# Plain Language Summary: Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act

Right now, pilots are required to carry their original, physical pilot certificate whenever they fly or interact with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors. This bill changes that requirement by allowing pilots to show their certificates in digital form instead. Pilots would be able to present either a physical copy of their certificate or a digital version stored on their phone, tablet, or cloud storage service. This includes their medical certificate, which certifies they're healthy enough to fly. The FAA would also be allowed to issue mobile certificates directly through an app or digital platform, giving pilots another convenient option.

The practical benefit here is straightforward: pilots no longer have to worry about losing, damaging, or forgetting their physical certificate. If a pilot gets pulled over by an FAA inspector or needs to verify their credentials, they can simply pull up the certificate on their phone just like showing a digital driver's license. This is especially helpful for pilots who fly frequently and might otherwise risk losing an important document. The change also recognizes that we live in a digital world where many official documents are already available electronically.

The FAA has one year from when this bill becomes law to update its regulations to make this change official and ensure inspectors know to accept digital certificates. After that year passes, the FAA must treat digital and physical certificates as equally valid. This is a relatively minor but practical update to aviation rules that makes life easier for the roughly 700,000 active pilots in the United States without changing any safety requirements or who can fly.

Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act

Burchett, Tim

Pilot Certificate Accessibility ActThis bill allows a pilot to present a digital copy of certain certificates (e.g., an airman certificate or a&nbsp;medical certificate) when required to present such documentation by a&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector or other official.Under current FAA regulations, a pilot must present for inspection a physical copy of an airman certificate and other paperwork upon a request from the FAA; a federal, state, or local law enforcement officer; or an authorized representative of the Transportation Security Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board. This bill allows a pilot to present a&nbsp;certificate such as an airman certificate or a medical&nbsp;certificate as (1) a physical, original copy; or (2) a digital copy stored on an electronic device or cloud storage platform.The FAA must update current regulations to implement this change.