No. It is a completion certificate you must carry and show if asked by the FAA or law enforcement. It applies to recreational flying only.

Can I fly for money with TRUST?

No. Flying for pay or for a business falls under Part 107. The only other route is narrow: qualifying educational use, described on the FAA educational users page.

Do I need TRUST if I already have Part 107?

If you hold a Part 107 certificate you can fly recreationally under Part 107 rules. Check the FAA's current guidance for your situation.

How hard is the Part 107 test?

About 83% of test attempts passed in 2025. Charts and weather reports are where most people lose points.

How long does Part 107 last?

The certificate does not expire, but you must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to keep flying under it.

Part 107 vs TRUST

Updated 2026-10-17. Independent guide, not affiliated with the FAA.

Short answer: If you fly only for fun, you need TRUST, the FAA's free online Recreational UAS Safety Test, and your certificate does not expire. If the flight is for anything else (a business, a client, your employer, paid content), you need a Part 107 remote pilot certificate, which means passing a proctored FAA knowledge test (about $175), and every drone flown under Part 107 must be registered, whatever it weighs.

Part 107 covers drones under 55 lb; heavier aircraft need a separate FAA exemption (49 U.S.C. 44807). Government and public-safety agencies can also fly under a public aircraft Certificate of Waiver or Authorization instead (faa.gov). Two more exceptions to know: if you already hold a Part 61 pilot certificate and a current flight review, you can take the FAA's free online initial training instead of the knowledge test (faa.gov). And educational or research flying at institutions of higher education, JROTC programs and educational programs chartered by an FAA-recognized community-based organization can fall under the recreational statute; other schools fly under Part 107 (faa.gov).

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Side by side

	TRUST (recreational)	Part 107 (remote pilot certificate)
Who it is for	People flying purely for recreation under 49 U.S.C. 44809	Most flights that are not purely recreational (see the exceptions below)
How you get it	Free online course and test from an FAA-approved provider	Proctored FAA knowledge test at a PSI testing center, then an IACRA application
Cost	Free	About $175 per test attempt
Minimum age	None for TRUST itself	16
Fail and retake	Retake right away	14-day wait after a fail (14 CFR 107.71)
Expiry	Certificate does not expire	Recurrent online training every 24 calendar months (free from the FAA)
Drone registration	Required at 250 g (0.55 lb) or more	Required for every drone, regardless of weight
Airspace authorization	Through LAANC or FAA processes, recreational rules	LAANC or FAADroneZone under 14 CFR 107.41

Sources: FAA TRUST page (faa.gov), FAA registration (faa.gov), FAA ENR 8.2 and 8.5 (faa.gov), 14 CFR Part 107.

How do I decide?

Ask one question: is this flight purely for fun?

Yes, and nobody is paying you or benefiting commercially: TRUST.
No (real estate photos, roof inspections, a client video, work for your employer, even an unpaid job for a business): Part 107.

When in doubt, the FAA's guidance is the authority; Part 107 always covers you where TRUST may not.

What is on the Part 107 test?

60 scored questions (plus 5 unscored validation questions) in 2 hours, 70% to pass, covering regulations, airspace and sectional charts, weather, loading and operations. From October 26, 2026 it includes chart images from recent sectionals that are not in the testing supplement (FAA ATCA, September 2026 Special Edition: faa.gov).

Worked example

Maria flies a 249 g drone at the beach on weekends: TRUST, and no registration needed for a sub-250 g drone flown purely for recreation. In November she agrees to shoot photos of a friend's listing for the friend's real estate business. That flight is not purely recreational, so she needs Part 107, and under Part 107 even her 249 g drone must be registered.

Going Part 107?

Start with the part people find hardest: sectional charts. Take the free chart diagnostic (10 questions, no signup).

FAQ

Is TRUST a license?: No. It is a completion certificate you must carry and show if asked by the FAA or law enforcement. It applies to recreational flying only.
Can I fly for money with TRUST?: No. Flying for pay or for a business falls under Part 107. The only other route is narrow: qualifying educational use, described on the FAA educational users page.
Do I need TRUST if I already have Part 107?: If you hold a Part 107 certificate you can fly recreationally under Part 107 rules. Check the FAA's current guidance for your situation.
How hard is the Part 107 test?: About 83% of test attempts passed in 2025. Charts and weather reports are where most people lose points.
How long does Part 107 last?: The certificate does not expire, but you must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to keep flying under it.

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