14 CFR Part 61 · Subpart H · Flight Instructors Other than Flight Instructors With a Sport Pilot Rating
14 CFR 61.197: Renewing a flight instructor certificate
Flight instructor certificates no longer expire. Instead, an instructor may teach only if they have met a recent experience requirement within the preceding 24 calendar months, such as a practical test, an 80 percent first-time pass rate with 5 applicants, or a refresher course.
Section last amended December 2, 2024 · Text current as of October 15, 2026 · Also cited as FAR 61.197 · Read it on eCFR
14 CFR 61.197 in plain English
- Instructor privileges depend on recent experience within the preceding 24 calendar months. (a)
- The 24 months start from issue, from the month the requirement is met, or from the old end date if renewed in its last 3 months. (a)
- Passing a practical test for an instructor rating counts. (b)(1)
- So does endorsing 5 applicants in 24 months with at least 80 percent passing first time. (b)(2)(i)
- Or serving as a check pilot or chief instructor, completing a refresher course in the last 3 months, a military check, or qualifying WINGS activity. (b)(2)
- Miss it and you may not instruct until privileges are reinstated under 61.199. (c)
- Certificates issued before December 1, 2024 can be renewed the same way before their printed expiration. (e)
Common questions
- Does my CFI certificate still expire?
- Certificates issued from December 1, 2024 do not carry an expiration date; the instructor needs current recent experience instead. An older certificate shows an expiration date and is renewed under paragraph (e).
- What date goes in a student's logbook endorsement now?
- Under 61.51(h)(2)(ii) the instructor writes their certificate expiration date or recent experience end date.
Official text of 14 CFR 61.197
§ 61.197 Recent experience requirements for flight instructor certification. Verbatim from the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026.
(a)A person may exercise the privileges of the person's flight instructor certificate only if, within the preceding 24 calendar months, that person has satisfied one of the recent experience requirements specified in paragraph (b) of this section. The 24 calendar month period during which the flight instructor must establish recent experience shall start from one of the following:
(1)The month the FAA issued the flight instructor certificate;
(2)The month the recent experience requirements of paragraph (b) of this section are accomplished; or
(3)The last month of the flight instructor's current recent experience period provided the recent experience requirements of paragraph (b) of this section are accomplished within the 3 calendar months preceding the last month of the certificate holder's current recent experience period.
(b)A person who holds a flight instructor certificate may establish recent experience by satisfying one of the following requirements:
(1)Passing a practical test for:
(i)One of the ratings listed on the flight instructor certificate; or
(ii)An additional flight instructor rating; or
(2)Satisfactorily completing one of the following recent experience requirements, and submitting documentation of such in a form and manner acceptable to the Administrator:
(i)During the preceding 24 calendar months, the flight instructor has endorsed at least 5 applicants for a practical test for a certificate or rating and at least 80 percent of all applicants endorsed passed that test on the first attempt.
(ii)Within the preceding 24 calendar months, the flight instructor has served as a company check pilot, chief flight instructor, company check airman, or flight instructor in a part 121 or 135 operation, or in a position involving the regular evaluation of pilots.
(iii)Within the preceding 3 calendar months, the person has successfully completed an approved flight instructor refresher course consisting of ground training or flight training, or a combination of both.
(iv)Within the preceding 24 calendar months from the month of application, the flight instructor passed an official U.S. Armed Forces military instructor pilot or pilot examiner proficiency check in an aircraft for which the military instructor already holds a rating or in an aircraft for an additional rating.
(v)Within the preceding 24 calendar months from the month of application, the flight instructor has served as a flight instructor in an FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program, provided the flight instructor meets the following requirements:
(A)Holds a flight instructor certificate and meets the appropriate flight instructor recent experience requirements of this part;
(B)Has satisfactorily completed at least one phase of an FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program in the preceding 12 calendar months; and
(C)Has conducted at least 15 flight activities recognized under the FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program, during which the flight instructor evaluated at least 5 different pilots and has made the necessary endorsements in the logbooks of each pilot for each activity.
(c)Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, a person who fails to establish recent experience in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section during the 24 calendar month period specified in paragraph (a) of this section may not exercise flight instructor privileges until those privileges are reinstated in accordance with § 61.199.
(d)The practical test required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section may be accomplished in a full flight simulator or flight training device if the test is accomplished pursuant to an approved course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142 of this chapter.
(e)A person who holds an unexpired flight instructor certificate issued before December 1, 2024, may renew that certificate by establishing recent experience in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section prior to the month of expiration on that person's flight instructor certificate. Except as provided in § 61.40, if that person fails to establish recent experience prior to the expiration of that person's flight instructor certificate, that person may not exercise flight instructor privileges until those privileges are reinstated in accordance with § 61.199.
(f)A person who qualifies for the relief prescribed in § 61.40 may establish recent experience in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, provided the requirements of § 61.40 are met.
Related
AerScheduler grades lessons off the flights already booked and keeps the endorsements an instructor signs with the student's record. See how