The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is implementing mandatory registration for Unmanned Aircraft (UA) from 2 January 2020. Any UA including radio-controlled aircraft, drones and remote-controlled kites, with a total weight above 250 grams, must be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore before it can be operated in Singapore. Registrants must be 16 years old and above.
The registration process involves the purchase of a registration label online or at 27 designated SingPost post offices, followed by the completion of the UA registration online. A registration fee of SGD 15 (USD 11.11) per UA will be collected at the point of purchase of the registration label. For Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PR), each individual is allowed to purchase up to five registration labels. For non-Singaporeans or non-PRs, each individual is allowed to purchase only one label.
UA users will have a three-month grace period from 2 January 2020 to register their UA. From 2 April 2020, it will be an offence to operate an unregistered UA with a total weight of above 250 grams in Singapore. Offenders could face a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both.
In August 2019, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Advisory Panel (UASAP) had submitted recommendations on how mandatory registration could be implemented in Singapore. The Panel’s recommendations were accepted by the Ministry of Transport in October 2019. Mr Kevin Shum, Director-General of CAAS, said, “Mandatory UA registration is an important part of our enhanced regulatory framework to ensure that UA can be used in Singapore safely. To further encourage UA users to fly responsibly, we will also be stepping up efforts to educate and help UA users comply with regulations.”
(Sources: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore)
