FAA Provides Protection for Aircraft Owners’ Private Information

The FAA announced on Friday, March 28, that aircraft owners now have a new option for safeguarding their privacy by keeping their ownership and personal information from the public domain. Owners can now electronically request that their aircraft registration information, including name and address, be withheld from public view through online aircraft registry access and other FAA sources.

In response to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-63), the FAA has implemented the ability to electronically submit a request to withhold aircraft ownership information from all FAA websites through the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) system. CARES is a web-based electronic system that allows applications and supporting documentation to be uploaded securely to the FAA.

The FAA, in the announcement, also stated that it will be publishing in the Federal Register a request for comment on the effect the removal of the information will have and if it should default to withholding the personal information.

EAA encourages aircraft owners who are concerned about their personal data being publicly available and used by third parties to use this new service. Examples of third-party use include companies that send misleading registration renewal mailings, adding needless fees to the process, and servicers of landing fees and noise ordinance notifications, who cross-reference ADS-B and other position data with the FAA database to generate invoices and letters.