FAA to Restrict Access to Aircraft Registration Database

New rule aims to shield private aircraft owners from harassment

Meg Godlewski

Monday, March 31, 2025 at 01:25 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA insignia on a laptop [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Private aircraft owners are being harassed through anonymous letters, as their contact information is publicly available via the FAA aircraft registry, often combined with ADS-B tracking data.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 mandates the FAA to allow private aircraft owners to request their name and address be kept private from public FAA websites.
Owners can make an electronic privacy request through the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES).
The FAA is currently seeking public comment on the implementation details, considering the impact on data accessibility, safety, and various aviation stakeholders.

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ADS-B was created as a means of making aviation safer, as it gave pilots an extra tool to maintain situational awareness. Unfortunately, ADS-B combined with third-party websites that track aircraft is making it possible for keyboard warriors (the pilot term for internet trolls) to track down the owners of aircraft through the Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registry.

These people send anonymous letters to the owner’s address as listed in the FAA database. Often these letters come from someone who doesn’t like aircraft and include a threat to report the pilot to the FAA for alleged violations or threatened with a lawsuit.