Expired Pilot Certificates and Re-issuance

Regulation Text

§ 61.11 Expired pilot certificates and re-issuance.

(a) No person who holds an expired pilot certificate or rating may act as pilot in command or as a required pilot flight crewmember of an aircraft of the same category or class that is listed on that expired pilot certificate or rating.

(b) The following pilot certificates and ratings have expired and will not be reissued:

(1) An airline transport pilot certificate issued before May 1, 1949, or an airline transport pilot certificate that contains a horsepower limitation.

(2) A private or commercial pilot certificate issued before July 1, 1945.

(3) A pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air or free-balloon rating issued before July 1, 1945.

(c) An airline transport pilot certificate that was issued after April 30, 1949, and that bears an expiration date but does not contain a horsepower limitation, may have that airline transport pilot certificate re-issued without an expiration date.

(d) A private or commercial pilot certificate that was issued after June 30, 1945, and that bears an expiration date, may have that pilot certificate reissued without an expiration date.

(e) A pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air or free-balloon rating that was issued after June 30, 1945, and that bears an expiration date, may have that pilot certificate reissued without an expiration date.

Research Notes

Certificate Validity and Re-Issuance

Under current Part 61 rules, pilot certificates do not expire — they are valid indefinitely unless suspended or revoked. However, § 61.11 addresses legacy certificates that were issued with expiration dates under older regulations.

Most modern pilots will never encounter this section in practice. Its significance is for estate situations, antique aircraft museums, or individuals who find old certificates from deceased relatives. Certificates issued before the mid-1940s under predecessor regulations carry expiration dates and, in many cases, are not eligible for re-issuance.

The key practical point: if someone presents an old certificate with an expiration date that has passed, § 61.11 governs whether and how it can be re-issued. In most cases, a certificate issued after the dates listed in § 61.11(c)-(e) CAN be re-issued without an expiration date by contacting the Airmen Certification Branch.

Modern pilot certificates issued under current Part 61 do not have expiration dates. This is separate from recency requirements (§ 61.56 for flight review, § 61.57 for recency of experience) — a certificate never expires, but the privilege to act as PIC can lapse if currency requirements aren't met.

Reference: FAA Airmen Certification — certificate re-issuance procedures.

CFI Commentary

Highlighted phrases in the regulation text above link to instructor notes at the bottom of this page. Look for the amber or blue highlights — each one flags a gotcha or a pro tip worth knowing.

Amendment History

2016-12-30

AOA Notes

These notes correspond to the highlighted phrases in the regulation text above. Each one flags something worth knowing — a common misread, a checkride gotcha, or a practical pro tip.

Gotcha: Modern Certificates Don't Expire — But Old Ones Might

Here's a piece of history that still has teeth: older certificates issued under predecessor regulations had expiration dates printed on them. If someone actually holds one of those old certificates, they can't use it even if it was valid when issued. This matters for historical research and estate situations. What does NOT expire is your current-era Part 61 certificate — the plastic card in your wallet has no expiration date. That said, your CURRENCY can lapse. The certificate never expires; the privilege to act as PIC can lapse if you don't maintain your flight review and recency requirements.

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