Aircraft registration
f you purchase an aircraft and intend to operate in the National Air Space, you must register
the aircraft with the Aircraft Registration Branch (AFS-750). Aircraft may be registered
under a Certificate of Aircraft Registration or Dealer’s Aircraft Registration Certificate issued
by AFS-750.
m CAUTION: The application must be submitted in the name of the owner(s), not in the name
of the bank or other mortgage holder.
Aircraft registration Branch
You may confirm any required fees with AFS-750 prior to submitting any aircraft documents
for processing. AFS-750 contact information is in the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) Contact Information appendix on pages A1–A2 of this handbook. Visit the “Aircraft
Registration” link on the FAA website at www.faa.gov for information regarding aircraft
registration, recording liens, fees, importing and exporting aircraft, requesting special
N-numbers, obtaining copies of aircraft records, downloading forms, an interactive aircraft
registration database, etc. You may also order aircraft records by mail, fax, or telephone.
In compliance with statutory requirements, documents are processed in date-received order.
You may check to see if your documents have been received by using the FAA website “Aircraft
Registration” link, and selecting the “Download the Aircraft Registration Database” link to
search the document index.
The FAA updates the “Aircraft Registration Inquiry” site at midnight on each federal workday.
You can find new information immediately following this update. Please allow up to 20 days for
processing N-number reservations and renewals and up to 30 days for all other non-priority
actions.
m CAUTION: The act of registration is not evidence of ownership of an aircraft in any
proceeding in which ownership by a particular person is in issue. The FAA does not issue any
certificate of ownership or endorse any information with respect to ownership on a Certificate
of Aircraft Registration. The FAA issues a Certificate of Aircraft Registration to the person who
appears to be the owner on the basis of the evidence of ownership submitted with the Aircraft
Registration Application, or recorded at the FAA Aircraft Registry. Failure to properly register
your aircraft may invalidate insurance, as well as have other serious consequences. You may
need to follow up with AFS-750 to ensure that your aircraft registration was accomplished
successfully.
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
m CAUTION: An aircraft may not be registered in
a foreign country during the period it is registered in
the United States.
eligible registrants
An aircraft is eligible for registration in the United
States if it is owned by:
• A U.S. citizen (as defined in Title 14 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), part 47, section
47.2, a U.S. citizen can be an individual, or part-
nership where each individual is a U.S. citizen, or
a corporation organized under the laws of the
United States of which the president and at least
two-thirds of the board of directors are U.S.
citizens and 75 percent of the voting interest is
owned or controlled by U.S. citizens)
• A resident alien
• A corporation other than one classified as a U.S.
citizen, lawfully organized under the laws of the
United States or of any state thereof, if the aircraft
is based and used primarily in the United States
• A government entity (federal, state or local)
registering Your Aircraft
To register an aircraft, you must send the following
documentation and fee to AFS-750:
• Aeronautical Center (AC) Form 8050-1, Aircraft
Registration Application,
• Evidence of ownership (such as a bill of sale), and
• The registration fee made payable to the FAA.
You must use an original AC Form 8050-1 when
applying for a Certificate of Aircraft Registration.
AC 8050-1 may be obtained from AFS-750 or your
local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).
If you use a P.O. Box as a mailing address, you must
also provide your street or physical location on the
application.
m CAUTION: The FAA does not accept photocopies
or alternate formats of AC 8050-1.
Your application for aircraft registration must
include the typed or printed name of each applicant
with his or her signature in the signature block.
m CAUTION: An aircraft may be registered only by
and in the legal name of its owner.
m CAUTION: The FAA will return any applications
that do not include the printed or typed name of the
signer.
Figure 4-1 at the end of this chapter is an aircraft
registration checklist you can use to assist you in the
registration process.
registration number
The United States received the “N” as its nationality
designator under the International Air Navigation
Convention, held in 1919.
How To Form an N-Number
N-numbers consist of a series of alphanumeric
characters. U.S. registration numbers may not ex-
ceed five characters in addition to the standard
U.S. registration prefix letter “N.” These characters
may be:
• One to five numbers (N12345),
• One to four numbers followed by one letter
(N1234Z), or
• One to three numbers followed by two letters
(N123AZ).
To avoid confusion with the numbers one and zero,
the letters I and O are not used. Also, please note that
a hyphen (-) is no longer used in U.S. registration
numbers.
Other Requirements
An N-number may not begin with zero. You must
precede the first zero in an N-number with any
number 1 through 9. For example, N01Z is not valid.
Registration numbers N1 through N99 are strictly
reserved for FAA internal use.
special registration number
A special registration number is an N-number of your
choice which may be reserved, if available.
Special registration numbers may be:
• Used to change the N-number currently on
your aircraft.
• Assigned to a new home-built, import, or
newly manufactured aircraft in preparation
for registering that aircraft.
• Reserved for 1 year. Upon reservation, the
FAA will mail a confirmation notice to the
requester. A renewal notice will also be
sent prior to the expiration date. An online
reservation request program is available
on the FAA website at www.faa.gov.
• Renewed annually. The renewal fee is $10 each
year. An online renewal program is available on
the FAA website at www.faa.gov.
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Requesting a Special Registration Number
You may reserve a special N-number from the List of
Available N-numbers for immediate use on a specific
aircraft or for future use. This number may not
exceed five characters in addition to the prefix letter
“N.” All five characters may be numbers (N11111) or
four numbers and one suffix letter (N1000A), or one
to three numbers and/or two suffix letters may be
used (N100AA).
In your written request, list up to five numbers in
order of preference in the event your first choice
is not available, and include the fee. The fee for a
Special Registration Number is $10.00. Forward
your request to AFS-750.
If your request is approved, you will be notified that
the number has been reserved for 1 year, and that
the reservation may be extended on an annual basis
for a $10 renewal fee.
Placing the Special Registration
Number on Your Aircraft
When you are ready to place the number on your
aircraft, you should request permission by forward-
ing a complete description of the aircraft to AFS-750.
Permission to place the special number on your
aircraft is given on AC Form 8050-64, Assignment of
Special Registration Numbers. When the number
is placed on your aircraft, sign and return the original
AC Form 8050-64 to AFS-750 within 5 days.
Figure 4-2 at the end of this chapter is a sample
AC Form 8050-64.
A duplicate AC Form 8050-64, together with your
airworthiness certificate, should be presented to an
aviation safety inspector (ASI) from your local FSDO
within 10 days from placing the new registration
number on your aircraft. The ASI will issue a revised
airworthiness certificate showing the new registration
number. The old registration certificate and the
duplicate AC Form 8050-64 should be carried in the
aircraft until the new Certificate of Registration is
received, in accordance with 14 CFR part 91, section
91.203(a)(1).
Aircraft Previously r egistered
in the United states
If the aircraft you are purchasing was previously
registered in the United States, you should immedi-
ately submit evidence of ownership, an AC Form
8050-1, Aircraft Registration Application, and
the registration fee to AFS-750 upon closing. Fees
required for aircraft registration may be paid by
check or money order made payable to the Treasury
of the United States. AFS-750 contact information is
in the FAA Contact Information appendix on pages
A1–A2 of this handbook.
AC Form 8050-2, Aircraft Bill of Sale, meets the
FAA’s requirements for evidence of ownership. An
AC Form 8050-2 does not need to be notarized.
AC Forms 8050-1 and 8050-2 can be obtained from
the nearest FSDO, and include information and
instruction sheets. Figure 4-3 at the end of this
chapter is a sample AC Form 8050-2.
m CAUTION: If a conditional sales contract is the
evidence of ownership, an additional fee is required
for recording.
Chain of Ownership
If there is a break in the chain of ownership of the
aircraft (i.e., if it is not being purchased from the
last registered owner), you are required to submit
conveyances to complete the chain of ownership
through all intervening owners, including yourself,
to AFS-750.
Replacement Certificate
of Aircraft Registration
AC Form 8050-1 may also be used to report a change
of address by the aircraft owner. The FAA issues
a revised certificate at no charge. If the certificate is
lost, destroyed, or mutilated, a replacement certificate
may be obtained at the written request of the certi-
ficate holder. Send the request and fee to AFS-750.
The request should describe the aircraft by make,
model, serial number, and registration number. If
operation of the aircraft is necessary before receipt
of the duplicate certificate, AFS-750 may, if
requested, send temporary authority by fax. You
should include your full address, fax number, and
contact telephone number in your request AFS-750
contact information is in the FAA Contact Informa-
tion appendix on pages A1–A2 of this handbook.
Aircraft Previously r egistered
in a Foreign Country
If you are considering the purchase of an aircraft
that is currently registered in a foreign country, you
should be aware that multiple issues are involved
with the registration process. You should contact
AFS-750 for registration assistance.
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
AC Form 8050-1,
Aircraft registration Application
AC Form 8050-1, Aircraft Registration Application,
includes an information and instruction sheet.
Submit the white and green copies to AFS-750 and
keep the pink copy in the aircraft as temporary
authority to operate the aircraft without registration.
This temporary authority is valid until the date the
applicant receives the AC Form 8050-3, Certificate of
Aircraft Registration, or until the date the FAA denies
the application, but in no case for more than 90 days
after the date of the application. Pink copy operation
is valid only inside the United States. Figure 4-4 at
the end of this chapter is a sample AC Form 8050-1.
If by 90 days the FAA has neither issued the
Certificate of Aircraft Registration nor denied the
application, the FAA Aircraft Registry may issue
a letter of extension that serves as authority to
continue to operate the aircraft without registration.
m CAUTION: If you plan to operate the aircraft
outside the United States within 90 days of
submitting your registration documents, you should
contact AFS-750 to request a temporary certificate by
fax, also known as a “fly wire”.
AC Form 8050-3,
Certificate of Aircraft r egistration
AC Form 8050-3 is issued to the person whose name
is on the application. The pink copy is valid for 90
days and is legal only in the United States.
An AC Form 8050-3 should be in the aircraft before
an Airworthiness Certificate can be issued. Some
of the conditions under which AC Form 8050-3
becomes invalid, as described in 14 CFR part 47,
section 47.41 include:
• The aircraft becomes registered under the laws of
a foreign country.
• The registration of the aircraft is cancelled at the
written request of the holder of the certificate.
• The aircraft is totally destroyed or scrapped.
• The holder of the certificate loses his or her U.S.
citizenship or status as a resident alien without
becoming a U.S. citizen.
• The ownership of the aircraft is transferred.
• Thirty days have elapsed since the death of the
holder of the certificate.
When an aircraft is sold, destroyed, or scrapped, the
owner must notify the FAA by filling in the back
of AC Form 8050-3 and mailing it to AFS-750.
The U.S. registration and nationality marking should
be removed from an aircraft before it is delivered
to a purchaser who is not eligible to register it in the
United States. The endorsed AC Form 8050-3
should be forwarded to AFS-750. AFS-750 contact
information is in the FAA Contact Information
appendix on pages A1–A2 of this handbook.
An AC Form 8050-6, Dealer’s Aircraft Registration
Certificate, is an alternative form of registration.
It is valid only for flights within the United States
by the manufacturer or dealer for flight testing or
demonstration for sale. It should be removed by the
dealer when the aircraft is sold.
To apply for a Dealer’s Aircraft Registration
Certificate, the applicant must complete AC Form
8050-5, Dealer’s Aircraft Registration Certificate
Application.
m CAUTION: AC Form 8050-3 serves as conclusive
evidence of nationality but it is not a title and is not
evidence of ownership in any proceeding in which
ownership is at issue.
Amateur-Built Aircraft
registration and inspection
The FAA recommends that you apply for registration
of your amateur-built aircraft 60–120 days before
you finish building your aircraft, and before you sub-
mit FAA Form 8130-6 to the FAA. The FAA will not
inspect your amateur-built aircraft before it has been
registered or during construction of the aircraft.
The FAA or a Designated Airworthiness Representative
(DAR) in your geographical area inspects your
amateur-built aircraft for general airworthiness
only after you have made an application for an
airworthiness certificate.
The FAA does not charge a fee to the public for
inspecting amateur-built aircraft. However, FAA
workload may delay inspection of your aircraft.
For this reason, the FAA staff is augmented by the
use of DARs who may charge a fee for their services
(14 CFR Part 183, Section 183.33(b), Designated
Airworthiness Representative).
You may locate a DAR in your geographical area by
reviewing the online DAR Directory. Manufacturing
DARs are listed by state in the first half of the
directory, and Maintenance DARs are listed by state
in the second half. A DAR who has authority to
inspect and certify amateur-built aircraft has the
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
DAR Function Code “46” under his or her name.
(Also see FAA Order 8100.8 (as revised), Designee
Management Handbook, for designee program
details.)
light-sport Aircraft registration
If you purchased a newly manufactured light-sport
aircraft that is to be certificated as:
• An experimental light-sport aircraft under 14
CFR, part 21, section 21.191(i)(2); or
• A special light-sport aircraft under 14 CFR part
21, section 21.190;
Then you must provide the following documentation
to AFS-750:
• AC Form 8050-88 (as revised), Light-Sport
Aircraft Manufacturer’s Affidavit, completed
by the light-sport aircraft manufacturer,
unless previously submitted to AFS-750 by the
manufacturer;
• Evidence of ownership from the manufacturer for
the aircraft;
• AC Form 8050-1, Aircraft Registration
Application; and
• Registration fee.
The FAA Light Sport Aviation Branch (AFS-610)
or your local FSDO can assist you with questions
about the registration of light-sport aircraft.
AFS-610 contact information is in the FAA Contact
Information appendix on pages A1–A2 of this
handbook.
state registration requirements
Aircraft owners should remember that state registra-
tion of aircraft is required in many states. You
should check with your state government to ensure
that you have met any applicable state registration
requirements for your aircraft.
Additional information
14 CFR part 47 specifies the requirements for
registering an aircraft. For information concerning
14 CFR part 47 or any topics not discussed in this
chapter, please contact AFS-750. AFS-750 contact
information is in the FAA Contact Information
appendix on pages A1–A2 of this handbook.
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Plane Sense
Chapter 4: Aircraft Registration
Figure 4-1. Aircraft Registration Checklist. You can use this checklist to assist you with the aircraft
registration process.
Aircraft registration Checklist
stAtUs item desCriPtion
Certificate of airworthiness
Confirm the aircraft has a valid certificate of airworthi-
ness or special certificate of airworthiness, if applicable.
Eligible registrant
In accordance with 14 CFR part 47: U.S. citizen,
resident alien, corporation or government entity
Aircraft Registration Application
Original AC Form 8050-1, Aircraft Registration
Application
Evidence of ownership
AC Form 8050-2, Bill of Sale or conditional
sales contract
Fee
Check with AFS-750 to determine applicable fee (i.e.,
conditional sales contract as evidence of ownership
triggers additional fee).
Registration number
Confirm registration number on aircraft.
Special registration number
(if applicable)
Complete FAA Form 8050-64, Assignment of Special
Registration Number, when you are ready to use the
new registration number.
Chain of ownership
Ensure that chain of ownership is uninterrupted. If
chain of ownership is interrupted, you must submit
conveyances completing the chain of ownership to
AFS-750.
State registration requirements
Check with your state aviation authority to confirm any
state requirements.
Light-sport aircraft
(if applicable)
You must send the following documents to AFS-750:
AC Form 8050-88A, Light-Sport Aircraft Manu-
facturer’s Affidavit; evidence of ownership from the
manufacturer for the aircraft; AC Form 8050-1, Aircraft
Registration Application; and the registration fee.