A task force exploring the best way to register drones in the U.S. will submit its recommendations to government regulators on Saturday, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said.
In a blog post on Friday, Huerta said the FAA would consider the recommendations and public comments as it develops registration rules that will likely go into effect sometime in December.
"Registration will instill a sense of accountability and responsibility among UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) pilots, and also will prompt them to become educated about safe flying in the National Airspace System (NAS). For those who choose to ignore the rules and fly unsafely, registration is a tool that will assist us and our law enforcement partners in finding them," Huerta said.
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The FAA announced last month that it needed rules for registering unmanned aircraft under 55 pounds to help protect the public from errant drones and to keep track of the increasing number of drones entering national airspace.
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Federal transportation officials have said they hope to have a drone registry set up before the holidays, when, by some estimates, as many as 700,000 new unmanned aircraft will be purchased as gifts.
The 25-member task force named by the FAA to come up with recommendations includes representatives from retailers, drone manufacturers, hobbyists, law enforcement and the aviation industry.
Huerta has promised that registration will be simple and drone owners won’t need to pay a third party to help with the process.