What Is an Aircraft's Airworthiness Certificate?

Two Certificates, Two Different Things

Many people assume that a valid FAA registration is all an aircraft needs to fly legally. In fact, there are two distinct requirements: a valid registration certificate and a valid airworthiness certificate. The registration certificate, issued by the FAA Civil Aviation Registry, establishes legal ownership and assigns the N-number. The airworthiness certificate certifies that the aircraft was built to an approved design and is in a condition for safe flight.

What an Airworthiness Certificate Certifies

An airworthiness certificate is issued by the FAA after an aircraft passes an initial inspection demonstrating it meets applicable design and production standards. For type-certificated aircraft (standard production planes like a Cessna 172 or Boeing 737), this happens when the aircraft is manufactured. For experimental amateur-built aircraft, the owner must demonstrate compliance before receiving a special airworthiness certificate.

Standard vs. Special Airworthiness Certificates

The FAA issues two main categories:

• Standard airworthiness certificates — issued for type-certificated aircraft in normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, and transport categories. These do not expire as long as the aircraft is maintained in accordance with FAA regulations.
• Special airworthiness certificates — issued for experimental aircraft, light-sport aircraft, primary category aircraft, and aircraft in restricted or limited categories.

Maintaining Airworthiness

An airworthiness certificate does not expire on its own, but an aircraft can lose its airworthy status if it is not properly maintained. Annual inspections by a certified mechanic are required to keep most aircraft legally airworthy. Compliance with Airworthiness Directives — mandatory safety modifications issued by the FAA — is also required.

What the Registry Shows

The FAA Civil Aviation Registry records include airworthiness classification information, but not the current maintenance status of the aircraft. To determine whether a specific aircraft is currently in an airworthy condition, you would need to review its logbooks and maintenance records, which are held by the owner rather than the FAA.

When looking up an aircraft in the registry, the airworthiness category gives you a sense of the aircraft intended use and certification basis. For more context on aircraft categories, see the aircraft types overview.