Regulation Text
§ 61.19 Duration of pilot and instructor certificates and privileges.
(a) General. (1) The holder of a certificate with an expiration date may not, after that date, exercise the privileges of that certificate.
(2) Except for a certificate issued with an expiration date, a certificate issued under this part is valid unless it is surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
(b) Paper student pilot certificate. A student pilot certificate issued under this part prior to April 1, 2016 expires:
(1) For student pilots who have not reached their 40th birthday, 60 calendar months after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(2) For student pilots who have reached their 40th birthday, 24 calendar months after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(3) For student pilots seeking a glider rating, balloon rating, or a sport pilot certificate, 60 calendar months after the month of the date issued, regardless of the person's age.
(c) Pilot certificates. (1) A pilot certificate (including a student pilot certificate issued after April 1, 2016) issued under this part is issued without an expiration date.
(2) The holder of a pilot certificate issued on the basis of a foreign pilot license may exercise the privileges of that certificate only while that person's foreign pilot license is effective.
(d) Flight instructor certificate. (1) A flight instructor certificate issued under this part on or after December 1, 2024, is issued without an expiration date.
(2) A flight instructor certificate issued before December 1, 2024, expires 24 calendar months from the month in which it was issued, renewed, or reinstated, as appropriate.
(e) Ground instructor certificate. A ground instructor certificate is issued without an expiration date.
(f) Return of certificates. The holder of any airman certificate that is issued under this part, and that has been suspended or revoked, must return that certificate to the FAA when requested to do so by the Administrator.
(g) Duration of pilot certificates. Except for a temporary certificate issued under § 61.17 or a student pilot certificate issued under paragraph (b) of this section, the holder of a paper pilot certificate issued under this part may not exercise the privileges of that certificate after March 31, 2010.
Research Notes
Certificate Duration Rules — What Expires and What Doesn't
Section 61.19 is deceptively important: most pilot certificates do not expire, but there are key exceptions that trip up students and experienced pilots alike.
Pilot certificates (§ 61.19(c)(1)): Student, sport, recreational, private, commercial, and ATP certificates issued after April 1, 2016, have no expiration date. Student pilot certificates issued before that date had expiration dates tied to the medical certificate.
Flight instructor certificates — MAJOR CHANGE in 2024: CFI certificates issued on or after December 1, 2024, are issued without an expiration date. Prior to that date, CFI certificates expired every 24 calendar months and required renewal (§ 61.197). This is a significant administrative change affecting all new CFIs — the 24-month renewal cycle that has defined CFI currency for decades now applies only to certificates issued before December 2024. New CFIs will need to maintain currency by other means as the regulatory framework evolves.
Ground instructor certificates (§ 61.19(e)): Never expire. No renewal required.
Paper pilot certificates: Any paper (non-plastic) pilot certificate issued before March 31, 2010, is no longer valid after that date. This affects only very old certificates.
Reference: AC 61-65J — Certificate duration and renewal guidance.
Foreign-Based Pilot Certificates (§ 61.19(c)(2))
A pilot certificate issued based on a foreign pilot license (under § 61.75) is only valid while the underlying foreign license remains effective. If that foreign license is suspended, revoked, or expires without renewal, the U.S. certificate privileges terminate simultaneously — regardless of what's printed on the U.S. certificate. This catches foreign pilots who let their home-country license lapse without realizing it voids their U.S. certificate.
Amendment History
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.
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.