Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73

§44111 Modifications in registration and recordation system for aircraft not providing air transportation

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART A— - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart subpart iii— - safety › Chapter CHAPTER 441— - REGISTRATION AND RECORDATION OF AIRCRAFT › § 44111

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the FAA to change how non‑commercial aircraft are registered and tracked so the system better serves buyers and sellers, drug‑law enforcement, and other users. The changes can include giving titles or registering every aircraft. The FAA must make sure the real owner can be identified quickly and reliably. It must fix problems like registrations to fake or hidden people or addresses, use of mail‑drops, shell companies, unidentifiable names on forms, frequent or false changes to registration markings, misuse of reserved markings, too many aircraft listed as “self‑reported,” poor notice when ownership changes, and allowing aircraft to fly without a registration certificate. The FAA must write rules and explain how each problem is fixed. The agency must talk with DEA, Customs and Border Protection, other federal and local law enforcement, and industry and user groups. The rules must also require that each person named on a registration who is an individual give a driver’s license number, and each named non‑individual give a taxpayer ID number.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §44111

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)This section applies only to aircraft not used to provide air transportation.
(b)The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall make modifications in the system for registering and recording aircraft necessary to make the system more effective in serving the needs of—
(1)buyers and sellers of aircraft;
(2)officials responsible for enforcing laws related to the regulation of controlled substances (as defined in section 102 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 802)); and
(3)other users of the system.
(c)Modifications made under subsection (b) of this section—
(1)may include a system of titling aircraft or registering all aircraft, even aircraft not operated;
(2)shall ensure positive, verifiable, and timely identification of the true owner; and
(3)shall address at least each of the following deficiencies in and abuses of the existing system:
(A)the registration of aircraft to fictitious persons.
(B)the use of false or nonexistent addresses by persons registering aircraft.
(C)the use by a person registering an aircraft of a post office box or “mail drop” as a return address to evade identification of the person’s address.
(D)the registration of aircraft to entities established to facilitate unlawful activities.
(E)the submission of names of individuals on applications for registration of aircraft that are not identifiable.
(F)the ability to make frequent legal changes in the registration markings assigned to aircraft.
(G)the use of false registration markings on aircraft.
(H)the illegal use of “reserved” registration markings on aircraft.
(I)the large number of aircraft classified as being in “self-reported status”.
(J)the lack of a system to ensure timely and adequate notice of the transfer of ownership of aircraft.
(K)the practice of allowing temporary operation and navigation of aircraft without the issuance of a certificate of registration.
(d)(1)The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section and provide a written explanation of how the regulations address each of the deficiencies and abuses described in subsection (c) of this section. In prescribing the regulations, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall consult with the Administrator of Drug Enforcement, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, other law enforcement officials of the United States Government, representatives of State and local law enforcement officials, representatives of the general aviation aircraft industry, representatives of users of general aviation aircraft, and other interested persons.
(2)Regulations prescribed under this subsection shall require that—
(A)each individual listed in an application for registration of an aircraft provide with the application the individual’s driver’s license number; and
(B)each person (not an individual) listed in an application for registration of an aircraft provide with the application the person’s taxpayer identifying number.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 44111(a)49 App.:1303 (note).Nov. 11, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, § 7214, 102 Stat. 4434. 44111(b)49 App.:1401(h) (1st sentence).Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, § 501(h); added Nov. 11, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, § 7203(a), 102 Stat. 4424. 44111(c)49 App.:1401(h) (last sentence). 44111(d)49 App.:1401 (note).Nov. 18, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, § 7207(a), (b), 102 Stat. 4427. In subsection (c)(3)(D), the words “corporations and others” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (d)(1), the words “Not later than September 18, 1989” and “final” are omitted as obsolete. The words “Administrator of Drug

Enforcement

” are substituted for “Drug

Enforcement

Administration of the Department of Justice” because of section 5(a) of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973 (eff. July 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 1092).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection” substituted for “Commissioner of Customs” in subsec. (d)(1) on authority of section 802(d)(2) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6. Drug

Enforcement

Status and Progress; Reports to Congress; Definitions Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7207(d), (e), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4428, provided that: “(d) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subtitle [Nov. 18, 1988] and annually thereafter during the 5-year period beginning on such 180th day, the Administrator shall prepare and transmit to Congress a report on the following:“(1) The status of the rulemaking process, issuance of

Regulations

, and implementation of

Regulations

in accordance with this section [see subsec. (d) of this section]. “(2) The progress being made in reducing the number of aircraft classified by the Federal Aviation Administration as being in ‘sale-reported status’. “(3) The progress being made in expediting the filing and processing of forms for major repairs and alterations of fuel tanks and fuel systems of aircraft. “(4) The status of establishing and collecting fees under section 313(f) of the Federal Aviation Act [see section 45302(b) of this title]. “(e) Definitions.—For purposes of this subtitle [subtitle E (§§ 7201–7214) of title VII of Pub. L. 100–690, see Tables for classification]—“(1) Administrator.—The term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. “(2) Aircraft.—The term ‘aircraft’ has the meaning such term has under section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 [see section 40102 of this title].” Information Coordination Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7210, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4432, provided that: “Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subtitle [Nov. 18, 1988] and annually thereafter during the 3-year period beginning on such 180th day, the Administrator shall prepare and transmit to Congress a report on the following: “(1) The progress made in establishing a process for provision of informational assistance by such Administration to officials of Federal, State, and local law

Enforcement

agencies. “(2) The progress made in establishing a process for effectively pursuing suspensions and revocations of certificates of registration and airman certificates in accordance with the

Amendments

made to the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 by the Aviation Drug-Trafficking Control Act [Pub. L. 98–499, see Tables for classification], section 3401 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 [Pub. L. 99–570], and this subtitle [subtitle E (§§ 7201–7214) of title VII of Pub. L. 100–690]. “(3) The efforts of such Administration in assessing and defining the appropriate relationship of such Administration’s informational assistance resources (including the El Paso Intelligence Center and the Law

Enforcement

Assistance Unit of the Aeronautical Center of such Administration). “(4) The progress made in issuing guidelines on (A) the reporting of aviation sensitive drug-related information, and (B) the development, in coordination with the Drug

Enforcement

Administration of the Department of Justice and the United States Customs Service, of training and educational policies to assist employees of such Administration to better understand (i) the trafficking of controlled substances (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 802]), and (ii) the role of such Administration with respect to such trafficking. “(5) The progress made in improving and expanding such Administration’s role in the El Paso Intelligence Center.” Applicability of Paperwork Reduction Act Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7211(b), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4433, provided that: “No information collection requests necessary to carry out the objectives of this subtitle [subtitle E (§§ 7201–7214) of title VI of Pub. L. 100–690, see Tables for classification] (including the

Amendments

made by this subtitle) shall be subject to or affect, directly or indirectly, the annual information collection budget goals established for the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation under chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 44111

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73