The Federal Aviation Agency, notorious for its delays in rolling out drone regulation, plans to create a mandatory registration system for consumer drones that will go in effect by mid-December—just in time for the expected deluge of new drone purchases for Christmas.
The initiative was announced in late October, and about a month later, on Nov. 21, an agency-created task force, with input from drone industry leaders, released a set of recommendations for the registry.
According to the recommendations, all drones weighing more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) would require a registered owner. To register, owners would need to enter their name and street address online or via an app. Once registered, the same unique number can be affixed to however many drones they own.
The FAA has been previously criticized for delaying drone regulation, having pushed back the 2015 deadline set by Congress for commercial drone regulation to 2017.
This time it is being judged by some as rushing through the registration system in time for holiday shopping.
Speeding Up the Process
