When hiring a US drone pilot for a Part 107 operation, ask for evidence of recent aeronautical knowledge as well as the remote pilot certificate. The permanent card does not have an expiration date, but it does not by itself show that its holder meets the knowledge requirement for the planned flight. The FAA explains this distinction in its remote pilot certificate FAQ.

For the person commissioning the work, this means asking one more precise question: what qualifying test or training did the pilot complete, and when? For the pilot, it means keeping the completion evidence with the certificate so the customer can check both without confusing them.

What “current” means under Part 107

14 CFR 107.65 requires a qualifying activity within the previous 24 calendar months before a person exercises remote-pilot-in-command privileges. That is the person responsible for the flight. The regulation provides routes through an initial knowledge test, recurrent training, or specified training for eligible Part 61 pilots who also meet the flight-review requirement.

For a dated example, FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A, Figure 6-1, shows an initial test passed on September 13, 2020 followed by a recurrent-training deadline of September 30, 2022. The deadline falls at the end of the 24th calendar month, not on the anniversary day.

Those routes matter when reviewing evidence. Do not insist that every already-certificated remote pilot produce a new initial test result. The FAA's guidance directs remote pilot certificate holders to online recurrent training and describes the separate route for qualifying Part 61 pilots. Part 61 is the certification framework used for pilots of crewed aircraft.

A lapse in knowledge recency prevents exercise of the relevant privileges until the requirement is met. It is not the same finding as a forged certificate or a certificate revoked by the authority. The FAA's FAQ also says the pilot must be able to show a copy of the course completion certificate as evidence of currency.

A temporary certificate has its own deadline

A new pilot may initially show a temporary remote pilot certificate printed from the FAA's IACRA application system, as described in the FAA guidance above. Unlike the permanent card, it is issued for up to 120 calendar days under 14 CFR 107.64. It expires on its stated date, on receipt of the permanent certificate, or on receipt of a denial or revocation notice. Check that document's validity separately from knowledge recency; our guide to temporary pilot certificates and permanent-card delays explains why a pending card should not be treated as an automatic extension.

Make the check about the planned flight

A practical customer review can stay simple:

  • Match the remote pilot certificate to the person you are hiring.
  • Ask for the qualifying test or course completion evidence, including its date. If the pilot relies on the Part 61 route, ask how the accompanying flight-review condition is met.
  • Record the planned mission date and the basis for concluding that the knowledge requirement will still be met then. If the mission moves, revisit the date check.

This is a suggested review process. It does not replace the pilot's responsibility for the flight or resolve other requirements, such as authorization for the intended airspace.

For example, in a fictional supplier review, a property manager receives a remote pilot card and an undated screenshot of a course dashboard. The appropriate next step is to request dated completion evidence. The screenshot leaves a specific question open; it does not establish that the pilot lacks the qualification. Keeping the distinction clear makes the request easier for both parties.

Before accepting a supplier's qualification file, ask for the certificate and dated knowledge evidence together. For a broader approach, see how to check certificate status today.

If the initial test is coming up

Only relevant if you or your pilot is about to take the initial test: the FAA's September 2026 Special Edition advisory, page 6, says the Unmanned Aircraft General-Small test will include image-based questions outside the test supplements from October 26, 2026. Use October 26, the date in the September notice. This concerns images outside the supplements, not the first use of images in drone tests. It changes test preparation, not the expiration of an existing permanent certificate or the separate knowledge-recency requirement.