The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has updated its requirements for small unmanned aircraft systems (drones).

New Drone Rules 

Effective August 29th, operators of drones weighing less than 55 pounds must:

• be at least 16 years of age
• have a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating, or
• be supervised by someone with the certificate

Operators must also pass a written test every two years and undergo background checks.

 How to Operate a Drone

Under these new rules and requirements, drones can only be flown as high as 400 feet and cannot exceed speeds of 100 mph.  Other restrictions include:

• Drones can only be used during the daytime or sunset with headlights.
• Drones must remain in the operator's line of sight at all times.
• Drones cannot be flown over people not participating in the project.

For more information, visit faa.gov/uas.