Remotely piloted aircraft operator's certificate

A remotely piloted aircraft operator's certificate (ReOC) allows you or your business to trade as a drone service provider.

A ReOC permits your business to conduct a range of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations—subject to approval—that are not available to other operators.

You do not need a ReOC, if you’re:

The requirements

A remotely piloted aircraft operator's certificate (ReOC) allows you or your business to operate as a drone service provider for hire or reward, including:

  • employing remote pilots to operate RPA that weigh:
    • less than 7 kg
    • less than 25 kg
    • less than 150 kg
    • more than 150 kg – additional certification of the RPA required
  • applying for additional permissions and approvals to conduct more complex drone operations outside of the drone safety rules.

A ReOC does not allow you to operate an RPA. To operate an RPA, you must hire a licensed remote pilot or have a remote pilot licence (RePL) yourself.

As a ReOC holder, you must:

Find a certified operator

If you’d like to contact or hire a ReOC holder, search our directory of certified operators.

Apply for a ReOC online

Follow these steps to apply for a ReOC:

  1. Complete the RPA Operator’s Certificate form

    Download and complete the following form:

    Enter your personal details and make sure to save it on to your device.

  2. Complete your supporting documentation

    Make sure you review the application and have the necessary supporting documentation. You need to submit your RPAS Operations Manual as part of the application.

    Download our sample RPAS operations manual: RPAS sample operations manual (DOCX, 572 KB).

  3. Email your application and supporting documents

    When you have completed the form, you can send it and your supporting documents to the nominated email on the form.

  4. Pay the application fee

    We will review your application and tell you how to pay your application fee.

  5. Pass a chief remote pilot (CRP) assessment

    After we have received your application and fee, you will then need to successfully pass your chief remote pilot (CRP) assessment.

    Applications can take up to 70 business days to process. This depends on the complexity of your operation.

    Once approved, your certificate will list the conditions of operation, including:

    • type of RPA
    • weight restrictions
    • manufacturer and model (for RPA over 25 kg)

Apply for a ReOC through an industry delegate

You can also apply for a ReOC through an industry delegate. Delegates are only authorised to issue a ReOC if the RPA is:

  • used in basic aerial operations
  • no more than 25 kg.

Industry delegates include:

We recommend you contact your preferred delegate about their fees and application information.

Renew your ReOC

An initial ReOC is valid for 12 months and renewals are valid for up to 3 years.

You can renew your certificate online within 3 months of its expiry, provided you’re not making any changes.

You need to create an account if you haven't used the myCASA portal before.

To renew through myCASA, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to myCASA using your individual account

    Navigate to the myCASA portal and enter your email address and password to log in.

    You can also use Digital Identity to login to the portal.

  2. Renew your ReOC

    Select 'Renew my ReOC'. You can only renew your certificate if its expiry date is within the next 3 months.

  3. Declaration

    Read the declaration and tick the check box.

  4. Payment

    Select 'Proceed to payment' and pay the renewal fee.

After submitting your renewal and payment, you’ll get a confirmation message and an email containing your renewed certificate.

You cannot renew an expired certificate. If your certificate expires, you cannot continue to operate until you apply for a new certificate and pay the related fees.

Vary your ReOC

If you need to change or vary your ReOC or key staff roles, you must fill out:

Apply for advanced permissions and approvals

To fly an RPA in some locations or under certain conditions, you must apply for flight authorisations. This applies if you want to operate outside of the drone safety rules and standard operating conditions.

As a ReOC holder, you can conduct some operations without CASA approval:

You may also need to request to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for some operations.

Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) submissions

Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) alert pilots to any potential safety hazards along a flight route or in a specified location.

If you’re a ReOC holder and you have received an instrument of approval that requires you to issue a NOTAM, you must fill out the Airservices NOTAM request form and either:

  • submit to Airservices Australia, if you’re a NOTAM authorised person
  • submit to us, if you’re not a NOTAM authorised person.

Follow the instructions in the NOTAM Data Quality Requirements for Unmanned Aircraft Operators and the NOTAM Originator User Guide. NOTAM requests that contain errors will not be accepted.

You must lodge NOTAMs:

  • at least 48 hours before the commencement of the operation
  • during business hours (8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday – Canberra local time).

Contact us

Have a question? Need help? Try asking our virtual assistant.

You can also contact us through our online enquiry form.

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Last updated:
16 Nov 2022
Online version available at: https://www.casa.gov.au//drones/get-your-operator-credentials/remotely-piloted-aircraft-operators-certificate
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