AerScheduler

14 CFR Part 91 · Subpart E · Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations

14 CFR 91.417: Maintenance records an owner must keep

An owner keeps two kinds of records. Work records (what was done, when, and who signed it) are kept until the work is repeated or superseded, or for a year. Status records (total time, life-limited parts, overhaul times, inspection status, AD status and Form 337s) stay with the aircraft for good and transfer when it is sold.

Section last amended October 22, 2025 · Text current as of October 15, 2026 · Also cited as FAR 91.417 · Read it on eCFR

14 CFR 91.417 in plain English

  • Work records: every maintenance, preventive maintenance, alteration and required inspection, with a description, the completion date, and the signature and certificate number of whoever approved the return to service. (a)(1)
  • Status records: total time in service of the airframe, each engine, propeller and rotor; life-limited parts; time since overhaul of items with an overhaul interval; and current inspection status. (a)(2)
  • AD status: for each applicable AD, the method of compliance, the AD number and revision date, and when the next action is due if it recurs. (a)(2)(v)
  • A copy of the Form 337 for each major alteration to the airframe and currently installed engines, rotors, propellers and appliances. (a)(2)(vi)
  • Work records are kept until the work is repeated or superseded, or for 1 year after it was done. (b)(1)
  • Status records are kept and transferred with the aircraft when it is sold. (b)(2)
  • A list of discrepancies from an inspection is kept until the defects are fixed and the aircraft is returned to service. (b)(3)
  • Records must be shown to the FAA or the NTSB on request. Transponder and pitot-static test records are excluded from this section. (c)

Common questions

Can I throw away old logbooks after a year?
Only the entries for work that has been repeated or superseded, and owners rarely do, because the status records in (a)(2) depend on them and buyers expect complete logbooks. The status information itself never expires while you own the aircraft.
Does a tracking spreadsheet or app count as the record?
A tracking system can hold the current status, but the work records need the signature and certificate number of the person who approved the return to service. That signed entry, usually in the logbook, is the record.
What does an AD status record need to show?
Each applicable AD, its number and revision date, how it was complied with, and, for a recurring AD, the time and date the next action is due.

Official text of 14 CFR 91.417

§ 91.417 Maintenance records. Verbatim from the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026.

(a)Except for work performed in accordance with §§ 91.411 and 91.413, each registered owner or operator shall keep the following records for the periods specified in paragraph (b) of this section:

(1)Records of the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration and records of the 100-hour, annual, progressive, and other required or approved inspections, as appropriate, for each aircraft (including the airframe) and each engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance of an aircraft. The records must include:

(i)A description (or reference to data acceptable to the Administrator) of the work performed; and

(ii)The date of completion of the work performed; and

(iii)The signature, and certificate number of the person approving the aircraft for return to service.

(2)Records containing the following information:

(i)The total time in service of the airframe, each engine, each propeller, and each rotor.

(ii)The current status of life-limited parts of each airframe, engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance.

(iii)The time since last overhaul of all items installed on the aircraft which are required to be overhauled on a specified time basis.

(iv)The current inspection status of the aircraft, including the time since the last inspection required by the inspection program under which the aircraft and its appliances are maintained.

(v)The current status of applicable airworthiness directives (AD) including, for each, the method of compliance, the AD number and revision date. If the AD involves recurring action, the time and date when the next action is required.

(vi)Copies of the forms prescribed by § 43.9(d) of this chapter for each major alteration to the airframe and currently installed engines, rotors, propellers, and appliances.

(b)The owner or operator shall retain the following records for the periods prescribed:

(1)The records specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall be retained until the work is repeated or superseded by other work or for 1 year after the work is performed.

(2)The records specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section shall be retained and transferred with the aircraft at the time the aircraft is sold.

(3)A list of defects furnished to a registered owner or operator under § 43.11 of this chapter shall be retained until the defects are repaired and the aircraft is approved for return to service.

(c)The owner or operator shall make all maintenance records required to be kept by this section available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In addition, the owner or operator shall present Form 337 described in paragraph (d) of this section for inspection upon request of any law enforcement officer.

(d)When a fuel tank is installed within the passenger compartment or a baggage compartment pursuant to part 43 of this chapter, a copy of FAA Form 337 shall be kept on board the modified aircraft by the owner or operator.

Related

AerScheduler keeps inspections, squawks and work orders on each aircraft. It tracks the status; the signed logbook stays the record. See how