Since Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 65 was covered only briefly in Chapter 2, Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications, it is discussed in greater detail in this chapter. This chapter discusses the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation governing the certification of airmen other than flight crew members. This chapter is based on the material contained in 14 CFR part 65, which has the following subparts:

This chapter only focuses on the certification of maintenance technicians and, therefore, subparts B, C, E, and F are not addressed.

The FAA certificates two separate categories of maintenance technicians: mechanic and repairman. The fundamental difference between these two is that the mechanic certificate is transportable, is issued to the technician based upon their training and knowledge, and is not dependent on the technician’s location. Although the repairman certificate is also based upon the training and knowledge of the technician, it is specifically issued to that technician while they are employed at a distinct location of a specific company. This certificate carries a literal address where the technician is authorized to work using their repairman skills. When the technician is no longer employed there, the repairman certificate must be returned to the Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) that issued it.

Normally, the FAA issues these certificates only to United States (U.S.) citizens or resident aliens residing in the United States. However, if the FAA determines that the issuance of a certificate to a person located outside of the United States is necessary for the operation and continued airworthiness of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft, it will issue a certificate to that person, providing they meet the necessary requirements.

Any person who meets the criteria for obtaining a mechanic certificate must apply by means of FAA Form 8610-2, Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application. If a mechanic has had a certificate suspended, they may not apply for additional ratings during the time of suspension. A revocation of a mechanic certificate prevents that person from applying for a certificate within a period of 1 year after the revocation.

Any person, who has been convicted of violating federal or state statutes relating to drug offenses, can be denied their application for a certificate or rating up to 1 year after the date of conviction. The violation can be relating to any one or more of the following actions: growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, disposing, possessing, transporting, or importing narcotic drugs, marijuana, depressants, or stimulants. They may also face the suspension or revocation of any certificate that they currently hold.

A qualified applicant who successfully passes all required tests with a minimum score of 70 percent may be issued a temporary certificate, which is valid for not more than 120 days. During this time, the FAA will review the application and any supplementary documentation and will issue the official certificate and rating.

This section was added following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It basically states that anyone determined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to be a security threat will either have their application held if they are applying for a certificate, or have the certificate that they do hold revoked.

Mechanic’s certificates are effective until they are surrendered, suspended, or revoked. The difference in these terms can be summarized in the following manner: