--- title: "Unmanned Vehicle Groups Join Drone Registration Talks" id: "30732" type: "post" slug: "unmanned-vehicle-groups-join-drone-registration-talks" published_at: "2015-10-22T20:49:20+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T14:54:27+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/10/22/unmanned-vehicle-groups-join-drone-registration-talks/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/10/22/unmanned-vehicle-groups-join-drone-registration-talks.md" excerpt: "With the Transportation Department looking to require drone owners to register their vehicles, the government has asked a task force of industry representatives for input. The approach has drawn mixed reviews." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "drone registration" - "Safety" - "Technology" - "unmanned vehicles" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Unmanned Vehicle Groups Join Drone Registration Talks The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has a big ask of drone enthusiasts, and, so far at least, the groups representing the unmanned vehicle field are at the table to hear things out. On Monday, the department announced that it will require drone users to register their vehicles with the government, whether the devices are being used for commercial or recreational purposes. The move comes at a time when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a DOT subsidiary, has been slow to finalize its rules for commercial drones. “Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” [Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement this week (opens in a new tab)](https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-transportation-secretary-anthony-foxx-announces-unmanned-aircraft-registration) . “It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.” The registration process will be set up with the help of a task force that will include representatives from aviation trade groups and drone manufacturers. The group is to provide its recommendations to the Transportation Department by November 20. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)—whose members include drone manufacturers, government organizations, and others—emphasized its understanding of the safety concerns leading the government to seek wholesale registration. “AUVSI welcomes the opportunity to join this task force of government and industry stakeholders,” [the group said in a statement (opens in a new tab)](https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/statements-of-support-uas-registration) . “This collaborative effort to develop an efficient process for UAS registration should lead to increased accountability across the entire aviation community.” Another drone-based organization that’s part of the task force, the Small UAV Coalition, had a much different take on the issue. It raised concerns about the short turnaround on the working group’s decision making, as well as concerns that industry isn’t driving the process. “I have great concerns that the FAA and DOT won’t come up with something that will help us move us forward as a country in advancing this technology on their own,” [coalition Executive Director Michael Drobac told Forbes (opens in a new tab)](http://fortune.com/2015/10/16/drones-register-department-of-transportation/) . “This has to be led by industry.” Meanwhile, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a group that represents model plane enthusiasts and hobbyist drone users, emphasized in its comments on the issue that the FAA’s rules should not affect small drones. “Registration of UAS that meet an appropriate threshold of weight, capability and other safety-related characteristics makes sense, but it should not become a prohibitive burden for recreational users who fly for fun and educational purposes and who have operated harmoniously within our communities for decades,” [AMA Executive Director Dave Mathewson said in a statement (opens in a new tab)](http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2015/10/19/media-release-ama-joins-dot-task-force-on-uas-registration/) . Beyond the unmanned vehicle industry, the DOT is also welcoming representatives from airlines, including the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), both of which emphasized safety concerns in their comments. “As the operators responsible for flying passengers and cargo, pilots are hyper-focused on ensuring the safety of our aviation system, including the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace,” [ALPA said in its statement on the issue (opens in a new tab)](https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/statements-of-support-uas-registration) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#drone registration](https://associationsnow.com/tag/drone-registration/) [#Safety](https://associationsnow.com/tag/safety/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) [#unmanned vehicles](https://associationsnow.com/tag/unmanned-vehicles/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F10%2F22%2Funmanned-vehicle-groups-join-drone-registration-talks%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !