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FAA Aircraft Registry (Civil Aviation Registry, Aircraft Registration Branch)

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FAA Aircraft Registry

Agency page. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-10-16.

What it is

The FAA Aircraft Registry — in the regulations, “the FAA, Civil Aviation Registry, Aircraft Registration Branch” (14 CFR § 47.2) — is the single federal office that (1) registers U.S. civil aircraft and issues Certificates of Aircraft Registration (49 U.S.C. § 44103; 14 CFR Part 47), (2) records conveyances, leases and security instruments affecting aircraft and certain large engines and propellers (49 U.S.C. § 44107; 14 CFR Part 49), and (3) serves as the United States Entry Point to the Cape Town Convention’s International Registry (49 U.S.C. § 44107(e); 14 CFR § 49.61). Its mailing address on current FAA forms is Aircraft Registration Branch, P.O. Box 25504, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125-0504 (AC Form 8050-4 (09/24)).

For a buyer at any forced sale — sheriff’s execution sale, judicial foreclosure, UCC repossession sale, mechanic’s-lien sale, bankruptcy sale, forfeiture sale — the Registry is where (a) the title and lien search happens and (b) the buyer’s evidence of ownership must be filed to be registered and to be valid against third parties (philko-aviation-v-shacket-1983; 49 U.S.C. § 44108(a)).

Statutory and regulatory basis

FunctionAuthorityKey text (retrieved 2026-10-16)
Registration required to operate49 U.S.C. § 44101(a)“a person may operate an aircraft only when the aircraft is registered under section 44103” (exceptions in (b), incl. “a reasonable period of time after a transfer of ownership, under regulations”)
Eligibility49 U.S.C. § 44102(a); 14 CFR § 47.3Not registered abroad, and owned by a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a non-citizen U.S. corporation if “based and primarily used in the United States”
Certificate is not proof of ownership49 U.S.C. § 44103(c)(2)A certificate is “not evidence of ownership of an aircraft in a proceeding in which ownership is or may be in issue”
Recording system49 U.S.C. § 44107(a), (d)Records conveyances affecting civil aircraft; leases/security instruments on engines of at least 550 rated takeoff horsepower, propellers of at least 750 shaft horsepower, and air-carrier spare parts; indexes by aircraft/engine description and party names
Effect of (non)recording49 U.S.C. § 44108(a)–(c)Unrecorded instrument valid only against maker, heirs/devisees and persons with actual notice; once recorded, valid “from the date of filing against all persons”; validity governed by law of the place of delivery
U.S. Entry Point to International Registry49 U.S.C. § 44107(e); § 44113; 14 CFR §§ 49.61–49.63International Registry registration for U.S. aircraft valid only if the recordable documents are first filed with, and the registration authorized by, the Entry Point
Evidence of ownership14 CFR § 47.11Specific evidence for repossession, foreclosure sales, judicial sales, lien sales, court-determined title, estates, guardians, trustees (see below)
Fees14 CFR § 47.17; § 49.15Registration USD 5 per aircraft; recording USD 5 per aircraft (no fee for a bill of sale accompanying a registration application, or for a release)

Sources: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/44101 , /44102 , /44103 , /44107 , /44108 , /44113 ; https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-47 ; https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-49 — all retrieved 2026-10-16. (The uscode.house.gov section pages returned “Page Not Found” during this session while that site was “operating in a temporary format”; the Cornell LII text was used.)

Evidence of ownership the Registry accepts after a forced sale

14 CFR § 47.11 (retrieved 2026-10-16) sets the documents each kind of forced-sale buyer or foreclosing party submits with the Aircraft Registration Application (AC Form 8050-1):

SituationRequired evidence (14 CFR § 47.11)FAA guidance (AC 8050-94, “Information to Aid in the Registration of U.S. Civil Aircraft,” REGAR-94 (04/17))
Repossession by a secured party(b)(1) “A Certificate of Repossession of Encumbered Aircraft, FAA Form 8050-4, or its equivalent, signed by the applicant and stating that the aircraft was repossessed or otherwise seized under the security agreement involved and applicable local law”; (b)(2) the security agreement unless already recorded, or a certified true copyItem 12: Form 8050-4 “or its equivalent, accompanied by the original or a certified true copy of the security instrument … unless the instrument is already recorded”
Foreclosure resulting in sale(b)(3) “a bill of sale signed by the sheriff, auctioneer, or other authorized person who conducted the sale, and stating that the sale was made under applicable local law”Item 13: bill of sale “in addition to a certified true copy of the court order of foreclosure”
Judicial sale, or sale to satisfy a lien or charge(c) “a bill of sale signed by the sheriff, auctioneer, or other authorized person who conducted the sale, and stating that the sale was made under applicable local law”Item 14 (same)
Mechanic’s-lien sale conducted by the lienholderCovered by (c)Item 15: lienholder “must provide the citation of the law under which sale was conducted, a statement that it was conducted in accordance with the law, and documentary evidence of compliance”
Title determined by a court(d) “a certified copy of the decision of the court”Item 16: “The aircraft must be specifically described in the order and the owner of record must be a party to the action”
Bankruptcy trustee signing—Item 38: “A certified true copy of the court order appointing the trustee in bankruptcy, or other court order naming the trustee, is required to show the trustee’s authority to sign”
Missing link in chain§§ 47.33(b), 47.35(b): “If, for good reason, the applicant cannot produce the evidence of ownership required … he must submit other evidence that is satisfactory to the FAA,” e.g., an affidavitItem 17 (same)

Form 8050-4 instructions (AC Form 8050-4 (09/24), retrieved 2026-10-16) distinguish two outcomes: when the foreclosing party retains the collateral (“sometimes referred to as strict foreclosure”), an 8050-1 application in the foreclosing party’s name accompanies the certificate; when the collateral is sold (“sometimes referred to as statutory foreclosure”), “a Bill of Sale and an Application For Aircraft Registration in the name of the buyer should accompany this form.” The form states it “is not a mandatory form” and an “equivalent form meeting local law and the recording requirements” may be used; the certifying party states that it “divested the said debtor, and any and all persons claiming by, through or under them, of any and all title.” Acknowledgment is “Not required for purposes of FAA recording; however, may be required by local law for validity.”

Chain of title. If the applicant did not buy from the last registered owner, § 47.35(a)(2) requires “conveyances or other instruments showing consecutive transactions from the last registered owner through each intervening owner to the applicant”; § 49.35 imposes the same consecutive-transfer requirement on conveyances submitted for recording.

What the Registry does — and does not — do

  • No title searches by the FAA. “The Aircraft Registration Branch does not perform title searches.” Records may be reviewed personally “or have this done by an attorney or aircraft title search company.” (FAA, “Clear Title,” last updated Nov. 8, 2023: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/clear_titles , retrieved 2026-10-16.)
  • “Clear title” defined by the FAA as “no unreleased chattel mortgage, security agreement, tax lien, artisan lien, or similar document on record against an aircraft.” The same page states: “State law determines lien and security interests. Although there is no federal requirement to file lien or security instruments with the FAA, the parties to these transactions can file their qualifying documents.” (Read together with 49 U.S.C. § 44108(a) and philko-aviation-v-shacket-1983, an interest that is not filed is not valid against innocent third parties.)
  • Recording is not adjudication. “The recording of a conveyance is not a decision of the FAA that the instrument does, in fact, affect title to, or an interest in, the aircraft.” (14 CFR § 49.17(c).)
  • Federal tax liens are not recorded here. “A notice of Federal tax lien is not recordable under this part, since it is required to be filed elsewhere by the Internal Revenue Code” (14 CFR § 49.17(a)(2)). See aircraft-title-liens-and-the-faa-registry.
  • Releases. Recorded liens come off the record through a signed release — the Conveyance Recordation Notice (AC Form 8050-41) Part II, or an equivalent release that identifies the lien; “A security instrument marked ‘PAID’ is not sufficient” (AC 8050-93, item 16); no fee for recording a release (14 CFR § 49.33(e), referring to the releases named in § 49.31(b); AC 8050-93, item 16).
  • Filing time = priority time for validity. “A conveyance is filed for recordation upon the date and at the time it is received by the FAA Aircraft Registry” (14 CFR § 49.19).
  • Effective date of registration is the date the Registry determines the submissions meet Part 47 (§ 47.39). Certificates expire seven years after the month of issue (§ 47.40(a)).
  • Temporary operating authority. For an aircraft last registered in the U.S., the second copy of the 8050-1 application, carried aboard, is temporary authority to operate within the U.S. until the certificate issues or is denied, but not “when 12 months have passed since the receipt of the first application following transfer of ownership by the last registered owner,” and not if no registration number is assigned (§ 47.31(c)).
  • Registration ends when, among other events, ownership is transferred, the aircraft is registered abroad, destroyed or scrapped, or 30 days after the holder’s death (§ 47.41(a)).

Records, searches, fees, and timing

Relationship to the International Registry

The FAA does not run the International Registry; it is the U.S. Entry Point. To register an international interest against a U.S. civil aircraft, a person files AC Form 8050-135 and the documents recordable under Part 49 Subpart C (aircraft) or D (engines) and receives a unique authorization code (14 CFR § 49.63). A registration with the International Registry relating to a U.S. civil aircraft “is valid only if” the recordable documents were first filed with the Entry Point and it authorized the registration (49 U.S.C. § 44107(e)(3)). Engine filings need not pass through the FAA (14 CFR § 49.63(b)). A notice of a prospective interest or sale filed through the Entry Point lapses after 60 days unless recordable documents are filed (49 U.S.C. § 44107(e)(2)(B)). See cape-town-convention-aircraft.

Needs verification

  • Current Registry processing times for registration and conveyance recording.
  • Whether the Registry will remove from the record a recorded junior lien that was discharged by operation of state law (e.g., UCC § 9-617(a)(3)) on presentation of a sheriff’s or lienholder’s bill of sale alone, without a signed release or court order. The retrieved guidance describes only release by the secured party.
  • Whether any Treasury regulation currently implements 49 U.S.C. § 44109 (owner’s notice to the Secretary of the Treasury within 15 days after a sale or conveyance) or exempts all persons from it; no implementing regulation was retrieved.

aircraft, aircraft-title-liens-and-the-faa-registry, cape-town-convention-aircraft, aircraft-mechanics-liens-and-non-judicial-sales, buying-an-aircraft-at-a-forced-sale, philko-aviation-v-shacket-1983, sheriff-sale, bankruptcy-363-sales

Sources

Disclaimer. This page is legal information, not legal advice. It is a general summary of federal law and agency practice that may be incomplete or out of date; law and agency procedure change and their application is fact-specific. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Verify every statute, regulation and form against the current primary source and consult a licensed attorney before acting.

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