How to Look Up Any FAA-Registered Aircraft by N-Number
January 8, 2026
What Is an N-Number?
Every civil aircraft registered in the United States is assigned a unique identifier that begins with the letter N. This is commonly called a tail number or N-number, and it must be displayed on the outside of the aircraft. Whether you spotted a plane overhead, are researching an aircraft purchase, or are just curious about who owns a particular plane, the N-number is your starting point.
Step 1: Find the N-Number
The N-number is painted or affixed on the tail, fuselage, or wing of the aircraft. It always starts with N, followed by one to five alphanumeric characters. For example, N12345 or N8UM are both valid formats. Commercial airliners typically display their tail numbers prominently near the rear of the fuselage.
Step 2: Search the FAA Registry
The FAA maintains the Civil Aviation Registry, a public database of all registered U.S. civil aircraft. You can search it directly on this site. Simply enter the N-number into the aircraft search field and you will be taken to a full record showing the owner, aircraft make and model, year of manufacture, engine type, and registration status.
What Information Will You Find?
A typical aircraft record includes:
- Registrant name and address — the individual, company, or trust that holds the registration
- Make and model — for example, Cessna 172 or Boeing 737
- Year of manufacture
- Aircraft type — fixed-wing single-engine, rotorcraft, glider, etc.
- Engine type
- Mode S transponder code — a unique hex code used in air traffic control
- Registration status — active, expired, or deregistered
Why Look Up an Aircraft?
People search tail numbers for many reasons. Prospective buyers conduct due diligence before purchasing a used aircraft. Aviation enthusiasts research planes they spot at airports. Journalists and researchers investigate fleet ownership. Some people simply want to know who owns the jet that keeps flying over their neighborhood.
The registry is public domain data, maintained by the FAA and updated regularly. It covers roughly 310,000 active registered aircraft across the United States.
Tips for Searching
If a search returns no results, double-check the N-number. The letters I and O are not used in N-numbers because they can be confused with the numbers 1 and 0. Also, aircraft that have been deregistered may not appear in active registry searches — but their historical records are often still accessible.
You can also browse aircraft by state if you want to explore registrations in a particular region rather than look up a specific tail number.