FAA Part 107: Commercial Drone Rules in Florida, Explained
A plain-English explanation of what FAA Part 107 certification means, why it is required for commercial drone photography, and what Florida real estate agents and sellers need to know.
The short version
If someone is flying a drone for your real estate listing and charging you money, they are legally required to hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. No exceptions. No grandfathering. The rule applies to any commercial use of a drone — which includes photography, video, and surveying.
Flying without certification risks a civil fine of up to $32,666 per violation. More immediately for real estate professionals: knowingly using illegally-captured footage in a listing can expose agents and brokers to liability as well.
What Part 107 actually requires
To hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, an operator must:
- Pass a written knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center
- Cover airspace classification, weather, aeronautical decision-making, drone systems, and federal regulations
- Score 70% or higher
- Renew the certificate every 24 months with a recurrent knowledge test
The test is genuinely difficult. It requires understanding controlled airspace around airports, TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions), METAR weather reports, and sectional chart reading. It is not a weekend course — it is the same knowledge base required for manned aviation operations at the introductory level.
Why Central Florida is a high-stakes airspace environment
Orlando is one of the most complex airspace environments in the country for drone operators. The region contains:
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) — Class B airspace extending throughout Orange County
- Orlando Executive Airport (ORL)
- Orlando Sanford International Airport
- Patrick Space Force Base and its restricted airspace zones
- Disney's Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) — a permanent restriction around Walt Disney World
Nearly every drone flight in the Orlando metro area requires either airspace awareness, LAANC authorization, or both. A certified Part 107 operator handles this automatically. An uncertified operator doesn't know what they don't know — and that's the risk.
How to verify a drone operator's certification
Ask any prospective drone operator for their FAA Part 107 certificate number and verify it at faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot or through the FAA DroneZone portal. A certified operator will provide this without hesitation. One who hesitates or deflects — isn't.
At 360 Virtual Orlando, every pilot on staff holds an active Part 107 certificate. We carry $1M in liability coverage on every flight and file LAANC authorizations for every controlled-airspace job automatically. Ask us anytime.
Common questions answered.
FAA Part 107 is the federal regulation that governs commercial drone operations in the United States. It requires anyone flying a drone for business purposes — including real estate photography — to hold a Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the FAA. Flying commercially without it is illegal.
Candidates must pass a written knowledge test administered at an FAA-approved testing center. The test covers airspace classification, weather, drone operations, crew resource management, and federal aviation regulations. A passing score is 70% or higher. The certificate must be renewed every 24 months.
Yes, always. Ask for their certificate number and verify it on the FAA DroneZone database. Some operators claim to be certified without holding an active certificate. For real estate agents and brokers, knowingly publishing listing content captured illegally can create liability for everyone involved in the transaction.
LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) is the FAA system that allows Part 107 operators to request near-real-time airspace authorization for flights in controlled airspace. It is required for any commercial drone flight within controlled airspace — which includes large portions of Central Florida near Orlando International Airport and other airports.
Yes. Certain areas have hard prohibitions regardless of Part 107 certification — including within 30 miles of restricted military airspace, over active emergency scenes, and in FAA-designated no-fly zones. Disney property and some national monuments also have special restrictions. A certified operator knows these rules and will not fly in prohibited areas.
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