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3 Answers

What are the State Registration requirements?

Asked by: 3044 views FAA Regulations

During my check-ride the examiner asked what documents are required to be in the aircraft.  "A.R.R.O.W." Easy.  She then asked what types of Registration there are. "Uh... there's more than one?"  At the review portion of the exam she informed me that there is both a federal and STATE registration that is required in each aircraft.  Lesson learned.

Soon after the check-ride I started flying a friend's plane and during the pre-flight noticed no State Registration.  I brought this up to my friend and he told me we didn't need one.  I started pouring through the regs and can't find anything about state registration. 

Can anyone shed some light on State Registration? Does this plane I'm flying need to be registered with the State?

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3 Answers



  1. Sam Dawson on Sep 17, 2014

    Fifty states, fifty different requirements. Check with the state where the airplane is based.

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on Sep 17, 2014

    The examiner was wrong to ask about state registration requirements on the test. There is no FAA requirement for the state’s registration. Nothing in the PTS references state requirements. If she wished to pass along that little nugget during the debrief, then OK.

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  3. Heather McNevin on Sep 18, 2014

    State Registration is something you need to do as the owner of an aircraft. Each state is different. I live in MN, so my experience is just for here. Once you acquire the aircraft you register it with MN DOT. If it is not airworthy, you won’t have to pay a registration fee (at least thats how it used to work). The state fee is usually not too expensive, somewhere around $50-$100 if I remember correctly. They used to give a sticker you had to put on your aircraft exterior that showed an expiration date, now I think they just have a card printed out you keep with the FAA registration. Google your states Department of Transportation Aeronautical Division to learn more.
    Many instructors teach only PTS, which is fine, but some also pass on information needed to be a good aircraft owner (since many people who get a license become owners). Ownership can be a little overwhelming at first. Things, such as state registration, often don’t cross ones mind when dreaming about their own aircraft. If you do not comply with MN DOT’s registration requirement, it is a misdemeanor. In my experience, if you owe them money, they will find you. I never had to wonder when it was time to renew, as the bills arrived quite promptly.

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