REGAR-93 (04/17) 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration 

Aircraft Registration Branch 

P.O. Box 25504

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125-0504

http://registry.faa.gov

RECORDING OF AIRCRAFT OWNERSHIP AND SECURITY DOCUMENTS

HOW TO RECORD

1. Any conveyance which affects title to, or any interest in, any specifically

described aircraft, aircraft engine, aircraft propeller, or spare parts location, 

may be recorded. (See Items 2, 3, and 4 below.) Send the complete,

signed agreement of the parties to the FAA Aircraft Registry for recording.

Documents, like promissory notes, that do not affect such an interest are

not recordable.

Requirements for the recordation of ownership or security conveyances are

contained in the Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR Part 49 - Recording 

of Aircraft Titles and Security Documents, which is available at the U.S.

Government Publishing Office web site: http://www.ecfr.gov

ELIGIBILITY

2. AIRCRAFT. To be eligible for recording, an instrument granting a

security interest in an aircraft must be signed by the parties to the

agreement and describe the aircraft by manufacturer, model, serial number, 

and registration number. The debtor must be the registered owner of the

aircraft; be the owner of record on the date the instrument is executed, as

evidenced by documents on file with the FAA Aircraft Registry; or the lien

document be accompanied by the debtor’s evidence of ownership,

application, and $5 registration fee. The recording fee of $5 for each

aircraft must accompany the security instrument.

3. ENGINES AND PROPELLERS. A lien instrument that affects interest

in: 1) a specifically identified aircraft engine of 550 or more rated take-off

horsepower (1,750 lbs. thrust), or 2) a specifically identified aircraft

propeller capable of absorbing 750 or more take-off horsepower (1,875

lbs. thrust) may be recorded. Describe each engine or propeller by

manufacturer, model, serial number, and horsepower or pounds thrust. A 

recording fee of $5 is required for each item described.

4. SPARE PARTS LOCATIONS. An instrument executed for security

purposes which affects title to, or interest in, an aircraft engine, propeller,

or appliance maintained by, or on behalf of, an air carrier for installation or 

use in aircraft, in aircraft engines or propellers, or any spare parts

maintained at a designated location by, or on behalf of, such an air carrier,

may be recorded. The air carrier must have been certificated under Title

49 United States Code 44705. The instrument must contain the statement

that the spare parts are being maintained by, or for, an air carrier

certificated under 49 USC 44705; the specific location or locations of the

spare parts; and the name of the air carrier.

NAME REQUIREMENTS

5. It is important that a name be the same on all conveyances submitted. A

corporation has only one name under which it is incorporated; do not use

abbreviated or shortened names. An individual should avoid the use of

nicknames and should show “Jr.” and “Sr.” if applicable. A woman’s full

given name should be used (Harriet A Jones) rather than her married name

(Mrs. George E. Jones).

6. TRADE NAME. When a trade name is used by an individual, by coowners, or by a corporation, the trade name alone is not sufficient since it

is not the legal entity owning the aircraft. The trade name may appear on

the conveyances in addition to the legal name of owner (John Doe, d.b.a.

Doe Air).

REQUIREMENTS FOR RECORDING

7. TRANSFER OF EQUITABLE INTEREST. A transfer of equitable

interest under a contract of conditional sale or lease with a purchase

option, previously recorded with the FAA Aircraft Registry, shall be

executed by the original conditional buyer (or their assignee) and the

seller under the contract of conditional sale (or their assignee) to show

consent to the transfer. It shall describe the original contract, including the 

date; names of parties; date of FAA recording and conveyance number;

and the aircraft by make, model, serial number, and registration number.

A recording fee, in addition to the registration fee, is required.

8. TRANSFER OF INTEREST. A transfer of interest (by an instrument

other than a bill of sale) in an aircraft subject to a security agreement

whereby the seller conveys all their right, title, and interest in an aircraft to 

a purchaser is eligible for recording as evidence of ownership. The

transfer agreement should be signed by the seller, the purchaser (if they

assume the debt), and by the lienholder to denote assent to the transfer. It

shall describe the original agreement by its date; parties; date of FAA

recording and conveyance number; and the aircraft by make, model, serial

number, and registration number. A recording fee, in addition to the

registration fee, is required.

9. ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT. An assumption agreement, whereby a

purchaser assumes the debt under a security agreement, may be recorded.

The assumption agreement must be signed by the new obligor and bear the

assent of the holder of the lien. The assumption must describe the

recorded lien by its date, parties, its FAA recording number and date, and 

describe the aircraft by make, model, serial number, and registration 

number. A recording fee of $5 is required.

10. MORTGAGE BY ONE CO-OWNER. A security instrument executed

by one co-owner may be recorded if the conveyance specifically sets forth

that they are mortgaging only their interest. The title “co-owner” must be

shown beside the debtor’s name in the signature element.

11. ASSIGNMENT. An assignment of a security interest by a secured party

which is not attached to, or part of, the original instrument may be

recorded separately. The assignment must describe the original security

instrument by date, parties, collateral, and its FAA recording number and

date. The assignment must be signed by the assignor and accompanied by

the recording fee of $5 for each piece of collateral affected.

12. AMENDMENT OR SUPPLEMENT. An amendment or supplement to

a recorded conveyance may be recorded if it describes the original

conveyance by date, parties, and its FAA recording number and date. It

must meet the signature requirements of the original instrument. A

recording fee of $5 for each piece of affected collateral is required.

13. IRREVOCABLE DE-REGISTRATION AND EXPORT REQUEST

AUTHORIZATION (IDERA). Effective March 1, 2006, an IDERA

recognized under the Cape Town Treaty may be part of, or attached to, a

security instrument, or filed separately. The format and content should be

the same as that found in the Annex to the Protocol to Convention on

International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Aircraft 

Equipment, available at www.unidroit.org. An IDERA filed separately

must also describe the original security instrument that it is related to by

date, parties, FAA recording number and date.

NOTE: Acceptance of an IDERA does not ensure its enforceability.

CONVEYANCES SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

14. CONVEYANCE FILED IN ERROR. When a conveyance is filed in

error or a transaction is not completed after documentation is submitted,

the record may be set straight by the submission of a statement signed by

the parties to the conveyance explaining the circumstances. The erroneous

conveyance should be described by date, parties, collateral, and, if

recorded, the FAA recording number and date. There is a $5 fee for each

aircraft for which such a statement is recorded.

15. DISCLAIMER OF INTEREST. A statement disclaiming any interest in

a specifically described aircraft may be recorded upon payment of a $5

recording fee. A disclaimer is not generally appropriate for recorded or

unrecorded lien conveyances in the aircraft record (releases are required).

The disclaimer is to disclaim any interest in the aircraft itself.
REGAR-93 (04/17) 

GENERAL INFORMATION

16. RELEASE. When a security instrument is recorded , notice is sent to the

holder of the security interest if their mailing address is shown on the

instrument. When the terms of the recorded conveyance have been

satisfied, the holder should complete and sign the suggested release form

at the bottom of the notice of recordation. If an equivalent release form is

used, it must be signed by the lienholder and must describe the conveyance 

it is releasing by date, collateral, parties, and the FAA recording number 

and date. A security instrument marked “PAID” is not sufficient to record

the release of security interest. There is no fee for recording a release.

17. CONVEYANCES FILED. Except as provided in Item 18, all

conveyances filed for recordation which are subsequently recorded

become a part of the permanent aircraft record and may not be returned.

18. RETURN OF ORIGINAL. If a person submitting a conveyance for

recording wants the original returned, they must also submit a certified

true copy of the original. After recording, the copy is kept by the FAA and 

the original is returned to the sender stamped with the date and time of

recording. (See Certified True Copy, Item 34.)

SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS

19. Documents submitted as evidence of ownership or other interests in

aircraft must be signed appropriately. The FAA Aircraft Registration

Branch accepts original ink signed documents, or printed duplicates of

electronic documents that display legible digital signatures. A legible and

acceptable digital signature will:

a. Show the name of the signer applied in a manner to execute or validate 

the document. (Example: Digitally signed by John J. Doe). 

b. Include the typed or printed name of the signer below or adjacent to

the signature when the signature uses a digitized or scanned version of

the of the signer’s hand scribed signature or a cursive font;

c. Show the signer’s corporate, managerial, or partnership title as part of

or adjacent to the digital signature when the signer is signing on

behalf of an organization or legal entity;

d. Show evidence of authentication of the signer’s identity such as the

text “digitally signed by” along with the software provider’s

seal/watermark, date and time of execution; or have an authentication

code or key identifying the software provider; and

e. Use a font, size and color density that is clearly legible and

reproducible when copied and scanned into a black and white format.

20. INDIVIDUAL. When an aircraft is owned by one person, they are the

individual owner. Their title in connection with aircraft instruments is

“owner.” The individual owner’s name must be shown in addition to a

trade name if one is used. (Example: John Doe, D.B.A. Doe Aircraft,

signed by John Doe, owner.)

21. CO-OWNERS. When an aircraft is owned by two or more persons as coowners, each person who shares title to the aircraft must sign all

instruments relating to the aircraft. The appropriate title would be

“co-owner.” Each co-owners’s name must appear in addition to a trade

name if one is used. If a corporation is a co-owner, the person(s) signing

on behalf of the corporation must be identified by their corporate position.

22. PARTNERSHIP. The names of all general partners must be stated with

the partnership name on the application for registration. If there is only

one general partner, so state. One partner may sign instruments for the

partnership if the full partnership name is shown and the title, “partner,”

follows their signature. The partnership name is either the name under

which the partners do business or, if none, the names of all general

partners. An aircraft owned by a partnership which has a corporation as a

member (general or limited) is not eligible for registration. Such a

partnership does not come with the definition of “citizen of the United

States” (49 USC 1301(16).

23. CORPORATION. The name of the corporation must be shown, and a

corporate officer or a person in a managerial position must sign the

instrument and show their corporate or managerial title.

24. GOVERNMENT. Persons signing conveyances for government-owned

aircraft must show their title as evidence of the capacity in which they act.

AUTHORITY TO SIGN FOR ANOTHER

25. In order to accept signatures not meeting the requirements of Items 20, 21, 

22, 23, and 24, above, a certified true copy of the document authorizing the 

signer to act must be submitted unless such authority is already on file with

the Aircraft Registration Branch.

26. AGENT. Submit the original or a certified true copy of the document

authorizing the agent to act; i.e., power of attorney, signed by the

individual, all co-owners, or a general partner, whichever is applicable. A 

corporation must submit a copy of the resolution of the board of directors

authorizing the agent to act, certified as true by a corporate officer or

manager. An authorization is accepted as valid up to an expiration date

stated therein or three years from the date it was signed. (See Certified

True Copy Requirements, Item 34.)

The principal’s name should be shown, followed by the agent’s signature

and title. Example: John Miller by Sidney Smith, attorney-in-fact.

27. GUARDIAN. The guardian of another person’s property which includes

an aircraft, must submit a certified true copy of the court order appointing

the guardian. The names of both the owner and guardian should appear on

all documents where the signature of the guardian on behalf of the owner

is required.

28. ESTATE. A conveyance executed on behalf of the estate of a deceased

owner must be signed by the authorized representative of the estate and

should be accompanied by that representative’s authority to sign for the

estate, unless such authority is already on file with us. The name of the

estate should be shown, followed by the representative’s signature and

title; i.e., Estate of John Doe by Richard Roe, Executor. The

representative’s name must be signed exactly as it appears on the

authorization document.

29. EXECUTOR OR ADMINISTRATOR. A certified true copy of Letters

Testamentary or Letters of Administration is required as authority for an

executor or administrator to act.

30. HEIR-AT-LAW. If no executor or administrator is appointed, a notarized

statement from the heir-at-law is required. The affidavit should state that

no application has been made for the appointment of an executor or

administrator and that, insofar as the affiant can determine, no such

application will be made; that they are the person entitled to the aircraft

under the laws of the state having jurisdiction; or that under such laws they 

have the right to dispose of the aircraft.

31. TRUSTEE. The appointed trustee must submit a certified true copy of the

court order appointing the trustee or, if appointed without a court order, a

certified true copy of the complete trust instrument. (see Certified True

Copy Requirements, Item 34.)

32. TRUSTEE IN BANKRUPTCY. A certified true copy of the court order

naming the trustee is required to show the trustee’s authority to sign. The

bankrupt’s name must be shown, followed by the signature and title of the

trustee.

CHANGE OF NAME

33. When a change of name occurs, the original, certified true copy, or

photocopy of the instrument approving the change is required; i.e.,

marriage certificate, certificate from the Secretary of State, certificate from

Comptroller of U. S. Currency, approved merger agreement, etc. A

photocopy must show official’s name, title, and state seal if applicable.

CERTIFIED TRUE COPY

34. A certified true copy must be a complete copy (front and back) of the

original, including all terms, signatures, and dates, to which is attached a

signed statement that the copy has been compared with the original and

that it is a true copy. The copy must be legible and reproducible. A 

document issued by a court of law must be certified as true by an officer of

the court.

FEES 

35. The current recording fees for a conveyance of ownership or other interest

in an aircraft, or a conveyance made for security purposes of an aircraft

engine or propeller, or for engines, propellers, appliances, or spare parts

maintained at a designated location on behalf of an air carrier are

published in 14 CFR Section 49.15.