---
title: "Article 9 Minimum age for remote pilots — Cover Regulation to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, UAS · Avioverse"
description: "The minimum age for remote pilots operating a UAS in the ‘open’ and ‘specific’ category shall be 16 years."
url: "https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/uas/cover-regulation-to-implementing-regulation-eu/powers-and-recitals/article-9"
---

# Article 9 Minimum age for remote pilots

Cover Regulation to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 · Regulations (EU) 2019/947 and 2019/945 · EAR revision 29 Jun 2026

Official sources: [EASA Easy Access Rules (opens in a new tab)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems) · [EUR-Lex 2019/947 (opens in a new tab)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0947) · [EUR-Lex 2019/945 (opens in a new tab)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0945)

IR Implementing rule

## Article 9 Minimum age for remote pilots

1\. The minimum age for remote pilots operating a UAS in the ‘open’ and ‘specific’ category shall be 16 years.

2\. No minimum age for remote pilots shall be required:

(a) when they operate in subcategory A1 as specified in Part A of the Annex to this Regulation, with a UAS Class C0 defined in Part 1 of the Annex to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 that is a toy within the meaning of Directive 2009/48/EC;

(b) for privately-built UAS with a [maximum take-off mass](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/maximum-take-off-mass) of less than 250g;

(c) when they operate under the direct supervision of a [remote pilot](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/remote-pilot) complying with paragraph 1 and Article 8.

3\. Member States may lower the minimum age following a risk-based approach taking into account specific risks associated with the operations in their territory:

(a) for remote pilots operating in the ‘open’ category by up to 4 years;

(b) for remote pilots operating in the ‘specific’ category by up to 2 years.

4\. Where a Member State lowers the minimum age for remote pilots, those remote pilots shall only be allowed to operate a UAS on the territory of that Member State.

5\. Member States may define a different minimum age for remote pilots operating in the framework of model aircraft clubs or associations in the authorisation issued in accordance with Article 16.

IR · Article 9 — Regulations (EU) 2019/947 and 2019/945 · Regulation (EU) 2019/947 · UAS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 29 Jun 2026

[All rules in Powers and recitals](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/uas/cover-regulation-to-implementing-regulation-eu/powers-and-recitals)

Consolidated from the EASA Easy Access Rules (revision 29 Jun 2026, extracted 2 Nov 2026) for convenience. Not the official publication — verify against the Official Journal of the European Union and the EASA publications before operational use.