Why Your Drone Pilot Needs to Be FAA Part 107 Licensed

By Alan Henrichsmeyer · October 2026 · 4 min read

Realtors — let me tell you why hiring a certified and insured drone pilot actually matters.

If you're using drone photos or video in your listings, your pilot needs to be FAA Part 107 licensed. This isn't a nice-to-have. It's federal law.

The fines are real

The FAA has fined unlicensed commercial drone operators thousands of dollars. One operator in New York was hit with over $200,000 in proposed fines. Even smaller violations routinely run $1,000 to $10,000 per incident.

And here's the part nobody thinks about — if you're the agent who hired them, it's your listing, your client, and your reputation on the line. The FAA doesn't just look at the person holding the controller. They look at who commissioned the flight.

Don't forget copyright

If your drone pilot isn't running a legitimate business, you have no guarantee you actually own the rights to those images. One dispute over who owns your listing photos can cost you more than the shoot ever did. Imagine getting a demand letter over images you already paid for.

When you hire AHP Servicing LLC, it's simple: once you pay for the job, you own the copyright. Clear, legal, no surprises.

What certified and insured actually means

I fly every job with full FAA Part 107 certification — that's the federal license required for any commercial drone work. I also carry a $1 million liability policy on every drone I fly. If something goes wrong, you're covered. If your pilot can't say both of those things, you're taking a risk you don't need to take.

The bottom line

Don't gamble your listings on the cheapest option. The guy with a drone from Best Buy and no license might save you fifty bucks on the shoot — right up until the FAA letter shows up, or the copyright dispute starts, or something goes wrong and there's no insurance to cover it.

Hire someone who's legal, insured, and professional. Your listings — and your clients — deserve that.