Private Airport Registration & Site Approval

As of October 1, 2003, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) requires all private airports, heliports and ultralight facilities to register with the State of Florida. Private seaplane bases are now exempt from registration, ie. if you operate your aircraft from any body of water; you no longer are required to notify FDOT. You may still be required to notify the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) via Form 7480-1, Notice of Landing Area Proposal. FAA Form 7480-1.pdf

Private airports with ten or more based aircraft may request to be inspected and licensed by the Department. However, all private airports must complete the online site approval and registration process prior to requesting licensure. For licensure inquiries, contact the Airport Inspection and Safety Manager at 850-414-4500. Additional information is available at FDOT's Aviation web page.

There are several steps in order to receive site approval and register your facility. First you will need to create an account with the department's Private Airport Registration and Site Approval web site. Upon submittal, a login name and password will be emailed to you via the email address you provide along with a link back to the Private Airport Registration and Site Approval web site.

Once you have created an account, login using the login name and password and begin your private airport site approval process. The Site Approval Data Entry Wizard will take you through 3 steps. First you will select the type of facility you will be operating. Second you will be asked to confirm your contact information, provide facility and landing area data and the third and final step will be to certify the following information.

Note: Private airport applicants are not required to submit supporting documentation to FDOT. However, all private airport site approval applicants shall retain, in their personal possession, all of the required documentation related to this site approval application, in order to be able to respond to any future local, state, or federal inquiry.

• Property Rights - Airport site approval applicant shall maintain proof of ownership, option to buy, or lease agreement for the real property that comprises the site on which the proposed airport would be located. Although adequate safety areas surrounding an airport site are important and a factor in consideration of the Department's approval determination, the applicant is not required to hold property rights over those real property areas that would constitute runway approach surfaces.
• Local Government - Maintain a copy of each of the letters of notification, showing the recipient's name and mailing address, that have been submitted to each zoning authority having jurisdiction for the municipality and county in which the site lies or which is located within five (5) nautical miles of the proposed airport site. The applicant shall also maintain a copy of all related correspondence from each city or county authority, including a statement that the proposed airport site is in compliance with local zoning requirements or that such requirements are not applicable.
• FAA Approval - Maintain a copy of the notification to the FAA for the proposed airport site and a copy of the FAA's airspace approval correspondence.
• Facility Diagram - Maintain a scale drawing showing the size and dimensions of the proposed facility; property rights-of-way and easements; lighting, power, and telephone poles; location of building(s) on property and surrounding areas; direction, distance, and height of all structures over 25 feet within 1,000 feet of the site perimeter.
• Geodetic Position - Maintain a copy of a U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle map or equivalent with the proposed site plotted to the nearest second of latitude and longitude.
• Location Map - Maintain a copy of a map or sketch, at least 8.5 x 11 inch in size, showing the location of the proposed site with respect to recognizable landmarks and access roads to the site clearly marked.
• Aviation Facilities - Maintain a list of names and mailing addresses for adjacent airports, including a sample copy of the letter submitted as proposal notification to these airports, and keep a copy of all airport correspondence in reply.
  1. For a proposed airport, list all VFR airports and heliports within five (5) nautical miles and all IFR airports within 20 nautical miles.
  2. For a proposed heliport, list all VFR airports and heliports within three (3) nautical miles and all IFR airports within 10 nautical miles.
• Adjacent Property - Maintain a list of the names and mailing addresses of all real property owners within 1,000 feet of the airport site perimeter or within 300 feet of the heliport or helistop site perimeter, including a single copy of the letter of notification submitted as notification to these adjacent real property owners, and keep a copy of all real property owner correspondence in reply.
• Public Notice - Maintain a copy of the notice and of the letter, showing the recipient's name and mailing address, requesting publication of notification of the proposed airport site in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the proposed airport site is located and counties within five (5) nautical miles of the proposed airport site.
• Waste Sites - Maintain written confirmation that the runway(s) on the proposed airport would not be located within 5,000 feet of any solid waste management facility, for a proposed airport serving only non-turbine aircraft, or within 10,000 feet of any solid waste management facility for a proposed airport serving turbine-driven aircraft.
• Air-Traffic Pattern - Maintain written confirmation, including a graphical depiction, demonstrating that safe air-traffic patterns can be established for the proposed airport with all existing and approved airport sites within three (3) miles of the proposed airport site. Keep a copy of a written memorandum of understanding or letter of agreement regarding air-traffic pattern separation procedures between the parties representing the proposed airport and any existing airports or approved airport sites located within three (3) miles of the proposed site.
• Safety Factors - Maintain written confirmation that the runway and taxiway design criteria and airport design layout of the proposed airport have appropriately taken into account consideration of the manufacturer's performance characteristics for the type(s) of aircraft planned to be operated; the frequency and type(s) of flight operations to be anticipated; planned aviation-related or non-aviation activities on the airport; and any other safety considerations, as necessary, to ensure the general public health, safety, and welfare of persons located on or near the airport, as may be required by the Department for licensing or registration.
• Security Factors - Maintain written confirmation that the proposed airport site owner or lessee, as appropriate, is aware of their responsibility to protect the general public health, safety, and welfare through secure airport operations and that they will develop and implement appropriate airport security measures to safeguard airport and aviation-related assets from misappropriation or misuse in order to prevent potential loss or public endangerment, as may be required by the Department for licensing or registration.

Upon submittal, FDOT will respond with an approval or denial to the email address you provided within 30 days. You may also check your airport's site approval status by logging into FDOT's Private Airport Registration and Site Approval web site.

Airport site approval becomes final 45 days after issuance and is valid for 2 years. Once the airport site approval has become final, you may register your airport. If your airport is not registered by the airport site approval expiration date, a new airport site approval is required.

Private Airport Registration

Private airport registration is valid for a period of 2 years. You may certify your airport's information at any time within 2 years. The registration is then valid for an additional 2-year period. Failure to certify the airport's data by the registration expiration date will require a new airport site approval.

If you require assistance, please contact the Airport Registration Program Manager at 850-414-4500 or email at arpm@florida-aviation-database.com.