How to Get a Part 135 Certificate (2026 Guide)

14 CFR Part 135 is the regulatory category that governs commuter operations and on-demand operations conducted by air carriers and air operators certificated under 14 CFR Part 119.^[2][3] A Part 135 air carrier or air operator certificate, together with its operations specifications (OpSpecs), is what authorizes the holder to legally carry persons or property for compensation or hire in the operations defined by those OpSpecs.

The certificate is issued to a specific entity and is not transferable as a document. Each certificate holder must maintain qualified key personnel in the positions required by 14 CFR § 119.69 (or in alternative positions approved by the FAA Administrator), with the qualifications set out in § 119.71.^[4][5]

That structure is why “getting a Part 135 certificate” is fundamentally different from getting most business licenses. The certificate as a document is one part of the asset. The OpSpecs that the FAA has approved, the operating manuals that have already been accepted by the FAA, the key personnel approved on the certificate, and the relationship with the certificate-holding Flight Standards office and Principal Operations Inspector are the rest.

Path #1

Apply for a New Part 135 Certificate (FAA 5-Phase / 3-Gate Process)

The FAA's current Part 135 Certification Process page describes a phase-and-gate certification process with five distinct phases and three gates. All items in a phase must be successfully completed before continuing past the gate into the next phase.^[1] The detailed procedures are in FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 2, Chapter 4.^[6]

The five phases of the current FAA process are:

1. Phase 1: Pre-application. Begins when a prospective applicant first inquires about or requests an application for a certificate. The applicant submits the Pre-Application Statement of Intent (PASI, FAA Form 8400-6); the FAA's office manager initiates the Certification Service Oversight Process (CSOP) to determine if the FAA has the resources to begin the certification project. Completion of this phase completes Gate 1.^[1]
2. Phase 2: Formal Application. The applicant submits the formal application package, including the Formal Application Letter, Schedule of Events, Compliance Statement, company manuals (General Operations Manual and General Maintenance Manual where required), training curricula, management qualification attachments, proposed Operations Specifications, and the SAS Element Design Assessment Tools (ED-DCTs). The phase concludes with a Formal Application Meeting and completes Gate 2.^[1]
3. Phase 3: Design Assessment. The FAA certification team reviews the applicant's manuals and other documents in depth to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.^[1]
4. Phase 4: Performance Assessment. The certification team determines that the applicant's proposed procedures and programs for training and directing personnel in the performance of their duties are effective. Completion of this phase completes Gate 3.^[1]
5. Phase 5: Administrative Functions. The FAA issues the certificate and the Operations Specifications to the applicant. This action completes the certification process.^[1]

A note on the current process. Effective January 24, 2024, FAA Flight Standards Service implemented updates to initial certification processing under FAA Notice 8900.766, applicable to applicants for an air carrier, air operator, or air agency certificate under 14 CFR Parts 91 Subpart K, 125, 133, 135, 137, 141, 142, 145 (Domestic), and 147. The FAA states the changes are aimed at increasing applicant readiness and reducing certification wait times; the five-phase, three-gate structure remains.^[7]

How long does it take, and how much does it cost? The FAA does not publish a fixed processing timeline or a fee for the Part 135 application itself. Total elapsed time and total applicant cost depend on the scope of the proposed operation, the complexity of the requested OpSpecs, the experience of the applicant's team, the workload of the assigned Flight Standards office, and the applicant's responsiveness during document review. Prospective applicants should consult with an aviation attorney and an aviation consultant experienced with FAA Part 135 certification to develop a project-specific estimate.

New application is appropriate when the applicant wants OpSpecs and an operating manual built to fit a specific business model, has the patience and capital for an FAA-driven document and demonstration process, and does not need immediate operating authority for already-secured contracts.

Path #2

Acquire an Existing Part 135 Certificate

Because the certificate is issued to a specific entity and is not transferable as a document, a Part 135 acquisition is almost always structured as a stock or membership-interest sale of the entity that holds the certificate. The buyer purchases the LLC or corporation that owns the certificate. The certificate stays in place. The FAA is notified of the change in ownership and key personnel.

The mechanics typically work in this order:

1. Letter of Intent and price agreement
2. Diligence on the certificate, OpSpecs, operating manuals, training records, maintenance records, drug and alcohol program, and any open or recently closed FAA enforcement actions
3. Purchase agreement structured as a stock or membership-interest sale
4. FAA notification of pending change in ownership and key personnel, coordinated with the certificate-holding Flight Standards office
5. Closing, with stock or membership interest transferring
6. FAA acceptance of new key personnel under § 119.71 and any OpSpecs amendments^[5]

The factors that drive an acquisition price are well known to the active acquirer pool:

• Equipment authorized (piston, turboprop, turbojet)
• Single-pilot vs. multi-pilot operations
• IFR authorization
• Day-only vs. day and night
• Domestic-only vs. extended overwater vs. international (Mexico, Caribbean, Canada)
• On-demand vs. on-demand plus commuter
• Drug and alcohol program in place and clean
• Open or recently resolved FAA enforcement actions
• Quality of the operating manuals and training program
• Relationship with the certificate-holding Flight Standards office and Principal Operations Inspector
• Whether key personnel are willing to stay through the transition

Acquisition is appropriate when the buyer has secured contracts, has limited tolerance for an FAA-driven new-application process, or wants to enter the market without building the operating manuals and training program from scratch.

New Application vs. Acquisition at a Glance

Cost and timeline ranges are not in this table because the FAA does not publish them and they vary substantially by operation. Get a project-specific estimate from an aviation attorney and consultant.

Common Pitfalls

A handful of failure modes show up repeatedly on both paths.

Underestimating Flight Standards office workload. Applicants assume the FAA will respond to submissions within their own commercial timelines. The FAA's own page notes the agency is making "key improvements to application processing" and "long term, sustainable improvements that reduce certification wait times," language that confirms the agency itself treats wait times as a known issue.^[1]

Buying a certificate without buying the people. Key personnel acceptance under § 119.71 is not automatic. A buyer who closes on an entity but whose proposed Director of Operations is not accepted by the FAA can find themselves with operating authority that they cannot use. Before closing, confirm that the seller's key personnel will stay through the transition, or that the buyer's replacements are already qualified under § 119.71 and pre-coordinated with the certificate-holding Flight Standards office.^[5]

Open enforcement actions. Pending FAA enforcement on the certificate, or recent material violations, do not categorically stop a sale. They do affect price and they do affect how willing the FAA is to move quickly on key-personnel acceptance and OpSpecs amendments post-closing. Diligence on the certificate's enforcement history is non-negotiable.

OpSpecs that do not match the planned operation. A buyer who wants to fly turbojet IFR international and acquires a certificate that is single-pilot day-VFR piston only will need OpSpecs amendments that bring much of the certification work back into scope.