Student Pilot Certificate: How to Get One in 2026

You do not need a student pilot certificate to start flying lessons. You need one before you fly the airplane alone for the first time, your first solo. Most students apply in their first few weeks of training so the card is in hand by then. Here is how it works.

Figure	What it is	Source
16	Minimum age, airplanes (14 for gliders and balloons)	14 CFR 61.83
$0	FAA fee when you apply at a FAA office	FAA, June 2026
About 3 weeks	Until the plastic card arrives by mail	FAA, June 2026
Never	When a certificate issued after April 1, 2016 expires	FAA, June 2026

Who can get one

To get a student pilot certificate for airplanes you must be at least 16 years old and able to read, speak, write and understand English. For gliders and balloons the minimum age is 14. You can start the application in IACRA up to 90 days before your birthday, so the certificate is ready when you are old enough to solo.

There is no knowledge test and no flight test to get the certificate itself. Those come before your solo and at the end of training.

How to apply

Almost everyone applies online through IACRA, the FAA's application system, with a flight instructor.

Create an account at iacra.faa.gov and fill in the student pilot application, Form 8710-1.
Meet your instructor in person. They check your photo ID, confirm you understand English and sign the application with you.
Wait for the security check. The TSA vets every applicant before the certificate is issued. A temporary certificate usually shows up in your IACRA account in about 7 days.
Get the card. The FAA mails the plastic certificate, which takes about three weeks.

You can also apply through a pilot examiner, the certification representative at a Part 141 school, or in person at a FAA Flight Standards District Office. Applying at the FAA office is free. An instructor or examiner can charge a reasonable fee for processing it, though most instructors do it as part of training.

At our school in Riverside your instructor starts the application with you in your first weeks, so it is never what holds up your solo. If you are not flying yet, a discovery flight is the place to start, and it can be logged as training.

The medical you need

Since April 1, 2016 the student pilot certificate and the medical certificate are two separate documents. You need both on board for every solo flight.

Third class medical. Most new students need at least a third class medical before solo. You fill in the application online in MedXPress, then see a FAA Aviation Medical Examiner for the exam.
How long it lasts. If you are under 40 when you take it, a third class medical is valid for 60 calendar months. At 40 or older, 24 months.
When to get it. Early. If something in your medical history needs extra review, you want to know before you have paid for 20 hours of lessons. There is no minimum age for the medical itself.
BasicMed. BasicMed is only an option if you have held a FAA medical at some point after July 14, 2006, so it does not help most first-time students.

Before your first solo

The certificate alone does not let you solo. Your instructor also has to sign you off:

A pre-solo knowledge test on the rules, the airspace and procedures at your airport and the airplane you fly. Your instructor gives it and goes over every wrong answer with you.
A logbook endorsement for the make and model of airplane, based on training in the last 90 days. It has to be renewed every 90 days.
Separate endorsements for each new airplane type you solo and for solo cross-country flights.

Does it expire?

Not anymore. A student pilot certificate issued after April 1, 2016 has no expiration date. It is replaced when you pass your checkride and earn your pilot certificate. Older paper certificates, issued before that date, expired after 24 or 60 months depending on age.

Questions

Do I need a student pilot certificate to take flying lessons?

No. You can fly with an instructor without one. You need it before your first solo flight, the first time you fly the airplane alone.

How long does it take to get a student pilot certificate?

The FAA says about three weeks for the plastic card by mail. A temporary certificate usually appears in your IACRA account in about 7 days, once the TSA security check clears.

How much does a student pilot certificate cost?

There is no FAA fee if you apply at a FAA Flight Standards District Office. An instructor or examiner may charge a reasonable fee for processing it.

How old do you have to be to get a student pilot certificate?

16 for airplanes and 14 for gliders and balloons. You can start the application up to 90 days early.

Is the student pilot certificate the same as a medical certificate?

No. Since April 1, 2016 they are separate. You need both on board when you fly solo.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026. FAA procedures change, so check the source before you rely on one of these details.