FAA Sets New Cockpit Voice Recorder Standard

Final rule outlines phased compliance tied to operating rules, passenger seats, and takeoff weight.

Matt Ryan

Monday, February 02, 2026 at 03:15 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

A cockpit voice recorder [Credit: National Park Service]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has finalized a rule extending the required cockpit voice recorder (CVR) retention period from two hours to 25 hours for newly manufactured aircraft already subject to CVR equipage requirements.
This new requirement aims to provide accident investigators with substantially more audio data to help determine the probable causes of incidents and accidents, aligning with NTSB recommendations and international standards.
Compliance dates for the extended CVR retention are staggered, beginning May 16, 2025, for larger transport category aircraft (partly mandated by the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act), and extending to February 2027 and February 2029 for other CVR-equipped aircraft based on passenger seating and takeoff weight.

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The FAA published a finalized rule Monday that extends required cockpit voice recorder retention from two hours to 25 hours. This new requirement will apply to newly manufactured aircraft already subject to CVR equipage requirements.

The rule, first proposed in 2023, is intended to preserve additional flight deck audio for incident and accident investigations and aligns U.S. requirements more closely with existing international standards, the final rule said.