FAA Aircraft Registry Updates in 2026: What Changed and What It Means
The FAA updated several processes for aircraft registration renewal and N-number assignment this year. We break down the changes and how they affect owners of recently-registered aircraft.
FAA Aircraft Registry Updates in 2026
The FAA Civil Aviation Registry made several procedural changes this year that affect how owners register, re-register, and transfer aircraft. Here is what you need to know.
Registration renewal cycle
Registration is now a seven-year cycle (up from three). If your registration was issued before the change, your expiration date has been administratively extended — check the registry to confirm.
N-number reservation
The hold period for reserved N-numbers has been shortened. If you reserved a number but have not yet assigned it to an aircraft, verify your reservation is still active.
Online transfer of ownership
Some transfers can now be completed entirely online through the FAA Registry portal. Others — particularly those involving an estate or a lienholder — still require paper.
What this means for myaircraft.us users
Our FAA Registry integration pulls your aircraft's current registry data automatically. When the FAA changes its data format, we update the integration — you don't need to do anything.