Replacement Airworthiness Certificates

What is the process for replacing an airworthiness certificate?

ANSWER: The FAA may issue a replacement airworthiness certificate when a certificate is declared lost, has been mutilated, or is no longer legible.

The replacement airworthiness certificate will show the original issue date of the certificate being replaced, preceded by a capital “R” in the Date block of the certificate.

Replacement certificates can also be issued when the aircraft registration number has been changed.

A request for a replacement certificate should be made to your local Flight Standard District office or a qualified DAR. The registered owner or certificated operator must submit a signed statement containing the registration number (N-Number), serial number, make, and model of the aircraft, and a reason the replacement certificate is needed.

A replacement airworthiness certificate may be issued without supporting documentation from the FAA Aircraft Registry AFS-750 if the date of issuance and the airworthiness classification and/or category of the lost or mutilated certificate can be positively established from the aircraft records, or from the remains of the certificate.

If there is insufficient data on which to base issuance of the replacement certificate, the FAA or DAR will obtain the required data electronically, by telephone, or by mail (such as the application form or previously issued airworthiness certificate) from AFS-750.