How to get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN)

Before you can apply for any FAA certificate or rating in IACRA, or even sit your first knowledge test, you need an FTN: your FAA Tracking Number. It is free, it takes a few minutes, and you only ever get one. This guide walks through registering for it and finding it again later.

What an FTN is, and who needs one

An FTN is a unique identifier the FAA assigns you through IACRA, the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application. It stays with you for your entire aviation career: one number, from your student pilot certificate through every rating and into the airline. Its job is to tie your knowledge testing, your medical, and every certificate application to one consistent identity, so a misspelled name on one form does not turn into weeks of delay.

You need an FTN if you are going to:

• Schedule and take an FAA knowledge (written) test
• Apply for a certificate or rating through IACRA, including the FAA Form 8710-1
• Have an instructor sign you off electronically for a checkride

If you already hold a certificate, you almost certainly already have an FTN. The last section shows where to find it.

How to get your FTN in IACRA

Registration takes about ten minutes and costs nothing.

1. Go to iacra.faa.gov and click Register in the top right.
2. Check the Applicant box, agree to the Terms of Service, and continue. Applicant is the role that lets you apply for a certificate.
3. Complete your user profile: your full legal name including any suffix, a valid email address, and a username and strong password. Leave the existing-certificate section blank if you do not hold a certificate yet.
4. Submit the registration. IACRA displays your FTN on screen and also emails it to you.
5. Write it down and keep it somewhere you will find it. You will type it into test registrations and applications for years.

IACRA does not ask for your address, height, or other personal details at this stage. Those come later, only when you start an actual application.

Use your full legal name

A common cause of delay is a name that does not match. Register exactly as your name appears on your government photo ID, and make sure your medical application and any test registrations use the same spelling. IACRA, the testing centers, and your examiner all cross-check these, and a mismatched middle name or a missing suffix can stall a certificate that is otherwise complete.

Find your FTN if you forget it

You never need a second FTN, and you never lose the number for good. To find it again:

• Sign in to IACRA. Your FTN appears in the user information at the top left of your profile.
• Check your knowledge test report. If you have taken an FAA written test, your FTN is printed on your Airman Knowledge Test Report.
• Check your medical application. Your FTN is shown in your FAA MedXPress profile.

If you cannot sign in, use IACRA's username and password recovery, or contact the FAA for help. Do not register a second time, since one person gets one FTN.

Common questions

Does an FTN cost anything?

No. Registering in IACRA and receiving your FTN is free.

Do I need an FTN before my first knowledge test?

Yes. Testing providers use your FTN to register you for the exam and to attach your results to your record, so get your FTN before you schedule a written test.

Is my FTN the same as my pilot certificate number?

No. Your FTN tracks you through testing and applications. Your airman certificate number is a separate number, printed on the certificate itself once you earn it. The FTN comes first and never changes; the certificate number arrives with the certificate.

Can I have more than one FTN?

No. Each person gets a single FTN for life. If you think you have two, contact the FAA to correct your records rather than using both.

Next steps

With your FTN in hand, the next stop is usually the application itself: see how to fill out FAA Form 8710-1 so the aeronautical experience grid matches your logbook the first time. New to logging altogether? Start with setting up KármánLogs and logging your first flight.

This guide is educational and summarizes the IACRA registration process as of the date above. Always follow the current instructions on iacra.faa.gov.

Still need help? Email support@karmanlogs.com.