The FAA has issued new rules requiring the remote identification (Remote ID) of unmanned aircraft and permitting small drones to be flown over people and at night under specified conditions. The December 28 announcement followed a lengthy consultation process, and the new rules are viewed as a significant precedent for how U.S. regulators may treat autonomous operations by larger aircraft.
The Remote ID rule mainly applies to all operators of drones that require FAA registration and weighing more than 0.55 pounds. Operators will be able to comply with it in any of the following three ways: broadcast identification and location information of the drone and its control station; use a Remote ID broadcast module, which can be a separate device attached to the drone, that broadcasts identification, location, and takeoff information; or operate without Remote ID but only in specific FAA-recognized identification areas.
