The TRUST Test: What It Is and How to Pass It in 20 Minutes
Every recreational drone pilot in the U.S. is legally required to pass. The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). Here’s what it covers, where to take it for free, and how to get your certificate today.
Quick answer
The TRUST test is a free, online FAA safety test required for all recreational drone pilots. It takes about 20 minutes, you can’t fail it, and your certificate never expires. Take it through any FAA-approved administrator and save your certificate to your phone.
What is the TRUST test?
TRUST stands for The Recreational UAS Safety Test. It’s a free educational test created by the FAA and the drone community to make sure recreational flyers understand the basic rules of flying safely in the national airspace.
Unlike a driver’s license exam, TRUST isn’t designed to weed people out. It walks you through the concepts, and if you miss a question, it teaches you the right answer and lets you continue. The point is to make sure you’ve actually seen the rules — not to score you.
It’s the law
Since 2021, the FAA has required every recreational drone pilot to pass TRUST and carry proof of it. Flying recreationally without it can result in FAA fines. Read more about TRUST on the FAA Website.
Who needs to take it?
You need TRUST if you fly your drone recreationally — purely for fun or personal enjoyment. This includes most hobbyists:
- You fly for fun in your backyard, a park, or at a flying field
- You take photos or videos for personal use, not for payment or business
- You fly any drone, regardless of weight, recreationally
If you fly commercially — for any business purpose — you need a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate instead. Here’s the difference:
| TRUST | Part 107 | |
|---|---|---|
| For | Recreational / hobby | Commercial / business |
| Cost | Free | $175 |
| Format | Online, open | Proctored, in person |
| Can you fail? | No | Yes (70% to pass) |
| Expires | Never | Every 2 years |
What does it cost?
Nothing. TRUST is completely free, no matter which FAA-approved administrator you use. If a site asks you to pay for “the TRUST test” itself, you’re in the wrong place — the test is always free.
What’s on the test?
TRUST covers the foundational safety knowledge every recreational pilot needs, grouped into a few subject areas:
- Emergencies and how to respond when something goes wrong
- Regulatory basis for recreational flying and the FAA’s role
- Airspace — controlled vs. uncontrolled, and where you can and can’t fly
- Authorization requirements like LAANC for controlled airspace
- Flying safely — altitude limits, visual line of sight, yielding to crewed aircraft
You don’t need to study long!
Because TRUST teaches as you go, there’s no need to study. That said, reading our airspace and B4UFLY guides first will make the whole thing click faster.
How to take the TRUST test — step by step
The whole process happens in one sitting, online, on any device:
- Choose an FAA-approved administrator. The FAA partners with a list of free test administrators — pick any one, they all issue the same valid certificate.
- Start the test. You’ll move through short sections of reading followed by a few questions each. No timer, no pressure.
- Answer every question. Miss one? The system shows the correct answer and lets you continue.
- Complete all sections. Once you’ve finished every section, you’re marked complete automatically.
- Download your certificate. Save the PDF to your phone and email yourself a backup.
Find a TRUST exam administrator
The FAA has approved several TRUST test administrators, allowing recreational drone pilots to take the required FAA TRUST exam online for free and receive their completion certificate upon passing. See the full list here.
After you pass: what’s next
Passing TRUST is one piece of flying legally. To be fully compliant as a recreational pilot, also make sure you’ve:
- Registered your drone with the FAA if it weighs more than 250g ($5, valid 3 years).
- Marked your registration number on the outside of your drone.
- Checked your airspace before every flight using a FAA-approved B4UFLY supplier such as AutoPylot.
- Requested LAANC if you’re flying in controlled airspace.
Ready for your first flight?
Check airspace, weather, and request LAANC — free for recreational pilots.
TRUST test FAQ
No. TRUST is designed so you cannot fail. If you answer incorrectly, the system explains the correct answer and lets you try again. Everyone who completes it passes — the goal is education, not gatekeeping.
No. Your TRUST certificate does not expire and never needs renewal. Take it once, and you’re set for recreational flying for life — just keep the certificate accessible.
No. TRUST is free and for recreational flyers. Part 107 is for commercial operations, requires a proctored in-person exam, costs $175, and results in a Remote Pilot Certificate. Any business use requires Part 107.
Yes. The FAA requires you to present your TRUST certificate (digital or printed) if asked by law enforcement or an FAA representative. Keep a copy on your phone and a backup elsewhere.
