AlphaTango: registering your drone and operator step by step

Published on 24 February 2026, updated on 13 October 2026 — regulations in force as of September 2026.

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Who must register as a UAS operator?

UAS operator registration is mandatory as soon as you use a drone weighing 250 g or more, or a drone under 250 g fitted with a sensor able to capture personal data — in practice, any camera drone that is not a toy within the meaning of directive 2009/48/EC. A 249 g DJI Mini with a camera therefore requires registration, contrary to a persistent misconception: the 250 g threshold waives the A1/A3 training, not the registration.

The operator is the natural or legal person responsible for the operation: an individual registers in their own name, a company in the name of the business (with its SIREN number), and its employed remote pilots fly under the company's number. Registration is done on alphatango.aviation-civile.gouv.fr; it is free. At the end of the form you receive a number in the format FRA + 13 characters, followed by 3 confidential characters used for remote electronic identification.

AlphaTango registration screen by screen

The process follows the DGAC's official help sheet “Enregistrement comme exploitant d'UAS”, in eight steps (the portal is in French; the French labels are given in quotes):

1. Create the account on alphatango.aviation-civile.gouv.fr, as a natural person or a legal person. Only a natural person can obtain the A1/A3 training certificate: a sole trader registered as a legal person by mistake must convert the account.
2. Complete “Mon compte” (my account): the address in the “Contact” block; a legal person also names a representative (point of contact). An “Assurance” field in the “Général” block takes the insurance policy number where the law requires it.
3. Open the form from the “Exploitant d'UAS” (UAS operator) block, on the home page or in the account section, and check the pre-filled data.
4. Country of registration: your country of residence as an individual, that of the main establishment for a company, or the State of first operation for an operator based outside Europe. The form only continues if that is France and the box “I declare that I am not already registered as a UAS operator in another European country” is ticked.
5. Legal person: tick the declaration on staff competence.
6. Submit: the operator number appears with a button to download the extract from the register, and an email titled “[AlphaTango] Enregistrement comme exploitant d'UAS” confirms it (the DGAC publishes a help sheet for Hotmail and Outlook mailboxes that do not receive it).
7. Load the code into the drone's remote identification: it is the number followed, after a hyphen, by 3 “secret” check characters. Share them with no one: they stop anyone loading your number into an aircraft that is not yours.
8. Register each aircraft of 800 g or more (or fitted with electronic conspicuity) under “Mes aéronefs” (my aircraft): model, serial number, and the mass band matching the maximum flying mass.

If you stop operating or move to another European State, ask to be removed from the register by emailing assistance-alphatango@aviation-civile.gouv.fr with the reason.

Marking the number on the drone: the exact rules

The operator number (without the 3 confidential characters) must be visibly marked on every drone operated: a label, engraving or indelible marking, readable with the naked eye, if necessary by opening a compartment accessible without tools (the battery hatch qualifies). The same number is used for the whole fleet — no need to register each aircraft for this marking. It must also be entered into the drone's direct remote identification system (Remote ID), mandatory on class C1 to C6 aircraft and broadcast over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth during flight.

Classic mistakes to avoid: marking the old pre-harmonisation "UAS-FR-" number, sticking the label on a removable battery that moves between aircraft, or forgetting to update the Remote ID after a renewal. During a gendarmerie check, the match between the displayed number, the broadcast number and the AlphaTango account is the first thing verified.

Registering the aircraft itself above 800 g

France adds a national requirement inherited from its 2016 drone law: any drone weighing 800 g or more (battery and equipment included), and any drone fitted with an electronic conspicuity device whatever its mass, must be registered on AlphaTango by its owner, on top of the operator registration. Each aircraft then receives a number of the form UAS-FR-…, to be marked on the outside or in a compartment that opens without tools, and the registration is valid for five years. This typically concerns professional machines: DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, Matrice 350 RTK, photogrammetry survey drones or agricultural spraying drones.

The same 800 g threshold also triggers the French electronic conspicuity requirement: the drone must broadcast a signal (built-in beacon or add-on module) transmitting its position, distinct from the European Remote ID even though recent aircraft combine both. Finally, keep your AlphaTango account up to date: selling or destroying an aircraft, changing address or company name must all be declared online. A drone you sold but which remains registered in your name legally ties you to its new owner's flights until the transfer is recorded.

AlphaTango day to day for a professional operator

Beyond the initial registration, AlphaTango centralises the operator's entire administrative life. It is where operational declarations for the specific category (STS-01 and STS-02 scenarios) are filed, with a confirmation to renew every two years. It is also where prior notifications for flights over populated areas are submitted and forwarded automatically to the relevant préfecture. The portal also hosts access to the online A1/A3 training and exam, and stores your downloadable certificates — invaluable when a client requests supporting documents the day before a job.

Organisational tip: create the account in the company's name as soon as the business is set up, attach every remote pilot and every machine to it, and export a fleet status report once a year. Expired numbers, validity dates and certificates are the leading cause of mission refusals among large accounts (SNCF, Enedis, major construction groups), whose procurement teams systematically check these documents.

Penalties for failing to register

Flying a drone subject to registration without being registered, or without the number marked on it, is an offence recorded during ground checks by the air transport gendarmerie, the police or DGAC inspectors. An aircraft subject to electronic conspicuity that flies without a compliant device, or whose identifier has not been registered on AlphaTango, is treated as “non-cooperative”: its owner or pilot faces the penalties of decree no. 2019-1253 of 28 November 2019, as the DSAC open category guide points out. Using a drone in conditions that breach the safety rules carries one year's imprisonment and a €75,000 fine (Article L.6232-4 of the transport code). Where breaches accumulate — no registration, no training, flight in a prohibited area — prosecution shifts to the criminal offences of the French transport code, with penalties of up to one year's imprisonment and a €45,000 fine for deliberately overflying a prohibited zone (Article L.6232-12).

For a professional, however, the most expensive risk is not the fine: it is the insurer refusing cover. Professional drone liability policies almost always exclude flights conducted outside administrative compliance. Property damage caused by an unregistered drone then remains entirely at the operator's expense. The free five-minute registration is by far the best protection-to-effort ratio in the whole regulation. And if you discover an oversight after the fact, regularise without delay: inspectors clearly distinguish the operator who was compliant at the time of the flight from the one who registers the night before a check, and the registration date on AlphaTango is authoritative.

Frequently asked questions

Is AlphaTango registration free and how long is it valid?

Yes: UAS operator registration on alphatango.aviation-civile.gouv.fr is free. At the end of the form you receive a number in the FRA + 13 characters format, to be marked on every drone in the fleet, and a downloadable extract from the register. The five-year validity set by the DGAC applies to the registration of an aircraft of 800 g or more (UAS-FR-… number), not to the operator number.

Do I need to register on AlphaTango for a drone under 250 g?

Yes, as soon as the drone carries a camera and is not a toy: the 250 g threshold waives the A1/A3 training, not the operator registration. A 249 g DJI Mini with a camera therefore requires registration.

What is the difference between operator and aircraft registration?

The operator (individual or company) registers once, whatever the fleet size, and the same number marks every drone. Registering the aircraft itself is only required in France for drones of 800 g and above, which receive their own additional number.

I am a foreign visitor: do I need to register on AlphaTango to fly in France?

If you are already registered as an operator in another European country, no: your number is valid in France, just display it on the drone. If you live outside Europe and your first European flight is in France, register on AlphaTango before flying. French flight rules (Géoportail zones, built-up areas) apply in every case.

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