Learn how to replace a lost FAA private pilot certificate, obtain temporary authority to fly, and avoid errors with your address, medical and logbook.
To replace a lost FAA private pilot certificate, request a replacement through the FAA Airmen Services portal or send a signed request to the Airmen Certification Branch. If you need to fly before the card arrives, obtain FAA-issued temporary authority; a scan or photograph of the missing certificate is not a legal substitute.
This Aviation & Real-World Flying guidance applies to FAA-issued certificates. Other national aviation authorities have their own replacement procedures, usually for a credential called a private pilot licence.
How do I request an FAA replacement certificate?
The online FAA Airmen Services route avoids postal handling and is the practical first choice when the service can verify your record.
- Sign in to the official FAA service. Use the Airmen Services portal reached through the FAA website, not a commercial certificate-search service.
- Check your airman record. Confirm your legal name, certificate details and permanent mailing address before ordering. A replacement sent to an old address creates a second problem.
- Order the replacement. Select the replacement-certificate service and pay the fee displayed by the FAA. Save the confirmation, but do not treat that receipt as authority to fly.
- Request temporary authority if needed. Use the FAA option for temporary authority to exercise certificate privileges when you cannot wait for the replacement card.
If you cannot use the online service, follow the FAA's published postal instructions for the Airmen Certification Branch. A signed request normally identifies your full legal name, date and place of birth, permanent mailing address, certificate number if known, certificate grade and ratings, and the circumstances of the loss. Use the address, payment method and fee shown in the FAA instructions rather than relying on an old form or saved address.
Can I fly while waiting for the replacement?
You may fly only after the FAA issues acceptable temporary authority, provided every other requirement for the flight is also satisfied.
Under 14 CFR § 61.29, the FAA may issue a document confirming your certificate privileges for no more than 60 days. Carry that document in the form specified by the FAA, together with the required government-issued photo identification. An order confirmation, public airman-record search, photocopy or phone screenshot is not equivalent to FAA temporary authority.
The pilot certificate, photo identification and medical qualification are separate documents. Our explanation of how FAA certificates, identification and medical paperwork differ helps identify exactly which item needs replacing.
Does a replacement restore medical or pilot currency?
No. A replacement reproduces the certificate information held by the FAA; it does not renew qualifications or restore missing training records.
| Missing or expired item | What you need to do |
|---|---|
| Pilot certificate | Obtain an FAA replacement or valid temporary authority. |
| Medical qualification | Use the appropriate medical-certificate or BasicMed process. See our guide to medical options for FAA private pilots. |
| Government photo ID | Replace it through its issuing authority; the FAA pilot card does not replace photo identification. |
| Logbook or endorsements | Reconstruct records from instructors, schools and operators, and obtain replacement endorsements where supportable. |
You must still satisfy the applicable flight-review, passenger-carrying, instrument-currency and medical rules. A lost certificate does not pause those time limits, and a newly printed card does not reset them.
What causes replacement problems?
Most avoidable problems come from incorrect personal details or confusing replacement with another FAA process.
- Outdated mailing address: update the FAA record before ordering. Pilots must notify the FAA after changing their permanent mailing address, and certificate privileges become restricted if the notification deadline is missed.
- Legal name mismatch: use the FAA name-change procedure rather than ordering a duplicate with information you already know is wrong.
- Temporary authority requested too late: request it before a planned flight and check its expiry date. Contact the FAA if the permanent card has not arrived before that authority expires.
- Sensitive details sent to the wrong place: submit identity information only through the official FAA service or the postal channel specified by the Airmen Certification Branch.
- Lost wallet mistaken for one lost document: replace the pilot certificate, photo ID and medical certificate separately where applicable.
What if the certificate was based on a foreign licence?
The issuer of each credential controls its replacement. The FAA replaces an FAA certificate, while the foreign authority replaces the underlying private pilot licence.
If your FAA certificate was issued on the basis of a foreign licence, replacing the FAA card does not cure an expired, suspended or missing underlying licence. Check both records before exercising the certificate's privileges. If the lost credential was never FAA-issued, do not use FAA Airmen Services; apply to the national authority that issued it.