Time is running short for holders of FAA ratings who have foreign addresses and who have no U.S. address of record to designate a U.S. Agent of Service (USAS). The rule requires those individuals to designate a U.S. agent by July 7 to receive FAA documents on the certificate holder’s behalf. According to the FAA, “This rule facilitates the FAA’s ability to accomplish prompt and cost-effective service of process and service of other safety-critical or time-sensitive documents to individuals abroad through service on their U.S. agents.” The final rule was issued on October 8, 2024.
The requirement applies to holders of certificates issued under Parts 47 (aircraft registration), 61 (pilot certification), 63 (flight crew members other than pilots), 65 (airmen other than flight crew members), 67 (medical standards and certification) and 107 (small unmanned aircraft systems—sUAS). Applicants for certificates to be issued under those criteria were required to designate a USAS by Jan. 6.
Hillsboro, Oregon-based EZ Aviation LLC notified AVweb with a heads-up on the fast-approaching July 7 deadline. The company, which offers a platform for compliance, wrote, “Failing to comply may result in administrative consequences, including delayed notifications, certificate complications, or possible revocation proceedings.” The process assists certificate holders to:
– Appoint a registered U.S. Agent for Service (Service Agent—Company type)
– Access official correspondence through a secure dashboard
– Receive timely notifications and document scans
– Forward physical mail globally (FedEx international shipping available)
It is as if email was never invented… Nice work if you can get it. Like all those customs agents at airports who charge $200 to put their stamp on any package with declared value of $2,000 or more.
Thats like being propelled back into the stone ages.
Unreal. Down and out we go. $150 for 3 years of 0 Action.
This sure sounds out of place considering the FAA wants everything else done electronically!
Plus, some email systems have some kind of read receipt, so the sender has an indication the email was looked at. Cheaper that certified too.
AOPA has a good solution: Home | AOPA FAA Mail Agent
The entire thing is a complete joke. You’d think its April 1st. Beyond me, how AVweb has skipped this information from a fairly large international audience in the past, until this advertorial came around.
So email a certificate? There’s a few things like medical and certificate actions that require a physical copy.
Its not about emailing a certificate. Its about being UNABLE to maintain a solid and sound database.
I hold a Commercial/ Instrument SES/SEL, AGI/IGI and I am currently residing in Europe… I am not flying, not egaged in aviation beyond journalism/ consulting and could not manage to encounter a certificate action that would require the revocation of my “privileges”, even if I tried. The FAA has no f… business with me, at all.
But, I would like to remain a member of the special rich people club and have no risk of having my certificates revoked, because a stone-age federal agency finds itself unable to send me a f… email if one of my examiners from 25 years ago is found incompetent…
This is hilariously dumb.