If you fly in Latvia, in most cases you register the operator, the person or company responsible for the flight, not the drone itself. That distinction matters because the number you get is used for every drone you operate in your name.
Operator and remote pilot are different roles
The CAA separates two roles:
- UAS operator — the person or company in whose name the flight is carried out
- Remote pilot — the person who actually flies or supervises the flight
If you are a private individual flying in your own name, you are usually both at once. The Latvian CAA registration page says that in this case you register as UAS operator and remote pilot in the portal.
When operator registration is mandatory
The Latvian CAA lists operator registration as mandatory if the drone:
- has a maximum take-off mass of 250 g or more
- can transfer more than 80 J of kinetic energy in a collision
- carries a sensor that can collect personal data, for example a photo or video camera
- is used in the Specific category
The main exception is a toy drone that falls under the toy-safety directive. A sub-250 g drone without a camera is another common exemption.
What it costs
The current public CAA page says:
- UAS operator registration:
5 EUR - Validity:
1 year - Remote pilot portal registration: free
You register as an operator once per operator, not once per aircraft. One operator number can cover several drones.
What you need before you start
Have ready:
- Latvian electronic ID:
eID,eParaksts mobile, orSmart-ID - a working email address
- insurance details, if your operation needs them
The portal is https://e.caa.gov.lv/.
What happens after registration
Once you register as an operator, you get a UAS operator number in the format LVA.... You use that number to:
- mark every drone you operate in your name
- enter the operator number into the drone's remote-identification system, if it has one
The CAA also says the marking must be readable without tools. If the drone is too small to mark on the outside, you can put the number in the battery compartment, as long as you can still read it without tools.
Don't mix up the numbers:
LVA...= operator number, used to mark the droneLVA-RP-...= remote pilot number, used in the portal and for qualifications
Do camera drones under 250 g always need A1/A3?
No. This is where many summaries get it wrong.
For a sub-250 g drone with a camera, the CAA registration page says operator registration is required. But the separate CAA page for the A1/A3 course says the online training and exam are required when the drone has a C1, C2, C3 or C4 class mark, or when its mass is at least 250 g.
In practice, that means:
- registration and A1/A3 qualification are not the same thing
- a camera drone under 250 g still needs operator registration
- A1/A3 is mandatory based on the aircraft class and the operation, not just because there's a camera
Practical order
For most private pilots in Latvia, the usual order is:
- Create or log in to your account at
e.caa.gov.lv - Register as UAS operator
- Register as remote pilot in the portal
- Mark the drone with the operator number
- Add the operator number to remote ID, if it applies
- Then do the qualification you actually need, such as A1/A3 when it applies
Your next step
Registration is one step on the path, not the finish line. Whether you also need a pilot qualification depends on your drone and how you fly — the category checker answers that quickly, and the full sequence from buying a drone to a prepared first flight is mapped in the step-by-step guide. If your operation needs A1/A3, our overview explains it and the online course prepares you for the exam.
