Airmen Certificate Accessibility Act

Summary · Congressional Research Service (nonpartisan)

This bill allows a pilot to present a digital copy of certain certificates (e.g., an airman certificate or a medical certificate) when required to present such documentation by a 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 certificate such as an airman certificate or a medical 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.