Verify an FAA Pilot Certificate Anywhere in the United States
Pilot license verification in the United States is primarily a federal FAA task, not a state licensing-board search. The official public starting point is the Federal Aviation Administration Airmen Inquiry system.
This guide explains how to find the correct pilot, review certificate and rating information, understand what the public database does not prove, check enforcement or employment records through the correct FAA route, and separate certificate validity from flight currency and medical eligibility.
Quick Answer: How to Verify a Pilot License Nationwide
Use the FAA Airmen Inquiry search when you want to determine whether a person appears in the FAA airman-certification system and review releasable certificate, rating, and medical information. You do not need to search 50 state licensing boards because ordinary U.S. pilot certificates are issued federally by the FAA.
The FAA uses the term pilot certificate or airman certificate rather than state-style “pilot license.” People commonly search “pilot license verification,” but the correct nationwide authority is the Federal Aviation Administration.
Start with Airmen Inquiry
Use the FAA public search for a normal pilot-certificate lookup. Search by last name and, when available, the exact certificate number or other identifying information.
A record is not the same as flight currency
A pilot can hold a valid certificate but still need a flight review, recent takeoffs and landings, instrument currency, medical eligibility, or another operating qualification before conducting a particular flight.
Do not use aircraft registration
An aircraft N-number record verifies the aircraft and its registration. It does not verify the pilot flying it. Pilot records belong in FAA Airmen Inquiry or another FAA airman system.
Identify the person → search FAA Airmen Inquiry → match certificate level and ratings → review available medical information → use AIE or PRD only if your task requires those additional records → verify current operating currency separately.
Choose the Correct FAA Pilot Verification Route
“Verify a pilot” can mean several different things. The safest route depends on whether you need a public certificate lookup, formal written proof, enforcement information, employment records, foreign-license verification, or the pilot’s own account services.
FAA Pilot License Verification: Step-by-Step Public Lookup
The public FAA search works best when you have the pilot’s exact name and another reliable identifier. Avoid guessing by location or selecting a similar-looking name without checking the certificate information.
Open the FAA Airmen Inquiry website
Start on the official FAA search page. Do not enter certificate numbers, dates of birth, or identity details into unrelated “pilot lookup” sites before checking the federal source.
Enter the pilot’s last name
The FAA search uses last name as a core field. If you have the certificate number, use it with the last name for a much stronger match.
Use the full certificate number when you have it
The FAA does not offer a partial-certificate-number search. Enter the exact number from a reliable source rather than trying fragments or guessing missing digits.
Add first name or other criteria only when needed
The Airmen Inquiry search can use additional criteria such as first name, date of birth, city, state, or country to narrow similar names.
Do not over-filter by location
An airman can choose not to release an address publicly. FAA warns that people who opted out of address release may not appear when location criteria are included, so retry without city, state, or country if the expected person is missing.
Open the matching airman record
Review the certificate level, ratings, type ratings, limitations, and available medical information. Match the person carefully before relying on the result.
Choose a second FAA route if your question goes beyond public data
Use AIE for accident, incident, enforcement or certificate-validity requests; PRD for qualifying employment record checks; or written Airmen Certification verification when a formal response is required.
Record the date of verification
Employers, flight schools and organizations should document the official source, date checked, pilot name, certificate level, ratings reviewed, and any follow-up FAA system used.
What the FAA Public Pilot Lookup Does and Does Not Show
The FAA intentionally limits some personal information in the public airman database. A public verification page should never be treated like an unrestricted background-check database.
| Information | Public-search treatment | What it means for your lookup |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate and rating information | Releasable FAA airman credential information can be returned. | Use this to identify certificate level, ratings and relevant aviation credentials. |
| Certificate number | The FAA does not display it publicly. | You can use an exact number as a search identifier with the last name, but the result does not expose the number. |
| Date of birth | Not displayed publicly. | It may help narrow a search, but it is not shown in the public result. |
| Social Security number | Not displayed and not offered as a public search route. | Never enter an SSN into an unofficial pilot-search website. |
| Address | Only releasable address information is displayed. | An airman who withheld address release can be missed when you use location filters. |
| Medical information | Displayed from FAA CAMI medical records where applicable. | Treat medical dates as a separate data stream; FAA directs medical-data corrections to its medical certification program. |
Do not upload a pilot certificate, medical certificate, passport, driver’s license, Social Security information, or date-of-birth documents to an unknown verification site merely to obtain information that the FAA already makes available through an official process.
How to Read an FAA Pilot Record Correctly
Pilot verification is not complete when you simply find the name. Read the certificate and rating information in the context of the flight, job, aircraft, and privileges you are trying to verify.
Private, Commercial or ATP are different
A Private Pilot certificate does not by itself prove Commercial Pilot or Airline Transport Pilot authority. Match the certificate level to the role being claimed.
Category, class and type matter
Look beyond the top-level certificate. Airplane, rotorcraft, glider, instrument and aircraft type ratings can materially change what privileges the pilot holds.
Read restrictions and limitations
A certificate or rating can carry limitations. Do not summarize the record as simply “licensed” without checking the complete credential information shown.
Medical data is a separate eligibility layer
When a medical certificate is required for the operation, verify the applicable class, issue date and operating privilege rather than assuming the pilot certificate alone is enough.
Public inquiry is not the full enforcement file
For accident, incident, enforcement or certificate-validity information, follow the FAA AIE request route instead of inferring enforcement history from an ordinary search result.
Save a current verification record
Record when you checked the FAA system. A printed card, old screenshot, pilot résumé or flight-school profile can become outdated.
Does an FAA Pilot License Expire?
For most current Part 61 pilots, “renew the pilot license” is the wrong question. FAA regulations state that a pilot certificate issued under Part 61 is generally issued without an expiration date and remains valid unless it is surrendered, suspended or revoked.
That does not mean a pilot can always exercise every privilege indefinitely. Certificate validity, flight review, recent flight experience, medical eligibility, instructor recent experience and operation-specific requirements are separate checks.
| Item | Does it expire or require recency? | Practical verification point |
|---|---|---|
| Most Part 61 pilot certificates | Issued without an expiration date. | Certificate validity does not automatically establish current flight privileges. |
| Student pilot certificate issued after April 1, 2016 | Issued without an expiration date. | Training, solo endorsements and applicable medical requirements still matter. |
| Flight review | Generally required within the preceding 24 calendar months for PIC privileges unless an exception applies. | This is a logbook/qualification issue and is not proved merely by finding the FAA certificate online. |
| Passenger-carrying recency | Recent takeoff-and-landing requirements apply. | A pilot can hold a valid certificate but not currently meet passenger-carrying recency. |
| Instrument recency | Separate instrument-experience rules apply. | Holding an instrument rating does not alone prove current IFR currency. |
| FAA medical certificate | Operating validity varies by medical class, age and privilege exercised. | Check the operation being conducted, not just whether a medical record appears. |
| Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate | Certificate does not expire, but recurrent training is required every 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical-knowledge recency. | Certificate existence and current Part 107 recency are different questions. |
Pilot Certificate Validity vs Flight Currency: The Checks People Commonly Miss
A nationwide pilot license lookup tells you about FAA certification. It does not replace the pilot’s logbook, employer qualification records, medical qualification or operation-specific recency checks.
Flight review
Under the general Part 61 rule, a pilot acting as PIC must have completed a qualifying flight review within the required 24-calendar-month period unless a regulatory alternative or exception applies.
Passenger carrying
Part 61 recent-experience rules generally require at least three qualifying takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days before acting as PIC carrying persons, subject to the regulation’s details and exceptions.
Night recency is more specific
For passenger carrying during the regulatory night period, the recent takeoffs and landings must meet the full-stop and nighttime conditions specified in §61.57.
Instrument rating is not the same as instrument currency
A pilot exercising instrument privileges must meet the applicable recent-instrument-experience requirements, including approaches, holding and course-intercepting/tracking tasks, or complete the required proficiency-check route when applicable.
If the question is “Can this pilot legally conduct this specific flight today?”, a public FAA name search is only the first layer. Check certificate, ratings, limitations, flight review, recent experience, medical eligibility and any operator-specific qualification requirements.
FAA Medical Certificate and BasicMed: Do Not Confuse Medical Status With Pilot Certification
Many pilot operations require appropriate medical qualification, but the rule depends on the certificate privileges and the operation. The existence of a pilot certificate does not prove that the person currently satisfies every medical requirement.
Validity depends on class and age
First-, second- and third-class medical certificates have different operating-duration rules. The same medical certificate can continue to support lower-class privileges after a higher-class period ends when the regulations allow it.
Some pilots can use BasicMed instead
Qualified pilots may operate under BasicMed without holding a current FAA medical certificate when all BasicMed requirements and operating limits are met.
Do not make medical conclusions from one screen
FAA states that public medical information comes from CAMI records. Confirm the applicable operating rule when medical qualification is important to the decision.
Flight Instructor Certificate Status Changed in 2024
Flight instructor verification deserves a separate check because the FAA changed the expiration model. Flight instructor certificates issued on or after December 1, 2024 are issued without an expiration date.
No expiration date for newly issued CFIs
The physical flight instructor certificate itself no longer expires when issued under the current rule after December 1, 2024.
Recent experience still matters
A flight instructor must continue to meet the FAA’s recent-experience requirements. Losing recent experience can prevent exercise of instructor privileges even though the certificate has no printed expiration date.
Older pages often describe “CFI renewal every 24 months.” Current FAA guidance instead distinguishes the no-expiration certificate from the 24-calendar-month recent-experience requirement.
Pilot Verification for Airlines, Operators and Employers
A public Airmen Inquiry search can confirm basic FAA certificate information, but it is not a substitute for the Pilot Records Database when federal hiring rules require PRD review.
Airmen Inquiry is the quick public check
- Confirm the airman is in the FAA system.
- Review certificate level and ratings.
- Check releasable medical information where relevant.
- Document the date and source.
PRD serves a different purpose
- PRD is not an unrestricted public directory.
- Qualifying pilots can view or share applicable records.
- Authorized employers and operators use PRD for applicable hiring-record reviews.
- Private pilots cannot use the PRD pilot portal merely to view ordinary private-pilot records.
Do not turn a public FAA search into an unsupported “approved / rejected” employment decision. Use the records and regulatory process that actually apply to your operator, role and hiring obligation.
When You Need Written FAA Certificate Verification
A public web result is sufficient for many ordinary checks. Some businesses, licensing authorities or formal processes need written verification from the FAA Airmen Certification Branch instead.
Confirm that written proof is actually required
Ask the recipient whether the FAA online Airmen Inquiry result is acceptable before starting a written verification request.
Prepare the airman’s identifying information
FAA guidance for written verification asks for the airman’s full name, date of birth and certificate number, along with the requesting business information and preferred response method.
Send the request to the Airmen Certification Branch
Follow the current FAA verification instructions rather than sending sensitive information to a third-party verification directory.
Need Accident, Incident, Enforcement or Certificate-Validity Information?
The ordinary FAA Airmen Inquiry page is not the complete accident, incident and enforcement record. FAA directs these requests to its AIE information process.
Enforcement-sensitive verification
Use the FAA Accident, Incident and Enforcement request system when you need releasable information about accident, incident, enforcement or certificate-verification records beyond the normal public search.
No public result does not answer every enforcement question
Do not assume that a normal Airmen Inquiry record proves the absence of every enforcement, accident or incident issue. Use the FAA route designed for that information.
Foreign Pilot License Verification Is a Different FAA Process
If a person holds a foreign pilot license and needs an FAA certificate or authorization based on that license, the public Airmen Inquiry search is not the application process. FAA must verify the foreign license with the issuing Civil Aviation Authority.
Use IACRA
FAA identifies electronic submission through IACRA as the preferred method for foreign-license verification requests.
Plan for 45–90 days
FAA currently states that Verification of Authenticity of Foreign License and Medical Certification generally takes approximately 45 to 90 days.
Validity is normally limited
The FAA says the verification letter is generally valid for six months unless the foreign authority sets a shorter period or the foreign license expires sooner.
Pilot Certificate Holder Services: Address, Replacement and Record Changes
If you are verifying your own certificate because the information changed, a replacement card or profile update may be the real task. FAA Airmen Online Services handles several certificate-holder functions.
Update a new mailing address promptly
FAA certificate holders are required to report an address change within 30 days. An address update does not automatically produce a replacement certificate.
Lost or damaged certificate
Use FAA Airmen Online Services or the official replacement-certificate process instead of applying for a new pilot certificate.
Change address releasability
An airman can request to withhold the address from public release. FAA explains that certificate information itself cannot simply be hidden from the public database.
FAA Pilot Lookup Shows No Result? Troubleshooting Checklist
A missing result is not enough to conclude that someone has never held an FAA certificate. Work through search criteria, privacy settings, name changes and the correct FAA database before making that conclusion.
| Problem | Possible reason | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| No match by name | Spelling, legal-name change, suffix, middle-name variation or incorrect identity information. | Retry the exact legal name and compare the information against a reliable document. |
| No match when city/state is entered | The airman may have withheld public address release. | Remove the location filter and search again using name and other permitted criteria. |
| Certificate number search fails | Partial or incorrect number, or missing required last name. | Use the exact certificate number together with the last name. |
| Newly issued temporary certificate | Permanent FAA processing may not yet be complete. | Review IACRA or Airmen Certification status and the temporary certificate rather than assuming the application failed. |
| Foreign pilot not found | The person may hold only a foreign license rather than an FAA certificate. | Use the issuing country’s authority or FAA foreign-license verification when an FAA conversion is involved. |
| You need employment history | Airmen Inquiry is the wrong database for detailed PRD employment records. | Use the FAA Pilot Records Database when your role and purpose qualify. |
| You need enforcement validity | Public certificate lookup is not the full AIE record. | Submit the appropriate FAA AIE request. |
FAA advises users who do not have enough information to conduct an Airmen Inquiry search to contact the appropriate Flight Standards District Office rather than relying on an unverified third-party people-search result.
Pilot Verification Checklist for the Public, Flight Schools and Aircraft Owners
Use the strongest information available and record what you actually verified. A plastic certificate or résumé can support identity matching, but current official records should be checked separately.
Useful verification details
- Full legal name.
- Exact last name used with the FAA.
- Certificate number when lawfully available.
- Date of birth when legitimately needed to narrow the official search.
- Claimed certificate level.
- Claimed aircraft or instrument ratings.
- Purpose of the check: public, rental, employment, training or formal verification.
Weak verification evidence
- An undated screenshot from a private directory.
- A résumé stating “FAA licensed pilot.”
- A social-media aviation profile.
- A photo of an old certificate without a current FAA check.
- An aircraft registration record.
- A flight-school biography page.
- A certificate lookup without checking ratings or relevant currency.
Remote Pilot Certificate Verification and Part 107 Currency
A Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is also an FAA airman credential, but drone-pilot operating recency follows its own rule. FAA states that the remote pilot certificate itself does not expire.
Remote Pilot certificate is permanent unless revoked
Do not expect a normal renewal date printed like a state occupational license.
Recurrent training maintains knowledge recency
FAA requires qualifying recurrent online training within the previous 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical-knowledge recency for Part 107 operations.
Related Verification Guide
Pilot certification and driver-license status are different systems. The distinction can matter for pilots operating under BasicMed because a current and valid U.S. driver’s license is one of the BasicMed requirements.
Official FAA Pilot Verification and Certificate Resources
Use the resource that matches your task. These official routes are deliberately separated because public certificate lookup, employment records, enforcement history, medical eligibility and foreign-license verification are not the same service.
Primary public airman search
Search FAA-certificated airmen nationwide using name, certificate number and other permitted criteria.
FAA search guidance
Read privacy rules, search limitations, medical-data notes and certificate-type guidance.
Written verification
Use when an organization needs an FAA verification response beyond the normal online search.
Employment-related pilot records
Use for qualifying pilot and employer access under the FAA pilot-records process.
Accident, incident and enforcement information
Use for releasable accident, incident, enforcement and certificate-verification information.
Certificate-holder tasks
Use for address changes, replacement certificate requests and other airman account services.
Medical certificate resources
Use for FAA medical application, AME information, medical-certificate questions and records.
Foreign CAA verification
Use when an FAA certificate or authorization will be based on a foreign pilot license.
Source Verification for This Nationwide Pilot Lookup Guide
This guide was reviewed against current FAA Airmen Certification, Airmen Inquiry, Pilot Records Database, medical certification, BasicMed, IACRA, foreign-license verification and current Part 61 regulatory material available in September 2026.
FAA’s downloadable releasable Airmen Certification database shows a September 1, 2026 upload date and an October 1, 2026 next scheduled upload date, confirming that FAA continues to maintain a regularly updated nationwide airman data release. Public-search results and individual operating eligibility should still be checked directly at the time you need the information.
FAA forms, processing times, medical rules, web portals, training requirements, employer-record procedures and regulatory details can change. Recheck the official FAA resource before a checkride, flight, employment decision, certificate application, foreign conversion or medical action.
Pilot License Verification FAQs
How do I verify a pilot license in the United States?
Use the FAA Airmen Inquiry system. Pilot certification is primarily federal, so a normal nationwide FAA pilot search does not require separate state licensing-board searches.
What is the official FAA pilot license lookup?
The official public lookup is FAA Airmen Inquiry, also linked from the FAA Search Airmen Certificate Information page.
Can I search an FAA pilot by certificate number?
Yes. FAA Airmen Inquiry allows a search using last name and certificate number. FAA does not offer a partial certificate-number search, and the public result does not display the certificate number.
Does FAA show a pilot’s date of birth or Social Security number?
No. FAA states that the public site does not display Social Security numbers, certificate numbers or dates of birth.
Why can’t I find a pilot when I search by city or state?
The airman may have chosen not to release an address publicly. FAA warns that a person who opted out of address release may not appear when location criteria are used. Retry the search without location fields.
Does an FAA private pilot certificate expire?
Most current Part 61 pilot certificates are issued without an expiration date and remain valid unless surrendered, suspended or revoked. Separate flight-review, recent-experience, medical and operating rules still determine whether the pilot can exercise particular privileges.
How often does a pilot need a flight review?
Under the general Part 61 rule, a pilot acting as PIC must have completed a qualifying flight review within the applicable 24-calendar-month period unless another regulatory provision satisfies or excepts the requirement.
Does finding an FAA pilot record mean the pilot is current to carry passengers?
No. Passenger-carrying recent experience is a separate Part 61 requirement. A valid certificate record does not prove the pilot has completed the required recent takeoffs and landings.
Is an instrument rating the same as being instrument current?
No. The rating is a credential on the pilot certificate. Instrument currency depends on meeting current §61.57 recent-experience requirements or completing the appropriate instrument proficiency check when required.
How do employers verify professional pilot records?
Airmen Inquiry can provide a public certificate check. Qualifying air carriers and operators use the FAA Pilot Records Database for the employment-record process required under applicable Part 111 rules.
How do I check whether a pilot has FAA enforcement history?
Use the FAA Accident, Incident and Enforcement request process for releasable enforcement and certificate-verification information rather than assuming the public Airmen Inquiry result contains the complete history.
Does a Remote Pilot Certificate expire?
FAA states that a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate does not expire, but the remote pilot must complete the applicable recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical-knowledge recency.
How do I verify a foreign pilot license for an FAA certificate?
Use the FAA Verification of Authenticity of Foreign License and Medical Certification process, preferably through IACRA. FAA currently states that this verification generally takes about 45 to 90 days.
Is verificationlicense.org the FAA?
No. verificationlicense.org is an independent information guide. It does not issue pilot certificates, determine flight currency, maintain FAA records, make medical decisions or replace official FAA verification.
Bottom Line for Nationwide Pilot License Verification
Start with FAA Airmen Inquiry when you need to verify a U.S. pilot certificate. Match the correct person, certificate level, ratings, limitations and available medical information, and record the date checked.
Do not confuse certificate existence with current authority to conduct a specific flight. Flight review, passenger recency, instrument currency, medical eligibility, instructor recent experience, employment records and enforcement history can require separate checks.
This page is an independent verification guide and is not the Federal Aviation Administration. Final certification, enforcement, medical and operating-status decisions should be confirmed through the appropriate official FAA source.