DUI and Your Pilot Certificate: The FAA 60-Day Report
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Federal aviation rules require pilots to report certain motor vehicle actions to the FAA within a fixed window. A DUI can affect both your certificate and your medical, so the deadline and what you write matter.
Educational information only, not legal advice. Rules change and differ by state, agency, and employer. Confirm against the linked official sources and talk to a licensed attorney about your situation.
- •Under 14 CFR 61.15(e), a certificate holder must send the FAA a written report of each "motor vehicle action" no later than 60 days after the action.
- •The report goes to the FAA Civil Aviation Security Division (AMC-700), P.O. Box 25810, Oklahoma City, OK 73125, and includes your personal details, the type of action, the date, and the state of record.
- •The 60 days run from the motor vehicle action itself, not from the arrest. Check the regulation's definition and ask an aviation attorney when your clock started.
- •The rule applies to private and commercial pilots alike, because it covers any person holding an FAA certificate.
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- •The regulation covers a conviction after November 29, 1990 for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, impaired, or under the influence of alcohol or a drug.
- •It also covers a cancellation, suspension, or revocation of your driver's license for a cause related to that kind of operation, and a denial of a license application on those grounds.
- •A state administrative license suspension, such as one after a breath test failure or refusal, may therefore be its own reportable action even if the criminal case is still pending. Confirm this with an aviation attorney because it depends on how your state labels the action.
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- •Under 14 CFR 61.15(d), a motor vehicle action within three years of a previous one is grounds for denying an application for a certificate or rating for up to one year, or for suspending or revoking a certificate you hold.
- •Actions that arise from the same incident are excluded, so one arrest that produces both a license suspension and a conviction is generally not treated as two separate actions for this rule. Verify with counsel.
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- •The FAA medical application (completed through MedXPress) asks about alcohol- and drug-related offenses and administrative actions. Answers must be truthful.
- •Under 14 CFR 67.403, an intentionally false statement on a medical application can be grounds for denying, suspending, or revoking certificates. This is separate from the 61.15 report and is often the more serious problem if an event is left off.
- •An alcohol-related event can lead the FAA to ask for more information or an evaluation. How an Aviation Medical Examiner or the FAA handles it depends on the facts.
- •Pilots commonly consult an aviation attorney before the next medical exam and before filing the 61.15 report.
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- •Airlines and other operators often have their own reporting policies, and commercial pilots may also hold other credentials with their own rules.
- •Check your employment contract, company manual, and union agreement for reporting deadlines that may be shorter than the FAA's 60 days.
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Where this varies or is uncertain
- •The 60-day federal rule is the same in every state, but what your state calls the motor vehicle action (conviction, administrative suspension, refusal) differs, so the trigger date can differ. This page does not decide that for you.
- •The exact wording of the current MedXPress questions and how the FAA treats a given event are not reproduced here; read the live form and ask an aviation attorney.
- •Whether a particular diversion or deferred-adjudication result counts as a conviction for 61.15 purposes is a question for counsel.
- •Employer and union reporting rules are outside federal law and differ by company.
State-Specific Information
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