If You Received a Drone For Christmas, Here are the Rules

If you received a drone for Christmas, make sure you register it with the FAA.

Drones are awesome. I love watching the videos they take, soaring through the sky over impressive landscapes.

Drones, were extremely popular this year as gifts with over 700,000 of them being purchased this year alone according to WGN.

I recall overhearing someone talking about how they purchased one as a gift and how they had to remember to tell them to register it with the FAA. WHAT!!? was my first thought. You need to register it?

The answer is yes. Turns out owning one of these flying machines has a lot of strings attached.

There are federal and local drone rules in place, and need to be followed.

Before you can start using your drone, you have to go online and register it with the FAA. You have to be over the age of 13 to register and you must pay a $5 fee that will be reimbursed if you register by January 20th. Registration is valid for three years.

When flying your drone, you must keep it 400 feet and within your eyesight and you can not fly it within five miles of an airport or over heavily traveled roadways and government facilities.

For more on the recreational use of a drone, click here.