A special airworthiness certificate is a specific kind of certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that permits certain types of aircraft, including experimental home-built aircraft, to be flown in US airspace.
To be granted a special airworthiness certificate, an aircraft must fall under at least one of the categories outlined in the relevant sections of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). The exact special airworthiness certificate you receive will depend on the type of aircraft you have.
In this article, we’ll look at the major special airworthiness certificate limitations you should be aware of before applying.
Who Can Get a Special Airworthiness Certificate?
According to 14 CFR, special airworthiness certificates are issued for aircraft that fall into one or more of the following categories:
Primary category: This includes aircraft that have been type certificated in the primary category and were manufactured under a production certificate. Note that while these aircraft can be used for flight instruction and rented under certain conditions, the carrying of persons or property for hire is not allowed.
Restricted category: This includes aircraft that have been type certificated in the restricted category. These aircraft can only be used for designated purposes. For example, aircraft that perform aerial surveying like photography and mapping fall under this category.
Limited category: Special airworthiness certificates for limited aircraft allow for the operation of former military aircraft that have been converted for use by civilians.
Light-sport aircraft category: This category includes aircraft that fall under the light-sport definition as set forth by the FAA. In July 2025, this definition was expanded significantly as a result of the MOSAIC final rule.
Provisional category: This includes aircraft that have been type certificated in the provisional category, which provides restricted operation permissions for training, demonstrations, and other limited use cases.
Experimental category: This includes aircraft that have not been type certificated or do not confirm to their type certificate. Crucially, this category also includes amateur-built and kit-built aircraft.
It’s also possible for an aircraft to fall under multiple categories. Finally, an aircraft may be granted a Special Flight Permit for situations like repairs and production flight tests.
Special Airworthiness Certificate Limitations
Since aircraft with special airworthiness certificates do not meet the standard requirements for airworthiness, they have certain limitations that apply to their operations. Each category has specific limitations, though some restrictions can be found across categories.
Some special airworthiness certificate limitations to be aware of include:
Kit compliance requirements: If you’re building a kit plane, the kit must meet compliant standards for safety and airworthiness.
Prohibition of commercial operations: Aircraft with experimental category special airworthiness certificates may not be used for commercial purposes.
Passenger restrictions: In many cases, special airworthiness certificate limitations include restrictions on carrying passengers, with limited exceptions (like training).
How Do You Apply for a Special Airworthiness Certificate
To apply for a special airworthiness certificate, you must follow the steps provided by the FAA.
You can obtain a special airworthiness certificate when the following circumstances are met:
- The owner or their agent registers the aircraft
- A completed application is submitted
- Eligibility is determined by the FAA
You can submit online using the Airworthiness Certification tool or by submitting FAA Form 8130-6 to your local FAA servicing office.
In many cases, special airworthiness certificates are indefinite, but there are some circumstances under which they can expire. For example, if you make extensive changes to the aircraft’s configuration, you may need to reapply.
Build Airworthy Aircraft with Matco ALS
Matco ALS manufactures heritage-quality wheel and brake components trusted by compliant aircraft kit manufacturers around the world. Builders and kit manufacturers we work with know that a good aircraft kit has to have the right parts, which is why they come to us for proven aircraft components that support safety, performance, and long-term reliability.
If you’re homebuilding an aircraft, explore our full range of aircraft wheels, brakes, and related components engineered for the experimental aircraft applications. Shop now to take your build to the next level.