Drones weighing more than a half-pound will have to be registered with the government under new FAA rules. If you own a drone, you must register it with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) registry. A federal law effective December 21, 2015 requires unmanned aircraft registration, and you are subject to civil and criminal penalties if you do not register.
Federal officials have rushed to issue new rules on drones before the holidays, when an estimated 700,000 new drones are expected to be bought. The rules require drone owners to register on a government website to receive a unique user number that they then must attach or write on any drones they own.
The new rules would require drone owners to pay a $5 registration fee. Penalties go up to $27,000 for civil violations, $250,000 for criminal acts with up to three years behind bars.
If you’re in the market for a drone for the holidays, here’s a Top 5 list from Freeze HD.
