Do Farmers Need a Part 107 Drone License? Scouting, Mapping and Spraying Explained

If a drone helps you make money on the farm, the FAA calls it a commercial flight. Here is exactly what that means for scouting, mapping, checking livestock and running a spray drone.

Recreational vs. commercial: where the line is on a farm

The FAA does not care whether you were paid. It cares whether the flight served a business purpose. Flying over your own quarter to check for drown-outs, counting cattle in a far pasture, looking for a plugged tile line, filming a field day for your seed dealer or taking stand counts for your agronomist are all business flights. Under 14 CFR Part 107, the person at the controls needs a Remote Pilot Certificate.

The only exception is flying purely for fun under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations (you still need the free TRUST safety test). The moment the footage or data helps a farming decision, you are back under Part 107.

Path 1: Scouting, mapping and livestock drones (under 55 lb)

This covers the vast majority of drones on farms: DJI Mavic and Air series, Autel EVO, Skydio, Parrot and most fixed-wing mapping aircraft. The requirements are short.

1. Pass the FAA Part 107 knowledge test (60 questions, 70% to pass, $175 at a PSI testing center). How to schedule the test.
2. Apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate in IACRA. A temporary certificate arrives within days.
3. Register the drone at FAADroneZone ($5 for three years) and label it with the registration number. Registration and labeling requirements.
4. Fly day or night under the standard Part 107 rules. At night and in civil twilight, your drone needs anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles. Stay under 400 ft AGL, stay within visual line of sight, stay under 100 mph, and get LAANC authorization if you are inside controlled airspace near a towered airport.
5. Complete free online recurrent training every 24 months. How recurrent training works.

Path 2: Spray and spreader drones

Dispensing any substance from an aircraft, including fertilizer, cover crop seed, fungicide, herbicide or even water, is regulated under 14 CFR Part 137, the same rule that covers crop-dusting airplanes and helicopters. Drones are not exempt from it. There are two tracks depending on takeoff weight.

Spray drones under 55 lb

• Operate under Part 107, so the pilot needs a Remote Pilot Certificate
• Obtain an FAA exemption from 14 CFR 107.36 (carriage of hazardous materials) and from several Part 137 sections written for crewed aircraft
• Register the aircraft at FAADroneZone to receive an FA number
• Apply for a Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate using FAA Form 8710-3 once the exemption is granted

Spray drones 55 lb or more (most DJI Agras, Hylio, XAG and similar models when loaded)

• Operate under 14 CFR Parts 91 and 137 rather than Part 107
• Register the aircraft with an N-number through the FAA Civil Aviation Registry
• Obtain an exemption under 49 U.S.C. 44807 from portions of Parts 61, 91 and 137
• Apply for the Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate after the exemption is approved
• The FAA's standard exemption conditions for these aircraft require the pilot in command to hold a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, so the Part 107 test remains the first step

The FAA asks for exemption petitions at least 120 days before you plan to operate, and the docket process regularly takes longer than that. If you want to spray next season, start the paperwork this winter. Many spray drone dealers will help file the petition and can point you to exemptions already granted for the same aircraft model. Looking at a spray drone for your operation? See spray drone options and financing.

What is on the Part 107 test that matters for ag

The test is the same for every remote pilot, but several sections map directly onto farm flying:

• Airspace and sectional charts. Reading the chart around a small rural airport, knowing where Class E starts at 700 ft versus 1,200 ft, and when Class G means no authorization is needed.
• Weather. Wind limits, gust spread, density altitude on a hot July afternoon with a full tank, and reading a METAR from the nearest airport.
• Loading and performance. How payload and center of gravity change as a spray tank empties, and why a heavy drone stalls its motors sooner.
• Operating rules. The 400 ft ceiling, visual line of sight, visual observers, night operations, flying over people and moving vehicles, and Remote ID.
• Emergency procedures and human factors. Lost link, flyaways, the five hazardous attitudes and crew resource management.

What it costs to get licensed for farm drone work

Frequently asked questions