14 CFR · Part 21
14 CFR § 21.21
Issue of type certificate: normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, and transport category aircraft; manned free balloons; special classes of aircraft; aircraft engines; propellers.
An applicant is entitled to a type certificate for an aircraft in the normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, or transport category, or for a manned free balloon, special class of aircraft, or an aircraft engine or propeller, if—
The product qualifies under § 21.27; or
The applicant submits the type design, test reports, and computations necessary to show that the product to be certificated meets the applicable airworthiness, aircraft noise, fuel venting, exhaust emission, and fuel efficiency requirements of this subchapter and any special conditions prescribed by the FAA, and the FAA finds—
Upon examination of the type design, and after completing all tests and inspections, that the type design and the product meet the applicable noise, fuel venting, emissions, and fuel efficiency requirements of this subchapter, and further finds that they meet the applicable airworthiness requirements of this subchapter or that any airworthiness provisions not complied with are compensated for by factors that provide an equivalent level of safety; and
For an aircraft, that no feature or characteristic makes it unsafe for the category in which certification is requested.
Referenced By
Interpretations of This Section (1)
Advisory Circulars (1)
Documents that cite this section, found in their catalog metadata or text. Listed by date, not by significance.
Regulations Referenced
Reflects the eCFR edition current as of September 29, 2026. Retrieved from ecfr.gov on October 16, 2026.
Primary Source