The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the release of two updated regulations for drone pilots operating within the United States. The first involves the implementation of Remote ID, a system that has been anticipated for some time. This system functions much like a digital registration for drones, transmitting identification information, including the drone’s current location.

The complete details of the finalized regulation are available for review here. Essentially, drone pilots will have three distinct options to ensure they are in compliance.

While some unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operators may find these additional regulations challenging, they are a logical response to the rapid increase in drone usage. The FAA reports that over 1.7 million drones are currently registered in the U.S., alongside approximately 203,000 certified remote pilots. These figures are expected to continue to grow as drones become increasingly utilized for commercial applications.

The FAA views these new rules as a key step toward enabling expanded drone delivery services throughout the U.S. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson stated in a press release, “These new rules pave the way for greater integration of drones into our national airspace by addressing critical safety and security considerations.” He further noted that these changes bring the country closer to widespread drone operations, such as package delivery.

A second new regulation, titled “Operations Over People and at Night,” governs the ability to operate drones both over individuals and during nighttime hours. This rule outlines several requirements for compliance, including a weight limit of 0.55 pounds for flights over people.

The regulation specifies that “small unmanned aircraft must not cause injury to a person that is equal to or exceeds the severity of injury resulting from a 25 foot-pound impact from a solid object, must not have any exposed rotating parts that could cause skin lacerations upon contact with a person, and must be free of any safety flaws.”

For nighttime flights, drones must be equipped with functioning anti-collision lights visible from a distance of three miles. These rules will be formally published the next month and will take effect 60 days following publication. Manufacturers of drones will have a period of one and a half years to integrate Remote ID capabilities into their products. Notably, the FAA authorized Amazon to begin delivery trials in August.