Family Plane in Need of Registration Change

My Uncle currently owns an airplane that has been passed down through the family, previously upon the death of the current owner. However, my uncle is still alive but wants to pass the plane on to me.

How do we go about changing the registration and certification of the plane when it is not being inherited or sold? Can we fill out a bill of sale for $0?

ANSWER: The FAA registry doesn’t care how much the aircraft was sold for, but they do need the bill of sale to process the registration. You can make the bill of sale out for $1.00.

The airworthiness certificate remains valid as long as it has been maintained in an airworthy condition and the annual inspeciton is current. So you wont have to reapply for a new airworthiness certificate.

The “Aircraft Registration” section of this website will give you information on how to apply for a new registration.