Part 107 Visual Line of Sight: What §107.31 Requires

Part 107 visual line of sight is one of the rules every commercial drone flight runs on, and it is more specific than "keep the drone in view." The rule is 14 CFR 107.31. It spells out who has to be able to see the aircraft, what kind of vision counts, and what that person must be able to do with it. This post walks through the text as published in the eCFR (14 CFR 107.31, checked Nov 9, 2026; eCFR Title 14 up to date as of Nov 5, 2026). It is general information, not legal advice.

The text of §107.31

Here is the regulation in full.

§ 107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.

(a) With vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the person manipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight in order to:

(1) Know the unmanned aircraft's location;

(2) Determine the unmanned aircraft's attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;

(3) Observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and

(4) Determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.

(b) Throughout the entire flight of the small unmanned aircraft, the ability described in paragraph (a) of this section must be exercised by either:

(1) The remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft system; or

(2) A visual observer.

Part 107 visual line of sight: who must be able to see the drone

Paragraph (a) names three roles: the remote pilot in command, the visual observer if one is used, and the person manipulating the flight controls. Often the remote pilot in command and the person on the sticks are the same person. Each of those people must be able to see the aircraft throughout the entire flight.

Paragraph (b) then says who must actually exercise that ability at every moment. It is either the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the controls, or a visual observer. That split is why a crew can use an observer to keep eyes on the aircraft while the pilot glances at the controller, but it does not remove the requirement in (a) that the pilot and person on the controls be able to see the drone. Coordination between the pilot and an observer, including communication, is covered by §107.33; see our post on the Part 107 visual observer for that side of it.

What "unaided" vision means

The rule's wording is "vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses." Glasses or contacts you normally wear are fine. Anything else is a device, so the ability the rule describes has to exist with ordinary, corrected eyesight.

In practice, that means:

• A screen does not satisfy the rule. The controller's live video, an FPV headset or a map display can be useful tools, but they are not unaided vision. Someone in a qualifying role still has to be able to see the aircraft itself.
• Binoculars or a spotting scope are devices. The ability required under (a) is measured with unaided vision, so optics are not what satisfies it.
• "Able to see" is about the actual aircraft. Seeing a light, a dot or telemetry is not the same as being able to know where the aircraft is and determine its attitude, altitude and direction of flight.

The four things you must be able to do

Seeing the drone is not the end of it. Paragraph (a) ties visual contact to four abilities: knowing the aircraft's location; determining its attitude, altitude and direction of flight; observing the airspace for other traffic or hazards; and determining that it does not endanger the life or property of another.

That has practical consequences. If the aircraft is so far away or so small against the background that you cannot tell which way it is heading, or you cannot scan the sky around it for other aircraft, the flight is not meeting the rule even if you can still technically spot it. Distance, terrain, trees, buildings, glare and haze all affect this, so plan the flight area around what your crew can actually see.

VLOS and weather visibility are separate rules

Visual line of sight under §107.31 is a different requirement from the minimum flight visibility and cloud clearance rules in §107.51. You have to meet both. Our post on Part 107 visibility and cloud clearance under §107.51 covers those limits.

Can §107.31 be waived?

Yes, it is on the waiver list. Under 14 CFR 107.205(c), a certificate of waiver may authorize a deviation from "Section 107.31—Visual line of sight aircraft operation. However, no waiver of this provision will be issued to allow the carriage of property of another by aircraft for compensation or hire." (14 CFR 107.205, checked Nov 9, 2026.) Without a waiver that covers your operation, §107.31 applies to the whole flight. For how the waiver process works, see Part 107 waiver basics.

A short VLOS check for every flight

• Confirm who is the remote pilot in command, who is on the controls, and whether a visual observer is used.
• Walk or scan the area for trees, buildings and terrain that could block the view.
• Keep the planned flight close enough that the aircraft's orientation and direction stay clear to the naked eye.
• Use the screen as a tool, never as a substitute for seeing the aircraft.
• Brief what happens if sight is lost: the plan should be to regain visual contact or bring the aircraft back.

Building those items into a standard routine makes them hard to skip. A digitized pre-flight checklist for commercial drone crews is one way to keep the VLOS plan in front of the whole crew.

FAA rules are separate from landowner permission and from state or local laws that may apply where you fly. Check those too, and read the current eCFR text before relying on any summary, including this one.