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  5. § 21.183
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14 CFR · Part 21

14 CFR § 21.183

Issue of standard airworthiness certificates for normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, and transport category aircraft; manned free balloons; and special classes of aircraft.

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Read in Subpart H
Part 21 Contents
  • Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 88: Fuel Tank System Fault Tolerance Evaluation Requirements
  • Subpart A: General
  • Subpart B: Type Certificates
  • Subpart C: Provisional Type Certificates
  • Subpart D: Changes to Type Certificates
  • Subpart E: Supplemental Type Certificates
  • Subpart F: Production Under Type Certificate
  • Subpart G: Production Certificates
  • Subpart H: Airworthiness Certificates
  • Subpart I: Provisional Airworthiness Certificates
  • Subpart K: Parts Manufacturer Approvals
  • Subpart L: Export Airworthiness Approvals
  • Subpart N: Acceptance of Aircraft Engines, Propellers, and Articles for Import
  • Subpart O: Technical Standard Order Approvals
  • Subpart P: Special Federal Aviation Regulations
(a)

New aircraft manufactured under a production certificate. An applicant for a standard airworthiness certificate for a new aircraft manufactured under a production certificate is entitled to a standard airworthiness certificate without further showing, except that the FAA may inspect the aircraft to determine conformity to the type design and condition for safe operation.

(b)

New aircraft manufactured under type certificate. An applicant for a standard airworthiness certificate for a new aircraft manufactured under a type certificate is entitled to a standard airworthiness certificate upon presentation, by the holder or licensee of the type certificate, of the statement of conformity prescribed in § 21.130 if the FAA finds after inspection that the aircraft conforms to the type design and is in condition for safe operation.

(c)

Import aircraft. An applicant for a standard airworthiness certificate for an import aircraft is entitled to that certificate if—

(1)

The aircraft is type certificated in accordance with § 21.21 or § 21.29 and produced under the authority of another State of Manufacture;

(2)

The State of Manufacture certifies, in accordance with the export provisions of an agreement with the United States for import of that aircraft, that the aircraft conforms to the type design and is in condition for safe operation; and

(3)

The FAA finds that the aircraft conforms to the type design and is in condition for safe operation.

(d)

Used aircraft and surplus aircraft of the U.S. Armed Forces. An applicant for a standard airworthiness certificate for a used aircraft or surplus aircraft of the U.S. Armed Forces is entitled to a standard airworthiness certificate if—

(1)

The applicant presents evidence to the FAA that the aircraft conforms to a type design approved under a type certificate or a supplemental type certificate and to applicable Airworthiness Directives;

(2)

The aircraft (except an experimentally certificated aircraft that previously had been issued a different airworthiness certificate under this section) has been inspected in accordance with the performance rules for 100-hour inspections set forth in § 43.15 of this chapter, or an equivalent performance standard acceptable to the FAA, and found airworthy by—

(i)

The manufacturer;

(ii)

The holder of a repair station certificate as provided in Part 145 of this chapter;

(iii)

The holder of a mechanic certificate as authorized in Part 65 of this chapter;

(iv)

The holder of a certificate issued under part 121 of this chapter, and having a maintenance and inspection organization appropriate to the aircraft type; or

(v)

A foreign maintenance organization appropriately certificated by an exporting authority with whose country the United States has a bilateral agreement that includes acceptance of this aircraft category by the United States for import. An acceptable inspection must have been completed while the aircraft was operated on the registry of the exporting authority and within 60 days of submitting the application for a United States airworthiness certificate;

(3)

The FAA finds after inspection, that the aircraft conforms to the type design, and is in condition for safe operation.

(e)

Noise requirements. Notwithstanding all other provisions of this section, the following must be complied with for the original issuance of a standard airworthiness certificate:

(1)

For transport category large airplanes and jet (turbojet powered) airplanes that have not had any flight time before the dates specified in § 36.1(d), no standard airworthiness certificate is originally issued under this section unless the FAA finds that the type design complies with the noise requirements in § 36.1(d) in addition to the applicable airworthiness requirements in this section. For import airplanes, compliance with this paragraph is shown if the country in which the airplane was manufactured certifies, and the FAA finds, that § 36.1(d) (or the applicable airplane noise requirements of the country in which the airplane was manufactured and any other requirements the FAA may prescribe to provide noise levels no greater than those provided by compliance with § 36.1(d)) and paragraph (c) of this section are complied with.

(2)

For normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, or transport category propeller driven small airplanes (except for those airplanes that are designed for “agricultural aircraft operations” (as defined in § 137.3 of this chapter, as effective on January 1, 1966) or for dispensing fire fighting materials to which § 36.1583 of this chapter does not apply) that have not had any flight time before the applicable date specified in part 36 of this chapter, no standard airworthiness certificate is originally issued under this section unless the applicant shows that the type design complies with the applicable noise requirements of part 36 of this chapter in addition to the applicable airworthiness requirements in this section. For import airplanes, compliance with this paragraph is shown if the country in which the airplane was manufactured certifies, and the FAA finds, that the applicable requirements of part of this chapter (or the applicable airplane noise requirements of the country in which the airplane was manufactured and any other requirements the FAA may prescribe to provide noise levels no greater than those provided by compliance with the applicable requirements of part 36 of this chapter) and paragraph (c) of this section are complied with.

(f)

Passenger emergency exit requirements. Notwithstanding all other provisions of this section, each applicant for issuance of a standard airworthiness certificate for a transport category airplane manufactured after October 16, 1987, must show that the airplane meets the requirements of § 25.807(c)(7) in effect on July 24, 1989. For the purposes of this paragraph, the date of manufacture of an airplane is the date the inspection acceptance records reflect that the airplane is complete and meets the FAA-approved type design data.

(g)

Fuel venting and exhaust emission requirements. Notwithstanding all other provisions of this section, and irrespective of the date of application, no airworthiness certificate is issued, on and after the dates specified in part 34 for the airplanes specified therein, unless the airplane complies with the applicable requirements of that part.

(h)

New aircraft manufactured under the provisions of § 21.6(b). An applicant for a standard airworthiness certificate for a new aircraft manufactured under the provisions of § 21.6(b) is entitled to a standard airworthiness certificate if—

(1)

The applicant presents evidence to the FAA that the aircraft conforms to a type design approved under a type certificate or supplemental type certificate and to applicable Airworthiness Directives;

(2)

The aircraft has been inspected in accordance with the performance rules for a 100-hour inspections set forth in § 43.15 of this chapter and found airworthy by a person specified in paragraph (d)(2) of this section; and

(3)

The FAA finds after inspection, that the aircraft conforms to the type design, and is in condition for safe operation.

(i)

[Reserved]

(j)

Fuel efficiency requirements. No original standard airworthiness certificate may be issued under this section unless the applicant has demonstrated that the type design complies with the applicable fuel efficiency requirements of part 38 of this chapter.

Referenced By

Interpretations of This Section (4)

  • AGC Interp 14 CFR Part 43 Unit Load Device (ULD) Applicability 2023
  • Hofmann (Vexa), 2014
  • Braun (American Aircraft Sales), 2014
  • Breese (Boeing), 2010

Advisory Circulars (1)

  • AC 43-18

Documents that cite this section, found in their catalog metadata or text. Listed by date, not by significance.

Regulations Referenced

14 CFR 21.13014 CFR 21.2114 CFR 21.2914 CFR 43.1514 CFR Part 14514 CFR Part 6514 CFR Part 12114 CFR 137.314 CFR 25.80714 CFR 21.6

Reflects the eCFR edition current as of September 29, 2026. Retrieved from ecfr.gov on October 16, 2026.

Primary Source

  • Official Source (14 CFR · Part 21)