By
Kevin Carty
December 14, 2015 at 10:42 am ET
The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday issued regulations governing the use of drones for recreational purposes.
Under the rules, drone operators will need to register their crafts by Feb. 19, and from Dec. 21 on, all drone operators will need to register their devices before taking flight. A web-based registration system is intended to facilitate the registration process.
The FAA made the rule following the Nov. 21 recommendations from the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Registration Task Force, which the agency convened to study the issue and address safety concerns about collisions between drones and other aircraft.
The rules govern drones that weigh more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds, but they only apply to drones flown for recreational purposes. The FAA said it is developing registration rules for commercial drones sometime next spring.