What you will know
Know what an SFOC—RPAS application must contain at each complexity level, how far ahead of the operation it has to be submitted, what the service standard and charge are, and how a certificate that has already been issued is amended.
Before this lesson
- You know which complexity level your operation falls into, because the level decides the contents, the lead time, the charge and the service standard. CAR 903.02
- You know that the certificate is applied for by the person who will conduct the operation, not by the pilot alone. CAR 903.02
- You know an SFOC—RPAS is a different instrument from a declaration: the declaration is about a model, the certificate is about an operation. CAR 903.02
How it works
1. The level decides the list
Section 903.02 defines four levels and then attaches a different submission list to each pair: very low and low complexity operations are applied for with the shorter list in subsection (6), while medium and high complexity operations need the longer one in subsection (7). CAR 903.02
| Level | The operations |
|---|---|
| Very low | Operating a system whose aircraft is not registered, other than to provide a commercial air service CAR 903.02 |
| Low | Operating at an advertised event CAR 903.02 |
| Medium | Among others: aircraft over 150 kg (331 pounds); commercial air service by a person described in subsection 900.09(2); unregistered aircraft used to provide a commercial air service; above the altitudes in subsection 901.25(1); more than five aircraft at once in VLOS from one control station; outside Canadian Domestic Airspace CAR 903.02 |
| High | Among others: BVLOS without the aircraft in visual line-of-sight where no Division V or VI authorisation covers it; carrying the payloads in subsection 901.43(1); BVLOS within five nautical miles (9.3 km) of a listed aerodrome; weather below section 901.34 minima in BVLOS or in medium-aircraft VLOS; persons on board CAR 903.02 |
Two rules sit underneath. If an application covers several operations, the highest complexity level applies — except that two or more medium-complexity operations make the application high complexity. CAR 903.02
2. What each list contains
For very low and low complexity: identity and contact information; how the person responsible for the operation can be reached; the operations applied for; the manufacturer, model and registration number; the pilot certificate number issued to any crew member; and anything else the Minister asks for that is pertinent to safety. CAR 903.02
For medium and high complexity the same opening items are joined by the substance: CAR 903.02
- a complete description of the aircraft — performance, operating limitations and equipment;
- a detailed plan of how the operations are to be carried out;
- a risk assessment that accounts for both ground and air risks;
- the pilot certificate numbers, or a description of how the applicant will ensure every crew member holds the necessary certificates and qualifications;
- standard procedures for crew members where the operation needs more than one;
- instructions for maintaining the system fit and safe for flight; and
- the detect and avoid system's type, manufacturer, model and operating limitations, with the procedures for detecting and avoiding conflicting traffic and other hazards. CAR 903.02
3. How it is submitted, and how far ahead
The information required by section 903.02 is submitted on the SFOC—RPAS application form (24-0109E), with the applicable compliance checklist; the guidance for completing the form is in , and the checklists live on the Transport Canada drone safety site. Because the forms are updated from time to time, the applicant must use the most recent form and checklist. AIM 3.6.2
Two timing rules and one responsibility: AIM 3.6.2
| Operation | Submission |
|---|---|
| Very low and low complexity (903.02(1) and (2)) | At least 30 working days before the proposed operation date AIM 3.6.2 |
| Medium and high complexity (903.02(3) and (4)) | At least 60 working days in advance AIM 3.6.2 |
The responsibility is the applicant's: as the AIM puts it, the applicant is responsible for submitting all required information to the Minister, which includes a duly completed form and the relevant compliance checklist. AIM 3.6.2
4. Medium and high complexity carry an ORA and a SAIL
5. The service standard and the charge
Since 4 November 2025 the service standards and charges are those in the AIM's table: the standard runs from receipt of a complete application, and services outside Transport Canada — from ISED or NAV CANADA, for example — are beyond its control and can extend the time. AIM 3.6.3
| Operation | Service standard | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Very low complexity, 903.02(1) | 30 business days AIM 3.6.3 | $20 AIM 3.6.3 |
| Low complexity, 903.02(2) | 30 business days AIM 3.6.3 | $75 AIM 3.6.3 |
| Medium complexity, 903.02(3) | 60 business days AIM 3.6.3 | $900 AIM 3.6.3 |
| High complexity, 903.02(4) | 60 business days AIM 3.6.3 | $2,000 AIM 3.6.3 |
| Two or more medium-complexity operations | 60 business days AIM 3.6.3 | $2,000 AIM 3.6.3 |
| Re-issue with a minor amendment | 30 business days AIM 3.6.3 AIM 3.6 | $60 AIM 3.6.3 |
The special aviation event certificates issued under section 603.02 are on a different line: 20 working days, at $50 for 10,000 or fewer spectators, $100 for more than 10,000 and up to 50,000, and $246.36 for more than 50,000. AIM 3.6.3
6. Amending a certificate that has already been issued
Section 903.02.1 lets the holder apply to amend the certificate to change six things: the dates and alternate dates of the operations; the location; the validity period; a crew member's pilot certificate number; the detect and avoid system's type, manufacturer, model and operating limitations, and the associated procedures; and, for very low and low complexity operations, the manufacturer and model of the system and its registration number. CAR 903.02.1
The application itself carries only three items: the number of the certificate, its validity period, and the change that is the subject of the application. CAR 903.02.1
Your checklist
- The complexity level is settled first, because it fixes the list, the lead time and the charge CAR 903.02
- Several operations in one application take the highest level, and two or more medium operations make it high CAR 903.02
- Medium and high applications add a description, a plan, a ground-and-air risk assessment, crew procedures, maintenance instructions and the detect-and-avoid details CAR 903.02
- Submission is 30 working days ahead for very low and low, 60 for medium and high AIM 3.6.2
- Medium and high applications complete an ORA and submit the SAIL AIM 3.6.2
- An amendment application gives the certificate number, the validity period and the change CAR 903.02.1
Where people go wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A question asks what an amendment application must contain | It is a short list | Number, validity period, the change CAR 903.02.1 |
| The lead time is taken from the service standard | They are different numbers | Submit 30 or 60 working days ahead; the standard runs from a complete application AIM 3.6.2 |
| A medium-complexity application omits the SAIL | Since 4 November 2025 it is required | Complete the ORA and submit the SAIL AIM 3.6.2 |
| The charge for a high-complexity operation is taken from the medium row | Different rows | $2,000 for high and for two or more medium AIM 3.6.3 |
| The detect-and-avoid change is assumed to need a new certificate | It is an amendable item | Apply to amend under 903.02.1 CAR 903.02.1 |
| The application is sent on an older form | Forms and checklists are updated | Use the most recent form and checklist AIM 3.6.2 |
Test yourself
Sources
- CAR 903.02 — Application for Special Flight Operations Certificate — RPAS
- CAR 903.02.1 — Application to Amend a Special Flight Operations Certificate — RPAS
- TC — Application for a SFOC-RPAS
- TC — SFOC—RPAS Service Standard and Charges