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When you can reapply

You can reapply from 28 days before your PDRA01 Operational Authorisation expires.

Reapply before the expiry date to preserve the anniversary of your authorisation and make sure there is no break in your authorisation.

You'll need:

• access to the email you used to register for your Operator ID
• a debit or credit card

Make sure you use the correct Operator ID

If you have more than one Operator ID, make sure you reapply using the correct Operator ID. For example, if you have an Operator ID as an individual and as an organisation.

If you’re a sole trader and you want your authorisation to be issued in your trading name, you must have an organisation Operator ID.

We’re not able to transfer PDRA01s from one Operator ID to another.


Cost and period of authorisation

PDRA01 Operational Authorisation costs £234 per year.

There's no VAT to pay.

Your authorisation will last for 12 months.

Reapply for a PDRA01 Operational Authorisation

When you start, we'll show information from your previous application. You must update anything that has changed.

If you need to update your accountable manager details, use our Change of Accountable Manager form.

Change of Accountable Manager Form PDF, 61KB

What if your authorisation has already expired

If your previous PDRA01 has expired, use this service to reapply.

Remember, you must not carry out operations under an expired authorisation.


Refund Policy

In line with the CAA’s Charge Waivers & Refunds Policy, in the event of submitting a PDRA01 application in error, up to and including 30 days after the date of your application only, you may withdraw your application and request a refund of your fee. However, an administrative fee of £25 will be deducted from the price initially paid by the applicant. Requests for refunds made after this period will not be considered.

If the error concerned was identified as a result of CAA oversight activity of the Operator, resulting in a finding or otherwise, prior to the refund request being made, then no refund will be granted.

All requests should be made in writing to uavenquiries@caa.co.uk, providing a detailed explanation of the reason for the refund request and including the following details so we can verify your identity:

  • full name
  • organisation name (if applicable)
  • Operator ID
  • PDRA01 authorisation number
  • email address you used to register
  • name on payment card

Upon receipt of the refund request, our team will review the case and determine eligibility based on the criteria outlined in this policy. If approved, we will aim to process the refund payable, the paid application fee minus the administrative fee of £25, within 28 working days.