AC 21–12D accompany this application to facilitate the airworthiness certification process.
Note 2: Do not mark this box for light-sport category aircraft manufactured outside the U.S. Section § 21.183 and similar are inapplicable, because imported light-sport category aircraft do not have a type design (a state of manufacture cannot certify a light-sport category aircraft conforms to its type design when it does not have a type design).
However, they still must be from a country having a bilateral agreement with the U.S. concerning airplanes (refer to 14 CFR 21.190(d) or, after July 24, 2026, 14 CFR 22.100(b)(1).
3.11.2 Used Aircraft.
Mark this box for all used, type-certificated, imported aircraft, regardless of the State of Design or State of Manufacture of the aircraft.
Note: Although countries with which the United States has concluded bilateral agreements concerning airworthiness have agreed to provide an export C of A with used aircraft exported under those agreements, an export C of A is not mandatory. Similarly, an export C of A is not mandatory for used aircraft exported from non-bilateral countries. That is, the FAA may not deny issuance of an airworthiness certificate for a used imported aircraft solely because an export C of A has not been issued or provided.
However, without an export C of A for a used aircraft, the applicant’s showing and the FAA’s finding of airworthiness may be burdensome, impractical, or not feasible due to the need for conducting a complete conformity inspection and a lack of available design data for such inspections. For these reasons, obtaining an export C of A from the exporting authority and submitting it with this application is always desirable.
3.12 Aircraft Location, for AWC Only.
Enter the physical location of the aircraft where it will be inspected for airworthiness.
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AC 21-12D CHAPTER 4. SECTION II, CERTIFICATION REQUESTED Select the airworthiness certificate requested. In AWC, select the appropriate certificate requested from the drop-down lists. To clearly indicate choices on Form 8130-6, use checkmarks or “x” marks in the boxes.
4.1 Standard Airworthiness Certificate.
A standard airworthiness certificate is issued for type-certificated aircraft in the normal, utility, acrobatic, transport, commuter, and manned free balloon categories. For a standard airworthiness certificate, mark or select the “Standard Airworthiness Certificate” box and the applicable category box. Refer to the aircraft model’s TCDS to determine whether more than one category can be selected.
4.1.1 Also included are special class aircraft, including engines and propellers installed thereon, such as powered lift, gliders, airships, unmanned aircraft, and other nonconventional aircraft, for which airworthiness standards have not been issued, refer to 14 CFR 21.17(b). A special class should be indicated by marking or selecting the “Standard Airworthiness Certificate” box and the “Other” box. In AWC, enter the type (previous examples) in the “Other” text box. In the blank space on Form 8130-6 directly above the standard category blocks, enter the type (for example, glider, very light aircraft, or airship).
4.1.2 For aircraft type-certificated before the adoption of categories, mark or select the “Standard Airworthiness Certificate” box and the “Other” box. Use the blank space directly above the boxes or use the “Other” text box in AWC to enter the certification basis. The certification basis can be found in the aircraft listing, specification sheet, or TCDS. Here is an example of an older certification basis entered in the blank space:
“Category N/A Certification basis CAR 04 A (Civil Air Regulations part 4a)”. The following regulations may be useful when making an application for standard airworthiness (Table 2):
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AC 21-12D Table 2, Standard Airworthiness References Standard Airworthiness Certificate for… Refer to… New aircraft manufactured under a production certificate (PC) 14 CFR 21.183(a) New aircraft manufactured under a TC 14 CFR 21.183(b) Import aircraft 14 CFR 21.183(c) Used aircraft and surplus aircraft of the U.S. Armed Forces (U.S. military aircraft) 14 CFR 21.183(d) New aircraft manufactured under the provisions of 14 CFR
21.6(b), which allows a person to build one type-certificated aircraft without holding or licensing the TC if evidence can be shown that construction began before August 5, 2004 14 CFR 21.183(h)
4.2 Special Airworthiness Certificate.
This certificate is issued to aircraft not meeting the requirements for a standard airworthiness certificate. Special airworthiness certificates are identified as primary, light-sport, limited, provisional, restricted, experimental, and special flight permit (in AWC, for SFP, use Special Flight Permit link on AWC dashboard).
4.2.1 Primary Category.
Special airworthiness certification in the primary category can be issued to typecertificated aircraft meeting the criteria of 14 CFR 21.24(a)(1) that are manufactured under a PC. This also includes aircraft kits provided by a PC holder to other people.
However, those who assemble these kits work under the supervision and quality control of the PC holder. To submit an application for a special airworthiness certificate in the primary category, mark or select the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box and the “Primary” box. The following regulations may be useful when making an application of special airworthiness in the primary category (Table 3).
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AC 21-12D 4-3 Table 3, Primary Category References Primary Category For… Refer to… New primary category aircraft manufactured under a PC 14 CFR 21.184(a) Imported aircraft in the primary category 14 CFR 21.184(b) Aircraft having a current standard airworthiness certificate to be exchanged for a special airworthiness certificate in the primary category 14 CFR 21.184(c) Other aircraft that may qualify for a special airworthiness certificate in the primary category 14 CFR 21.184(d)
4.2.2 Light-Sport Category.
Special airworthiness certificates in the light-sport category can be issued when an aircraft meets the requirements of 14 CFR 21.190, Issue of airworthiness certificate for a light-sport category aircraft. Effective July 24, 2026, to be eligible for a light-sport category aircraft under § 21.190, Issue of a special airworthiness certificate for a lightsport category aircraft, it must meet the requirements under 14 CFR 22.100, Eligibility.
For a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category, in AWC, select the class from the Light-Sport Class drop-down list that is displayed. On Form 8130-6, mark or select the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box and the “Light-Sport” box, and then mark or select the appropriate light-sport class (for example, airplane or powered parachute). Select only one class. Mark the “Other” box and provide a description of the category specified by the FAA, if applicable. If the requested lightsport “other” exceeds the limitations of the text box, enter “See section VII.E of this form.” In section VII.E, enter “B.9-8 continued:” and enter the applicable light-sport “other” requested via this application.
4.2.3 Limited Category.
Special airworthiness certificates in the limited category can be issued when an aircraft meets the requirements of 14 CFR 21.189, Issue of airworthiness certificate for limited category aircraft. For a special airworthiness certificate in the limited category, in AWC, select the limited category from the drop-down list that is displayed. On Form 8130-6, mark or select the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box and the “Limited” box.
4.2.4 Provisional Category.
Special airworthiness certificates in the provisional category can be issued when an aircraft has a provisional TC. A provisional category special airworthiness certificate is issued to conduct special purpose operations of aircraft with provisional TCs. The duration of this airworthiness certificate is limited to the duration of the provisional TC.
Two classes of provisional TCs may be issued. Class I certificates may be issued for all categories and have a duration of 24 months. Class II certificates are issued for transport
AC 21-12D category aircraft only and have a duration of 12 months. For a special airworthiness certificate in the provisional category, in AWC, select provisional category and applicable Class from the drop-down lists that are displayed. On Form 8130-6, mark or select the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box and choose one of the class boxes (refer to 14 CFR 21.221, Class I provisional airworthiness certificates, or 14 CFR 21.223, Class II provisional airworthiness certificates).
4.2.5 Restricted Category.
Special airworthiness certificates in the restricted category can be issued when an aircraft meets the requirements in 14 CFR 21.185, Issue of airworthiness certificate for restricted category aircraft.
4.2.5.1 This category includes several types of uses described in 14 CFR 21.25(b) (Table 4).
Table 4, Restricted Category Operations Form Box # USE Refer to… 1 Agriculture 14 CFR 21.25(b)(1) 2 Forest and wildlife conservation 14 CFR 21.25(b)(2) 3 Aerial surveying 14 CFR 21.25(b)(3) 4 Patrolling operations 14CFR 21.25(b)(4) 5 Weather control 14 CFR 21.25(b)(5) 6 Aerial advertising 14 CFR 21.25(b)(6) 7 Other 14 CFR 21.25(b)(7)
4.2.5.2 To submit an application for a special airworthiness certificate in the restricted category, in AWC, indicate one or more of the restricted category uses from the Restricted drop-down list and the “Special Purpose Operation(s)” drop-down list by selecting the corresponding check box.
If “Other” is selected, enter the intended restricted special purpose operation. On Form 8130-6, mark the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box, the “Restricted” box, and the applicable operation(s). If an applicable use is not listed, mark the “Other” box and provide a description of the operation specified by the FAA in the blank space. In block 8 you should mark the special purpose operation(s) corresponding to the restricted category use. If the requested special purpose operation(s) exceed the limitations of the text box, enter “See section VII.E of this form.” In section VII.E, enter “B.3-8 continued:” and enter all applicable special purpose operations requested via this application. The following references may be useful when making an application of special airworthiness in the restricted category (Table 5).
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AC 21-12D Table 5, Restricted Category References For… Refer to… Aircraft manufactured under a PC or TC only 14 CFR 21.185(a) Other aircraft (aircraft was used by U.S. Armed Forces or an aircraft previously type-certificated in another category) 14 CFR 21.185(b) Import aircraft type-certificated and produced under the authority of another country with which the United States has a bilateral agreement 14 CFR 21.185(c) Airworthiness Certification of Aircraft procedures FAA Order 8130.2 Restricted Category Type Certification procedures FAA Order 8110.56
4.2.6 Experimental Airworthiness Certificate.
The issuance of special airworthiness certification for the experimental purposes is pursuant to 14 CFR 21.191, Issue of experimental airworthiness certificates. If applicable, apply for more than one experimental purpose. When applying for a special airworthiness certificate for an experimental purpose(s) in AWC, indicate one or more of the experimental purposes from the “Experimental” drop-down list by selecting the corresponding check box(s). On Form 8130-6, mark the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box, the “Experimental” box, and the applicable experimental purpose(s).
When making an application for an unmanned aircraft, in addition to marking the “Special Airworthiness” and “Experimental” boxes, mark the “Unmanned Aircraft” box and the applicable operation(s) to be conducted. The following references may be useful when making an application for an experimental purpose (Table 6) 4-5
AC 21-12D Table 6, Experimental Purpose References Experimental Airworthiness Certificate For Purpose(s)… Refer to Research and development 14 CFR 21.191(a) Showing compliance with regulations 14 CFR 21.191(b) Crew training 14 CFR 21.191(c) Exhibition 14 CFR 21.191(d) Air racing 14 CFR 21.191 (e) Market surveys 14 CFR 21.191(f) Operating amateur-built aircraft 14 CFR 21.191(g) Operating primary kit-built aircraft 14 CFR 21.191(h) Operating former military aircraft * 14 CFR 21.191(j) Operating light-sport category kit-built aircraft 14 CFR 21.191(k) Operating former light-sport category aircraft 14 CFR 21.191(l) Airworthiness Certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Optionally Piloted Aircraft FAA Order 8130.34 ** *Effective July 24, 2026.
** Note: FAA orders are not regulations. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Optionally Piloted Aircraft must still meet the requirements of the 14 CFR, and Order 8130.34 does not impose any requirements on the public beyond what 14 CFR imposes.
4.2.7 Special Flight Permit.
Special flight permits are issued to aircraft that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements but are capable of safe flight. For a special flight permit, on Form 8130-6, mark the “Special Airworthiness Certificate” box, the “Special Flight Permit” box, and the applicable operation to be conducted. Unmanned aircraft may be issued special flight permits for production flight testing.
Note: When using AWC, select “Special Flight Permit” from the “Create Application” section on the AWC dashboard. Refer to the AWC User Guide and Sections 11 and 12 of this AC for further guidance and instructions when applying for a special flight permit. The following references may be useful when making an application of special flight permit (Table 7):
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AC 21-12D Table 7, Special Flight Permit References Special Flight Permit For… Refer to… Flying an aircraft to a base where repairs, alterations, or maintenance are to be performed, or to a point of storage 14 CFR 21.197(a)(1) Aircraft delivery or exports 14 CFR 21.197(a)(2) Production flight testing of new aircraft 14 CFR 21.197(a)(3) Evacuating aircraft from areas of impending danger 14 CFR 21.197(a)(4) Demonstration flights in new aircraft that have completed production flight testing 14 CFR 21.197(a)(5) Operations of an aircraft weighing more than the maximum certificated takeoff weight 14 CFR 21.197(b)
4.3 Multiple Airworthiness Certificate for Restricted Category Aircraft.
Certificates can be issued to an applicant in the restricted category and one or more other categories except the primary category (refer to 14 CFR 21.187, Issue of multiple airworthiness certificates for restricted category aircraft, for additional information and requirements). In AWC, to apply for multiple airworthiness certificates, select “Multiple Certificates” from the Create Application section on the AWC dashboard page. For application of multiple airworthiness certificates, on Form 8130-6, mark the “Multiple Airworthiness Certificate” box. Based upon the application, mark, when applicable, the “Standard Airworthiness” box with the appropriate categories and/or the “Special Airworthiness” box with the appropriate category of either “limited” or “restricted” with appropriate operation(s). Mark only the aircraft airworthiness certificates being requested.
Note: This section is not applicable to multipurpose experimental airworthiness certificates.
4.4 Current Airworthiness Certificate to Retain.
If there is an existing airworthiness certificate, standard or special, that is to be retained in addition to the certificate being applied for on the application, mark the “Current Airworthiness Certificate to Retain” box and enter the type of certificate followed by the date of issuance as shown on that certificate. Example: if the applicant is applying for a special airworthiness certificate in the restricted category with a special purpose of agriculture-crop spraying and the aircraft currently has a valid standard airworthiness certificate in the normal category that the applicant wishes to retain, enter “Standard- Normal” and date of issuance on that certificate “05 Jun 2019.” If there are existing airworthiness certificates that exceed the limitations of the text box, enter “See section VII.E of this form.” In section VII.E, enter “B.10 continued:” and enter all applicable existing airworthiness certificates to be retained.
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AC 21-12D CHAPTER 5. SECTION III, OWNER’S CERTIFICATION, ITEM A, REGISTERED OWNER Note: Title 14 CFR Part 47, Aircraft Registration, details the requirements to register aircraft.
5.1 Name.
Enter the name as exactly shown on the aircraft registration certificate.
5.2 Address.
Enter the address as exactly shown on the aircraft registration certificate.
5.3 If Dealer, Check Here.
This data field should be marked if the aircraft is registered under a dealer’s aircraft registration certificate.
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AC 21-12D CHAPTER 6. SECTION III, OWNER’S CERTIFICATION, ITEM B, AIRCRAFT
CERTIFICATION BASIS In this section, enter information about the aircraft’s certification. If the application is for multiple airworthiness certificates, the certification information for each requested certificate should be entered. In AWC, select the certification information from the applicable drop-down list. On Form 8130-6, mark all boxes that apply to the application and complete the requested data in each data field as it applies.
6.1 Aircraft Specification or Type Certificate Data Sheet.
6.1.1 For aircraft with TCs, enter the TC number (for example, “T00001SE”). When revisions exist, use the TC number plus “Rev” and the revision number (for example, “T00001SE Rev 46”). The revision number is the version found on page 1 of the aircraft’s TCDS.
6.1.2 For a new aircraft or model where the TCDS or specification has been approved but not yet published, enter the date of approval in month/day/year format, the TC number, and the word “Preliminary” (for example, “01/02/2010 AB123 Preliminary”).
6.1.3 Older aircraft (predating TCDS) may have been originally certificated with aircraft specifications. Specifications may be located on the DRS website using the TCDS link and searching by the type or model aircraft. Enter the specification number as shown on the “TC Number” line.
6.1.4 For special airworthiness certificate for the light-sport category or the experimental purposes of operating light-sport category kit-built aircraft or operating former lightsport category aircraft mark the box and enter “N/A.” A manufacturer’s statement of compliance, Form 8130-15, must be provided with the application pursuant to § 21.190.
For additional information about light-sport aircraft, refer to the FAA Light-Sport Aircraft website.
6.2 Airworthiness Directives.
Regardless of the type of airworthiness certificate requested, indicate the aircraft is in compliance with all applicable ADs (refer to 14 CFR Part 39, Airworthiness Directives, and 14 CFR 21.99, Required design changes). Airworthiness Directives Biweekly (AD biweekly) can be found on the DRS website.
6.2.1 If the aircraft is in compliance with all ADs, check the box and then enter the latest AD biweekly supplement number published as of the date of application. Use a four-digit year, a dash, and publication number format. As an example, if the day of the application is 09/30/2024, 2024-19 would be the latest supplement published, enter “2024-19” in the data field.
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AC 21-12D
6.2.2 For a special airworthiness certificate for the light-sport category or the experimental purposes of operating former light-sport category aircraft or operating light-sport category kit-built aircraft, you should enter “None”
6.2.3 In AWC, if answered “No” to the “All Applicable ADs Are Compiled With” field, a prompt is displayed indicating that the application is not eligible for a standard or special airworthiness certificate and to contact the local FAA office for guidance. AWC will not allow the continuation of this application.
6.3 Supplemental Type Certificate.
This data field is applicable for all standard airworthiness certifications. This data field is also applicable for special airworthiness certifications in the restricted, limited, provisional, and primary categories. When one or more STCs are installed, mark the box and complete the data field with the required information. When no STCs are installed, leave the box unmarked and enter “N/A.”
6.3.1 Enter the STC number of each STC installed. If more space is needed, use an attachment. When using an attachment, list the STCs installed by STC number only. For aircraft involved in FAA STC projects, ensure the STC number for the completed project is listed in the data field at the time of application.
6.3.2 For a special airworthiness certificate for the light-sport category or an experimental purpose, in AWC select the “Not Applicable” box, for paper Form 8130-6 user, leave the box unmarked and enter “N/A” in the data field.
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AC 21-12D CHAPTER 7. SECTION III, ITEM C, AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS
7.1 Maintenance Records Are in Compliance with applicable 14 CFR requirements.
Check this block if maintenance records are in compliance with requirements applicable to the airworthiness certificate which you are applying for.
7.2 Total Airframe Hours.
Enter in this data field the aircraft’s total time in service measured in hours. Time in service should be determined from your aircraft maintenance records.
7.3 Experimental Only.
7.3.1 This data field should only be completed when—
• Submitting an application for a new or renewed special airworthiness certificate for an experimental purpose (experimental airworthiness certificate),
• Requesting a change from an experimental airworthiness certificate back to a previously held standard airworthiness certificate, or
• Requesting a change from an experimental airworthiness certificate back to a previously held special airworthiness certificate in another category.
7.3.2 Enter “0” if applying for an original issuance of an experimental airworthiness certificate with zero hours flown.
7.3.3 If renewing an experimental airworthiness certificate or making an application to change back a previously held certificate, enter in this data field the number of hours the aircraft has flown since the issuance of the current experimental airworthiness certificate.
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