Regulation Text
§ 61.85 Application.
An applicant for a student pilot certificate:
(a) Must make that application in a form acceptable to the Administrator; and
(b) Must submit the application to a Flight Standards office, a designated pilot examiner, an airman certification representative associated with a pilot school, a flight instructor, or other person authorized by the Administrator.
[Docket FAA-2010-1127, Amdt. 61-135, 81 FR 1306, Jan. 12, 2016, as amended by Docket FAA-2018-0119, Amdt. 61-141, 83 FR 9170, Mar. 5, 2018]
Research Notes
Research Notes
§ 61.85 addresses the student pilot certificate application process. IACRA system: Integrated Airmen Certification and Rating Application — all student pilot certificates are now issued through IACRA (iacra.faa.gov). The old paper application (8710-1) is no longer accepted for new student pilot certificates. Processing time: IACRA issuance is typically immediate for digital certificates, but physical certificates mailed from the FAA Airmen Certification Branch can take 3-6 weeks. Temporary documents can be used for solo flight while waiting. Record location: Student pilot records are maintained by the FAA Airmen Certification Branch in Oklahoma City, not at local FSDOs. IACRA — FAA
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.