Your department wants a drone program. The FAA wants you to prove you know what you are doing before you put something in the national airspace. The Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate is how you do both at once.

RTI's FAA Part 107 Certification course is 16 hours of online instruction built specifically for law enforcement. Not adapted from a commercial photography course. Not a generic study guide with a badge graphic on the cover. Every scenario, every example, and every concept is framed around how cops actually use drones: search and rescue, perimeter containment, crime scene documentation, missing persons, vehicle pursuits, and structure assessment before entry.

The course covers every FAA knowledge test category and walks you through the 2025/2026 regulatory updates, including the Certificate of Waiver (COW) framework that replaced the old COA pathway for public safety agencies. You will finish this course knowing what the exam tests, what the regulations actually require, and what your department needs to do to build a legally compliant drone program.

Idaho POST-certified. 16 hours. Self-paced. Complete it between shifts or over a weekend. The FAA knowledge test is scheduled and paid separately. This course gets you ready to pass it.

What the Course Covers

Sixteen hours of instruction across every FAA Part 107 knowledge test category, with law enforcement context built into each module:

• FAA regulations and Part 107 authority. What the certificate allows, what it prohibits, and how public safety operations fit within the framework.
• Airspace classification and authorization. Class B through G airspace, controlled airspace operations, TFRs, LAANC, and how to get authorization where your mission requires it.
• Weather and atmospheric effects on sUAS. Reading METARs and TAFs, density altitude, wind effects, and conditions that should keep the drone on the ground.
• Aircraft systems, loading, and performance. Weight and payload limits, battery management, range considerations, and pre-flight airworthiness checks.
• Emergency procedures. Lost link protocols, flyaway scenarios, and airspace incursion response.
• Night operations. Anti-collision lighting requirements, physiological factors, and controlled airspace authorization for after-dark missions.
• Remote ID. Broadcast requirements, FRIA operations, and what enforcement looks like in the field.
• Operations over people and moving vehicles. Category 1 through 4 rules, exceptions, and how law enforcement deployments interact with these restrictions.
• Part 107 vs. COW: choosing the right path for your agency. The Certificate of Waiver replaced the COA framework for public safety agencies in 2025. This module explains both pathways, who needs what, and how most agencies end up pursuing both.
• Evidence documentation and chain of custody. Aerial footage as evidence, file management, and what your department needs to establish before the first flight becomes court-relevant.
• Exam strategy and knowledge test prep. How the FAA exam is structured, where most candidates lose points, and how to approach sectional chart and METAR questions under time pressure.

Included with the Full Course

The full course includes the complete Part 107 question bank with over 200 randomized exam-prep questions organized by module. Every category tested on the FAA knowledge exam is covered. Retakes are unlimited.

Most law enforcement training exists because someone needed to fill a POST requirement. You've sat through that training. You know exactly what it looks like.

RTI courses are built by working investigators who got tired of watching officers fail in the field because their training never matched reality. Every module is grounded in current forensic science, tested against real case outcomes, and built to hold up in court, not just in a classroom.

No rubber-stamp certificates. No recycled slide decks from a decade ago. No instructors whose only qualification is that they once attended the course they're now teaching.

If you do the work, you'll leave with skills you can use on your next shift.
That's the standard RTI trains to.

Is this Idaho POST-certified?

Yes. This course is Idaho POST-certified for 16 hours.

Does completing this course mean I have passed the FAA Part 107 exam?

No. The FAA knowledge test is a separate proctored exam taken at an FAA-approved testing center. This course prepares you to pass it. The FAA test fee is $175, paid when you schedule your appointment at an approved testing center.

How long do I have to complete the course?

Access does not expire. Complete it at your own pace.

Do I need Part 107 or a COW for my department's drone program?

Most agencies pursue both. Part 107 certifies individual pilots and is the fastest path to legal operations. The Certificate of Waiver (COW), which replaced the old COA framework in 2025, gives agencies expanded authority including night operations in controlled airspace, beyond visual line of sight, and flight over people. Part 107 is the right starting point for every pilot on your team. This course covers both pathways in detail.

Can a training coordinator enroll the whole department at once?

Contact RTI directly for agency enrollment options and volume pricing.

What is the difference between this course and the question bank or practice exam?

This is the full course: instruction plus exam prep questions. The Part 107 Question Bank ($220) is the question bank only, organized by module, with no instructional content. The Practice Exam ($55) is a single randomized 100-question pass. If you want to learn the material and pass the test, start here.

Does this cover DFR and BVLOS programs?

The course introduces the regulatory landscape for Drone as First Responder programs and BVLOS operations, including what a COW authorizes and what additional FAA approvals are required. Building a full DFR program involves steps beyond Part 107 that are addressed in the COW module.

Is the course available for in-person agency delivery?

Yes. Contact RTI to discuss agency-hosted in-person options.