How to hire a licensed drone pilot in Florida

Drone photos and video have become a normal part of selling a house, checking a roof after a storm, or showing a lender how far a build has come. The equipment is easy to buy, which means plenty of people offer drone work. The good news for anyone hiring is that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) runs public systems you can use to check a pilot in a few minutes. This guide walks through what the rules require, how to verify them, and what you should expect to receive for each type of job.

1. Commercial drone work requires an FAA Part 107 certificate

If a drone flight is done for a business purpose, including being paid to photograph your home or inspect your roof, the pilot operates under the FAA's small unmanned aircraft rules in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 107. Under those rules the person flying must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating, or be directly supervised by someone who does.

According to the FAA, to earn that certificate a pilot must be at least 16 years old and pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test, "Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)," at an FAA-approved testing center. The application is then processed through the FAA's IACRA system. To keep flying commercially, pilots must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months. A pilot has to have the certificate available when flying and show it to the FAA if asked.

Part 107 also sets the basic operating limits a professional should be able to explain to you: flying at or below 400 feet above ground level in most cases, keeping the drone within visual line of sight, yielding to crewed aircraft, and following specific rules for flying over people and moving vehicles. Anything outside those limits needs an FAA waiver, which a pilot should be able to show you in writing.

2. How to verify a pilot using the FAA Airmen Inquiry

The FAA publishes certificate records through its Airmen Inquiry search. It is free and takes about a minute:

1. Ask the pilot for their full legal name as it appears on the certificate. A business name will not show up.
2. Open the Airmen Inquiry site, choose to search by name, and enter the first and last name. Add a state if the name is common.
3. Open the matching record and look for a Remote Pilot certificate with a small unmanned aircraft system rating.
4. Compare the name with the photo ID or the certificate the pilot shows you. Some pilots choose not to release their address, so a missing city alone is not a red flag.

The search shows whether a certificate exists. It does not confirm current recurrent training, so it is reasonable to ask the pilot for the completion certificate from their most recent FAA recurrent course.

3. Drone registration (FAADroneZone) and Remote ID

Every drone flown under Part 107 must be registered with the FAA through the FAADroneZone portal, regardless of weight. The FAA lists the fee as $5 per drone, valid for three years. The registration number must be marked on the outside of the aircraft, so you can ask to see it on the drone itself.

The FAA also states that drones that are required to be registered must comply with Remote ID, which broadcasts identification and location information during flight. A professional should be able to tell you whether their drone has built-in Remote ID or uses an add-on broadcast module.

4. Airspace and LAANC near Orlando-area airports

Central Florida has a lot of airports, and much of the metro area sits in controlled airspace. The FAA requires pilots planning to fly below 400 feet in controlled airspace around airports to get an airspace authorization before they fly. For a home near Orlando International, Orlando Executive, Orlando Sanford or Kissimmee Gateway, that step is often part of the job.

Most of these authorizations are requested through LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability). LAANC lets pilots submit near real-time requests through FAA-approved apps for flights under 400 feet in controlled airspace. Where a location or altitude is not available through LAANC, pilots can apply for authorization through FAADroneZone, which takes longer.

Airspace can also change temporarily. Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) cover events, VIP movements, disasters and certain other activity, and Central Florida sees them regularly. The FAA's B4UFLY program points to apps that show where flying is restricted. What this means for you as the client:

• Ask whether your address is in controlled airspace and whether the pilot will get a LAANC authorization or another approval.
• Expect that a flight may need to be rescheduled if an authorization is not granted or a TFR appears.
• Be wary of anyone who says airspace "doesn't matter" for a quick job.

5. Insurance questions to ask

Part 107 does not require pilots to carry insurance, but property owners, HOAs, builders and listing brokers often do. Ask before you book:

• Do you carry liability insurance that covers drone operations? Can you send a certificate of insurance?
• Can my company, HOA or general contractor be added as an additional insured if required?
• Does the policy cover damage to the drone or to property on the ground, or only one of them?
• Does coverage apply to the specific job type, such as roof work near power lines or flights over a job site?

Read the certificate yourself. Confirm the policy dates and that the named insured matches the business on your invoice.

6. Job types and what deliverables to expect

Roof inspection

The pilot flies a pattern over every slope and captures close, overlapping photos of shingles, tiles, flashing, vents and gutters, usually with a few wide shots for context. Expect a labeled photo set and, from more specialized providers, a roof report with measurements or marked-up damage. A drone pilot documents conditions; a licensed roofing contractor or insurance adjuster interprets them.

Pool screen and enclosure

A drone can see the top of a screen enclosure, which is hard to view from the ground: torn roof panels, loose spline, debris and bent members. Expect high-resolution stills of each roof section and elevation, ideally with a simple diagram showing which photo is which. When it is time for repairs, a dedicated resource such as Central FL Pool Screens can help you understand rescreen options and connect with local crews.

Real estate

Listing work usually includes aerial stills of the home, lot and neighborhood, plus a short edited video. Ask about resolution, how many edited photos you get, how fast they are delivered and whether the licensing allows the brokerage and listing sites to use them.

Construction progress

Builders and lenders typically want repeat flights from the same positions on a schedule so changes are easy to compare. Deliverables can include dated photo sets, video, and an orthomosaic, which is a single map-like image stitched from many overlapping photos. Some providers also produce 3D models or volume measurements. Agree on file formats and how long data will be stored.

Sources

All accessed October 30, 2026.

1. FAA, "Become a Certificated Remote Pilot." faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot
2. FAA, "Certificated Remote Pilots including Commercial Operators." faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators
3. eCFR, 14 CFR Part 107, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. ecfr.gov
4. FAA Airmen Inquiry. amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry
5. FAA, "How to Register Your Drone." faa.gov/uas/getting_started/register_drone
6. FAA, "Remote Identification of Drones." faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id
7. FAA, "UAS Data Exchange (LAANC)." faa.gov/uas/getting_started/laanc
8. FAA, "B4UFLY." faa.gov/uas/getting_started/b4ufly
9. FAA, "Operations Over People General Overview." faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/operations_over_people
10. FAA, "Part 107 Waivers." faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the FAA links above before you fly or hire.