AFS 777 — All Flight Services
U.S. Agent for Service

Your U.S. agent for FAA service

Living outside the United States with no U.S. physical address on file with the FAA? If you hold or are applying for an FAA certificate, the FAA requires you to designate a U.S. agent to receive FAA documents for you. AFS 777 can be that agent — $49/year per person, or $39 each per year for five or more people on one company invoice.

Request agent serviceDo I need one?

The requirement, in plain English

Serving official documents on people abroad can take the FAA months, sometimes over a year. [AC 3-1 ¶1.7] So since October 2024, FAA rules in 14 CFR part 3, subpart C require certain individuals with only a foreign address on file to name a U.S. agent for service: a person or company in the U.S. who receives FAA documents on their behalf. [89 FR 81305]

You designate the agent online through the FAA’s U.S. Agent for Service System (USAS). That is the method the FAA prescribes in Advisory Circular 3-1. [AC 3-1 ¶3.1–3.2] [90 FR 213] The designation must include the agent’s full name, U.S. address and email address. You must also certify that the agent has accepted the responsibility. Phone and fax numbers are optional. [§ 3.303(b)]

Deadlines have passed. Applicants had to comply by April 2, 2025, and current certificate holders by July 7, 2025. [90 FR 213] If the rule applies to you, it applies now.

Who needs a U.S. agent?

You must designate one if all three of these are true. [§ 3.301] [AC 3-1 ch. 2]

  1. You have a foreign address of record on file with the FAA,
  2. you have no U.S. physical address of record on file with the FAA (P.O. boxes, mail drops and commercial-only addresses don’t count), [§ 3.302] and
  3. you hold or are applying for a certificate, rating or authorization under one of these parts:
  • Part 47 — Aircraft Registration
    individual aircraft owners (registration certificates)
  • Part 61 — Pilots, Flight Instructors & Ground Instructors
    pilot, flight instructor and ground instructor certificates and ratings
  • Part 63 — Flight Crewmembers Other Than Pilots
    flight engineer and flight navigator certificates
  • Part 65 — Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers
    e.g. mechanic, repairman, parachute rigger, aircraft dispatcher, control tower operator
  • Part 67 — Medical Standards & Certification
    FAA medical certificates
  • Part 107 — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
    remote pilot certificates (drones)

The requirement applies to individuals, not entities. [USAS] Part descriptions are summaries. See the regulations for exact scope.

What a U.S. agent does

The agent receives FAA documents for you. The FAA treats service on your agent as service on you, and you stay legally responsible for responding. [AC 3-1 ¶2.4] Some FAA documents have reply or appeal deadlines as short as two days, so speed matters. [AC 3-1 ¶2.4]

Eligibility

An entity, or an adult 18 or older, with a U.S. agent address. A company agent must use its U.S. office address. P.O. boxes and mail drops aren’t allowed. [§ 3.302]

Duties

Be available to receive FAA documents and transmit them to you right away, using a method you agree on in advance, such as scan and email or expedited mail. [AC 3-1 ¶2.4–2.5]

Keeping it current

You must tell the FAA of any change to your agent or your agent’s contact details within 30 days, through USAS. [§ 3.303(c)] [AC 3-1 ch. 4]

How AFS 777 serves as your agent

A simple, dependable service from an aviation company that understands FAA paperwork.

We receive FAA documents

We accept service of FAA documents addressed to us as your U.S. agent, at our U.S. office address.

We notify you promptly

For any original the FAA serves through us under Part 47, 61, 63, 65, 67 or 107, we email you the same day it arrives, with a scanned copy, and ship the original the next business day by USPS, UPS or FedEx (your choice, at your cost); we don’t keep originals. Delivery time depends on the carrier.

We keep records

We log what we receive and when we send it to you, and we tell you right away if our agent contact details ever change, so you can update USAS within 30 days. We keep records of the service; see our privacy policy for how we handle them.

Steps to designate AFS 777

This follows the FAA’s public USAS User Guide. The screens and field names are the FAA’s, and they may change.

  1. Send a request

    Complete the request form below.

  2. We confirm and accept

    After you send it, you can pay the $49/year fee securely online by Stripe (five or more people on one company invoice: $39 each, paid once by the company). We reply by email to confirm that we accept the role and send the exact agent details to enter. USAS has no step where the agent accepts, so please wait for our confirmation before you designate us.

  3. Have your identifiers ready

    Airmen and applicants (Parts 61, 63, 65, 67, 107): your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) and date of birth. You can find your FTN in your MedXPress or IACRA profile, or in Airmen Services if you already hold a certificate. No FTN yet? Register in IACRA first. Aircraft owners (Part 47): your N-number and aircraft serial number. You don’t need an FTN. [USAS: Before you log in] [USAS FAQ]

  4. Create your USAS account

    At usas.faa.gov, accept the System Use Notice and choose Request New User Account. This is a USAS account, not Login.gov. Enter your first, middle and last name and your email, set three security questions and a password, then click the verification link that USAS emails you from usas-no-reply@faa.gov. The link is valid for 90 days. [USAS User Guide: account]

  5. Sign in and identify yourself

    On the Manage U.S. Agent page, choose Airman/Operator and enter your FTN and date of birth, or choose Aircraft Owner and enter the N-number and serial number. Aircraft are designated one at a time, using Add New Aircraft. [USAS User Guide: airman] [USAS User Guide: aircraft]

  6. Enter AFS 777 as your agent

    Under Select type of U.S. Agent, choose Service Agent Company, not Individual. Then enter the details from the Agent details for USAS box on this page. Click Verify Address, choose the address to keep, and click Confirm my selection. [USAS User Guide]

  7. Certify and submit

    Tick I certify. This confirms that your answers are true, that the FAA may serve documents on your agent, and that your agent knows about and has agreed to this responsibility. Then click Submit. USAS shows “U.S. Agent saved successfully”. [USAS User Guide] [§ 3.303(b)]

  8. Forward us your confirmation

    USAS emails you a message titled “Confirmation of your U.S. Agent designation”, from usas-no-reply@faa.gov. Your designation takes effect when this email is sent. [USAS FAQ] Forward it to us so our records match the FAA’s. If anything changes later, use Edit or Update in USAS within 30 days. [§ 3.303(c)]

Request

Request U.S. Agent for Service

Tell us about yourself and your FAA certificates. We’ll reply by email. We aren’t your agent until we confirm acceptance and you complete the designation in USAS.

Fields marked are required.

About you
FAA certificates
If you’re applying and don’t have a number yet, write “applying” and the certificate type. Aircraft owners: include the N-number.

Certificates held or applied for (select all that apply)

Service fee: $49/year per person, or $39 per person per year for five or more people on one company invoice (the company pays once for the group; each person still designates AFS 777 in USAS). After you send the request, you can pay securely by Stripe (renews yearly; cancel anytime by contacting us). Refund policy. We use this information only to respond to your request and provide the service. See our privacy policy.

FAQ

I have a U.S. address. Do I need an agent?

No. The requirement applies only if you have a foreign address and no U.S. physical address of record on file with the FAA. [§ 3.301] If you can provide a U.S. physical address, the FAA notes you may do so through the standard airman or aircraft-owner processes instead of designating an agent. [USAS] Note that P.O. boxes, mail drops and commercial addresses that aren’t also residential don’t count as a U.S. physical address. [§ 3.302]

Does this apply to companies?

The FAA’s USAS site states that the requirement applies only to individuals, not entities. [USAS]

Can a friend or relative be my agent instead?

Yes. You can designate any adult (18 or older) with a qualifying U.S. address, or hire an entity such as an agent service company. [AC 3-1 ¶2.2] Choose someone reliable: the FAA treats service on your agent as service on you. [AC 3-1 ¶2.4]

Can AFS 777 enter the designation in USAS for me?

No. Only the individual covered by the rule may sign in to USAS and designate their agent. The FAA can’t do it for you, and agents can’t register themselves as your agent. [USAS FAQ] You create your own USAS account, enter the agent details we give you, and certify that we have agreed to the responsibility. [USAS User Guide] [AC 3-1 ¶3.1–3.2]

Does AFS 777 get notified when I designate us?

Not by the FAA. USAS sends its confirmation email only to you, at the email address on your USAS account, and there’s no step in USAS where the agent accepts. That’s why we confirm acceptance with you first and ask you to forward the confirmation. [USAS User Guide] [USAS FAQ]

Does the FAA charge a fee to designate an agent?

No. The FAA charges nothing to register a U.S. agent in USAS. Agents may charge their own fees, which the FAA doesn’t control. Our fee is $49/year per person, or $39 each per year for five or more people on one company invoice. The FAA also doesn’t vet or approve U.S. agents. [USAS FAQ]

What is your refund policy?

Full refund within 14 days of payment if we have not yet started acting as your U.S. Agent (i.e., before AFS 777 has accepted the designation / been named in USAS for you). After that, or once we have started acting as your agent, the fee for that year is non-refundable.

Will AFS 777 respond to the FAA for me?

No. Our role is to receive documents the FAA serves on you and get them to you promptly. You remain legally responsible for responding to or complying with them. [AC 3-1 ¶2.4] If you need legal advice about an FAA matter, consult a qualified aviation attorney.

What if I want to change or stop using my agent?

You can designate a new agent for any reason. You must tell the FAA about any change to your agent designation or your agent’s contact information within 30 days, through USAS. [§ 3.303(c)] [AC 3-1 ch. 4] In USAS, sign in and use Edit or Update on your agent card, which opens the form prefilled. For aircraft, re-entering the N-number lets you choose Designate New U.S. Agent. USAS emails you a new confirmation after each update. [USAS User Guide] [USAS User Guide: aircraft] The $49 charge renews automatically each year; you can cancel anytime by emailing admin@afs777.com before your renewal date, and refunds follow our refund policy. If you cancel or don’t pay, the service stops at the end of your paid year: we still forward FAA mail we already received, but we don’t accept new FAA mail after that date, so update your agent in USAS yourself.

What happens if I don’t designate an agent?

If you hold a certificate, you may not exercise its privileges, and an individual aircraft owner’s registration certificate is ineffective. If you’re applying, the FAA will not issue the certificate, rating or authorization. [§ 3.303(d)–(e)]

Which FAA documents might be sent to my agent?

Examples include enforcement letters, notices and orders; reexamination letters; letters of investigation; letters requesting more information about, or denying, a medical certificate; and notices of ineffective or invalid aircraft registration. [AC 3-1 ¶2.3]

Sources

Not legal advice. This page is a general summary of FAA requirements, provided for information only. It is not legal advice and doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship. AFS 777 LLC is not a law firm and isn’t affiliated with the FAA. Requirements can change, so check the current regulations and FAA guidance linked above, and consult a qualified attorney about your situation.