Standard Remote ID
Standard Remote ID is the first of two equipment-based ways to satisfy the Remote ID requirement covered in Lesson A. It is the compliance method built directly into the aircraft by its manufacturer. This lesson covers exactly what a Standard Remote ID aircraft must broadcast, how accurate and frequent that broadcast must be, and the single most important fact to remember about it heading into Lesson C: a Standard Remote ID aircraft broadcasts its own current, real-time location and altitude continuously, for the entire flight.
Built by the manufacturer to broadcast directly
A Standard Remote ID unmanned aircraft is one designed and produced by its manufacturer to broadcast the required Remote ID message elements directly, using its own onboard equipment, with no separate add-on hardware needed. 14 CFR 89.110 sets the operating requirement: a person may satisfy the Remote ID requirement of § 89.105 by operating a Standard Remote ID aircraft, provided that from takeoff to shutdown, the aircraft broadcasts the message elements required by § 89.305. That "takeoff to shutdown" phrase matters — the broadcast is not optional or occasional, it runs for the entire operational period of the flight, without gaps.
Manufacturers demonstrate that a specific aircraft model meets these requirements through a declaration of compliance submitted to and accepted by the FAA, using an FAA-accepted means of compliance, under Part 89's design and production requirements. As a remote pilot, you generally do not build this capability yourself; you purchase an aircraft that already has it built in, and the manufacturer's declaration of compliance is what makes that aircraft legally usable to satisfy § 89.105 through the Standard Remote ID path.
The required message elements under 14 CFR 89.305
Section 89.305 sets the minimum message element set a Standard Remote ID aircraft must broadcast. Every element below must be present; a manufacturer cannot omit one and still call the aircraft Standard Remote ID compliant.
- A unique identifier for the aircraft: either the aircraft's own serial number (assigned under Part 47/48 registration) or a session ID, a temporary identifier generated for that specific flight.
- Control station latitude, longitude, and altitude: the current location of the equipment the remote pilot is using to control the aircraft.
- Unmanned aircraft latitude, longitude, and geometric altitude: the aircraft's own current, real-time position in the air.
- Velocity of the unmanned aircraft: its current speed and direction of travel.
- Emergency status: an indication of emergency, when the aircraft is equipped to support providing it and an emergency condition exists.
- A time mark: a UTC time reference tied to the position data, so a receiver knows exactly when each broadcast reading was taken.
Performance requirements under 14 CFR 89.310
Broadcasting the right data elements is not enough on its own; § 89.310 also sets minimum performance and accuracy standards a Standard Remote ID aircraft's system must meet. The control station location must be accurate to within 100 feet, and altitude reporting (both control station and aircraft) must be accurate to within 150 feet. The system must broadcast at a rate of at least once per second throughout the flight, run a self-test check before takeoff, continuously monitor its own broadcast for correct operation during flight, and be reasonably resistant to tampering, with error-correction capability built into the broadcast itself so a receiver can reliably decode the message even in imperfect radio conditions.
The single most important fact: real-time, continuous aircraft position
Of everything in this lesson, one point deserves to be memorized on its own, because it is exactly what separates Standard Remote ID from the broadcast module method in Lesson C: a Standard Remote ID aircraft continuously broadcasts its own current, actual position and altitude, updating in real time as the aircraft moves through the flight, for as long as the aircraft is operating. A receiver watching a Standard Remote ID broadcast sees the aircraft's icon move across a map in step with where the drone actually is at that moment — not a fixed point, not the location it started from, but wherever it currently happens to be.
The six required message elements of Standard Remote ID under 14 CFR 89.305, broadcast continuously as the aircraft's real position updates.
View LargerScenario: an infrastructure inspection flight along a pipeline right-of-way
You are flying a Standard Remote ID-equipped aircraft along a two-mile pipeline right-of-way for an inspection job, launching from a staging area at one end. A bystander a mile down the route, near the midpoint of the flight, opens a Remote ID receiving app on their phone. Because the aircraft is Standard Remote ID, the app shows the aircraft's icon positioned near that bystander's own location — wherever the drone currently is along the pipeline — along with the control station's location back at the original staging area, the current velocity, and the time mark for that reading. As the flight continues, the aircraft's displayed position keeps updating to track its real movement. This is the behavior to expect from any Standard Remote ID aircraft, and it is the direct contrast to what a broadcast module does, covered next in Lesson C.
| Message element | What it reports | Source section |
|---|---|---|
| Unique identifier | Aircraft serial number or a session ID for that flight | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Control station location | Latitude, longitude, and altitude of the control equipment | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Unmanned aircraft location | Latitude, longitude, and geometric altitude of the aircraft, updated in real time | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Velocity | Current speed and direction of the aircraft | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Emergency status | Indication of an emergency, if the aircraft supports it and one exists | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Time mark | UTC time reference for the broadcast reading | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Mistake | Why it happens | Correct understanding | Regulation / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinking Standard Remote ID only broadcasts the control station location, not the aircraft's own location | Confusing the two separate location elements required by 89.305 | Both are required: control station location and the aircraft's own real-time location and altitude are separate, mandatory message elements | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Assuming emergency status is always broadcast on every flight | It is listed as a standard message element alongside the others | Emergency status is broadcast only when the aircraft is equipped to support providing it and an actual emergency condition exists | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Believing a session ID exposes the registered owner's identity directly to a nearby receiver | Session ID sounds like a form of personal identification | A session ID is a temporary, flight-specific identifier; it is not the same as broadcasting the pilot's personal registration information to the public | 14 CFR 89.305 |
| Thinking a remote pilot personally configures or programs Standard Remote ID compliance | Other equipment settings on a drone are pilot-configurable | Standard Remote ID compliance is built in by the manufacturer and demonstrated through an FAA-accepted declaration of compliance, not configured by the pilot | 14 CFR 89.110, Part 89 Subpart F |
Does Standard Remote ID require an internet connection to work?
No. Remote ID broadcasts directly over radio frequency to nearby personal wireless devices; it does not depend on an internet connection or a network connection back to the FAA.
Can a remote pilot turn off Standard Remote ID broadcasting for part of a flight?
No. Section 89.110 requires the broadcast to run continuously from takeoff to shutdown; there is no provision to disable it mid-flight while still operating under the Standard Remote ID compliance method.
What is the difference between an aircraft's serial number and a session ID in the unique identifier element?
Both satisfy the same required message element under 89.305. A serial number is the aircraft's permanent registration identifier; a session ID is a temporary identifier generated specifically for that flight, which some Standard Remote ID systems use instead.
Test Your Knowledge
Answer the questions below to check your understanding. Every answer can be found in the lesson above.