Own a drone? Starting next week, you'll need to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Department of Transportation agency will begin accepting drone registrations online on Dec. 21, when rules requiring it go into effect.
Under the rule, all owners of small drones (weighing between 0.5 and 55 pounds) must register no later than Feb. 19, 2016, or before their first flight outdoors.
"Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I'm excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation."
Those ages 13 and older can register online via a new Web-based system. You'll need to provide your name, home address, and email address. After you complete the registration, you'll get a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique ID number, which you must affix to your drone or drones.
Registration will be free for the first 30 days, until Jan. 20. After that, you'll need to pay $5 to register, or risk civil and criminal penalties if you're caught flying an unregistered drone after Feb. 19.
"The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years," the FAA said.
You'll only need to register once and can use the same ID number for all your drones. Registration is valid for three years.
"We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,"FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement. He added that the registration process will allow the FAA to "educate these new airspace users before they fly so they know the airspace rules and understand they are accountable to the public for flying responsibly."
For more, check out the FAA's registration FAQ.