job needs both, for example a night BVLOS inspection near an airport, plan for two separate approvals and list any pending authorization or waiver numbers in your application.
How to Apply for a Part 107 Waiver in the Aviation Safety Hub
According to the FAA’s July 2026 Aviation Safety Hub user guide, the Part 107 operational waiver application has five sections: Operator Information, Proposed Operation, Requested Waivers, Supporting Documentation and Safety Evaluation. Applications already submitted in FAADroneZone continue to be processed there.
Step 1: Create your account
Sign in to the Aviation Safety Hub with a Login.gov account linked to FAA MyAccess. Companies can set up an organization profile and add members, so a program manager can see every application in one dashboard.
Step 2: Describe the operator and the operation
Identify the Responsible Person for the waiver and choose the operator type. Then list each aircraft by type, make, model and quantity, enter the location with latitude and longitude, upload a map of the operating area and answer the operational questions on time of day, population level, visual line of sight, altitude, speed and the other limits. The FAA recommends a start date at least 90 days after you apply, and the end date cannot be more than 48 months after the start date.
Step 3: Check the requested waivers
Your answers automatically determine which regulations are added to the request. If the list does not match your operation, go back and correct your answers rather than requesting rules you do not need.
Step 4: Upload a CONOPS and supporting documents
A Concept of Operations (CONOPS) that describes your procedures and mitigations is recommended. The Hub can use it to generate draft safety responses, which you must review and correct. Add maps, diagrams and operating procedures as needed. Once you move to the Safety Evaluation section, you cannot return to edit earlier sections, so check everything first.
Step 5: Complete the Safety Evaluation and submit
Answer each Waiver Safety Explanation Guideline (WSEG) for the selected rules, then submit. Public safety organizations are currently limited to waivers of 107.31, 107.39 and 107.145, must upload a PSO checklist and may treat the WSEGs as optional.
How to Write a Waiver Safety Explanation the FAA Can Approve
The FAA is direct about this: if an application does not identify operational hazards and propose risk mitigation strategies, it cannot complete a safety analysis and will disapprove the request for insufficient information. Strong safety explanations usually answer the following:
- Where and how high. The exact area, maximum altitude above ground level, the airspace involved and any other airspace within 5 miles.
- What you fly over. Rural, sparsely populated, congested or restricted-access areas, and how you keep non-participants clear.
- The aircraft. Size, weight with payload, flight time, range and speed, containment methods such as geofencing or a tether, and any flight termination system.
- The crew. Minimum pilot experience, number of personnel, how pilots and observers are trained and evaluated, and how they stay current.
- Rule-specific risks. For BVLOS, how the pilot knows the aircraft’s position, how other aircraft are detected and avoided, and what happens if the command and control link is lost.
Answer only the guidelines that apply to the rules you are requesting, and make sure every answer matches your CONOPS and your standard operating procedures.
Common Reasons Waiver Applications Come Back
- Generic answers that do not describe the specific aircraft, site or crew.
- Risks named without matching mitigations, or mitigations with no procedure behind them.
- Requested rules that do not match the operation described.
- Night use requested without explaining how the added risk is mitigated; the FAA may restrict the waiver to daylight.
- Missing the response window: if the FAA sends a request for information and you do not respond within 30 days, the application is canceled and you must resubmit.
After the FAA Decides
The FAA contacts the Responsible Person through the Hub if it needs more information. A request can end as Issued, Denied or Partial Approval, in which case you may receive both a certificate of waiver and a denial letter. Brief every pilot on the waiver’s conditions before flying, because failure to follow the terms of a waiver may be treated as a violation of the rule being waived. You do not need to register a drone to apply, but it must be registered before any operation.
The FAA has also proposed a separate rule, Part 108, to make some beyond visual line of sight operations routine. The proposal was published in August 2025 and, as of October 2026, has not been issued as a final rule, so BVLOS flights under Part 107 still need a waiver or other FAA approval.
Train Your Crew for Waivered Operations
A waiver is only as good as the crew flying under it. Drone Universities has trained drone pilots since 2014, and our FAA Certified Flight Instructors help teams build the knowledge, procedures and documentation that a safety explanation depends on. We deliver corporate drone training and public safety programs on-site anywhere in the United States, and new pilots can start with in-person Part 107 test preparation. To book, request training online or call 1.818.255.0406. The FAA’s Part 107 Waivers page links to the current application and guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Part 107 waiver take?
The FAA says it will do its best to approve or disapprove requests within 90 days of submission. Processing time varies with the complexity of the request and the completeness of the first application.
How long is a Part 107 waiver good for?
The application lets you request an operating period of up to 48 months from the start date. The dates and conditions on your certificate of waiver are what apply.
Does a waiver replace my Remote Pilot Certificate?
A waiver does not replace the certificate. Every flight under Part 107, waivered or not, needs a remote pilot in command who holds a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating, so plan for the certificate and the waiver together.
What if I do not pass the Part 107 exam?
If you do not pass the FAA Part 107 exam after completing our training, we will either refund your training fee or retrain you at no additional cost.
