Who is in charge
In the United States the Federal Aviation Administration regulates flight operations and the airspace, from the ground up. The FCC regulates the radio spectrum your control and video links use. States, cities and land managers cannot regulate the airspace, but they can and do regulate land use — where you take off and land, privacy, and trespass. The National Park Service, for example, generally prohibits launching or landing drones on park land without a permit, which is a land rule rather than an airspace rule.
Everything below is an introduction. Rules change. Verify against the FAA's official site and the current text of 14 CFR Part 107 before any operation. This course is not accredited and is not an FAA credential.
Recreational flying and TRUST
If you fly strictly for fun, you fly under the exception for limited recreational operations. That requires passing TRUST — The Recreational UAS Safety Test — which is free, cannot be failed, and produces a completion certificate you must be able to show when flying. You also fly within the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized community-based organization, keep the aircraft in visual line of sight, stay under 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace, get authorization before flying in controlled airspace, and never interfere with crewed aircraft.
Purpose of flight decides which rule set applies. If the flight furthers a business in any way — selling the photos, promoting a product, inspecting a client's roof — it is not recreational, and Part 107 applies.
Registration and Remote ID
Aircraft weighing 0.55 pounds (250 grams) or more must be registered with the FAA, and every aircraft flown under Part 107 must be registered regardless of weight. The registration number has to be readable on the exterior of the aircraft without tools.
Remote ID is a broadcast identification message — think digital license plate. A standard Remote ID drone broadcasts its identity, its location and altitude, the control station location, and a time mark, while in flight. Older aircraft can comply by attaching a Remote ID broadcast module, or by flying only at an FAA-Recognized Identification Area, which are fixed sites established mostly through community organizations and schools.
The Part 107 certificate
The Remote Pilot Certificate is what lets you fly non-recreationally. You must be at least 16, able to read, speak, write and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly safely. You get an FAA Tracking Number through IACRA, then take a 60-question knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center; 70 percent passes. A large share of the exam is sectional chart reading and airspace classification. Existing Part 61 pilots with a current flight review can instead complete a free online course.
Privileges stay current by completing free online recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months. You must have your certificate available and present it on request to the FAA, NTSB, TSA, or any federal, state or local law enforcement officer.
The operating limits
Under Part 107 the aircraft must weigh under 55 pounds at takeoff including everything on board. Maximum altitude is 400 feet above ground level, or up to 400 feet above a structure when flying within 400 feet of it. Maximum groundspeed is 87 knots, about 100 mph. You need at least 3 statute miles of visibility from the control station and must stay 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds. One remote pilot may operate only one aircraft at a time.
You must keep the aircraft in visual line of sight. Goggles do not satisfy that, so FPV work uses a visual observer in direct communication with the pilot. You always yield right of way to every other aircraft. Night flight is permitted with updated training and anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles. Operations over people and over moving vehicles are permitted only under the specific Category 1 through 4 conditions or a waiver. No flying within 8 hours of alcohol or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or higher, and no careless or reckless operation.
Airspace, authorization, and staying out of trouble
Class G is uncontrolled and needs no authorization. Class B, C, D and surface-area Class E all require prior FAA authorization, normally obtained in near real time through LAANC via an approved provider, or through FAA DroneZone for anything above the published UAS Facility Map grid altitude. A grid value of zero means no automatic approval there. Check B4UFLY or a comparable app before flying somewhere new.
Check for temporary flight restrictions every time. TFRs appear over wildfires, disaster response, VIP movement, and major sporting events — the stadium TFR bans drone flight within 3 nautical miles from one hour before to one hour after events at large stadiums. Never fly near a wildfire: if you fly, they cannot, and the firefighting aircraft get grounded. Washington, DC sits inside a Special Flight Rules Area where drone flight is effectively prohibited within 15 miles of DCA.
Preflight, waivers, and accident reporting
Before every flight the remote pilot in command must assess the operating environment — local hazards, airspace, weather, people, power supplies — and inspect the aircraft and control links to confirm it is in condition for safe operation. The RPIC holds final authority and responsibility for the flight.
Most Part 107 operating rules can be waived if you show the FAA the operation can be conducted safely under the terms of a certificate of waiver; apply through DroneZone. Some things cannot be waived, including the prohibition on carrying hazardous materials and the registration and certification requirements. An accident must be reported to the FAA within 10 days if it causes serious injury, loss of consciousness, or at least $500 of damage to property other than the aircraft itself.