Annual and 100-hour inspections14 CFR 91.409 Inspections
Unless paragraph (c) exempts it, an aircraft must have had an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months. An aircraft that carries any person other than a crewmember for hire, or that an instructor provides for flight instruction for hire, also needs an annual or 100-hour inspection within the preceding 100 hours of time in service, with up to 10 hours allowed while en route to where the inspection can be done.
By the ATIS Alerts team · Updated October 15, 2026 · Regulation text current as of October 14, 2026. A study aid based on the official regulation text, not legal advice or an FAA interpretation.
At a glance
- Annual inspection under Part 43 within the preceding 12 calendar months, approved for return to service by a person authorized by 43.7 (a)(1).
- A 100-hour inspection counts as an annual only if done by a person authorized to perform annuals and entered as an "annual" (a).
- 100 hours applies to carrying any person (other than a crewmember) for hire, and to flight instruction for hire in an aircraft the instructor provides (b).
- The 100-hour limit may be exceeded by not more than 10 hours while en route to a place where the inspection can be done (b).
- The extra time counts toward the next 100 hours (b).
- Exceptions include special flight permits, experimental, light-sport and provisional certificates, and progressive inspection programs (c).
In plain English
Section 91.409 sets the inspection schedule most general aviation owners live by. Paragraph (a) says no person may operate an aircraft unless, within the preceding 12 calendar months, it has had an annual inspection under Part 43 and been approved for return to service by a person authorized by 43.7, or an inspection for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate under Part 21.
Paragraph (b) adds an hourly limit for two kinds of flying: carrying any person (other than a crewmember) for hire, and giving flight instruction for hire in an aircraft that the instructor provides. For those operations the aircraft must have received an annual or 100-hour inspection within the preceding 100 hours of time in service and been approved for return to service under Part 43, or have received an inspection for issuance of an airworthiness certificate under Part 21.
The 100-hour limit has a small allowance. It may be exceeded by not more than 10 hours while en route to reach a place where the inspection can be done, and the excess time must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service. The two inspections are not interchangeable in both directions: an annual satisfies (b), but a 100-hour inspection may be substituted for the annual only if it is performed by a person authorized to perform annual inspections and entered as an "annual" inspection in the maintenance records.
Paragraph (c) lists aircraft that (a) and (b) do not apply to, including aircraft carrying a special flight permit, a current experimental airworthiness certificate, a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category or a provisional airworthiness certificate, and aircraft on a progressive inspection program under (d) or an inspection program under (e). Paragraphs (d) through (h) cover progressive inspections and the programs for large and turbine aircraft.
Common mistakes
- Treating the 10 hours as a general grace period. It applies only while en route to reach a place where the inspection can be done (b).
- Restarting the 100-hour clock after an overfly. The excess time is included in computing the next 100 hours (b).
- Assuming a 100-hour inspection always covers the annual. It does only if done by a person authorized to perform annuals and entered as an "annual" (a).
The official text
14 CFR 91.409 as published on the eCFR, current as of October 14, 2026.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no person may operate an aircraft unless, within the preceding 12 calendar months, it has had—
(1) An annual inspection in accordance with part 43 of this chapter and has been approved for return to service by a person authorized by § 43.7 of this chapter; or
(2) An inspection for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate in accordance with part 21 of this chapter.
No inspection performed under paragraph (b) of this section may be substituted for any inspection required by this paragraph unless it is performed by a person authorized to perform annual inspections and is entered as an “annual” inspection in the required maintenance records.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no person may operate an aircraft carrying any person (other than a crewmember) for hire, and no person may give flight instruction for hire in an aircraft which that person provides, unless within the preceding 100 hours of time in service the aircraft has received an annual or 100-hour inspection and been approved for return to service in accordance with part 43 of this chapter or has received an inspection for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate in accordance with part 21 of this chapter. The 100-hour limitation may be exceeded by not more than 10 hours while en route to reach a place where the inspection can be done. The excess time used to reach a place where the inspection can be done must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service.
(c) Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to—
(1) An aircraft that carries a special flight permit, a current experimental airworthiness certificate, a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category, or provisional airworthiness certificate;
(2) An aircraft inspected in accordance with an approved aircraft inspection program under part 125 or 135 of this chapter and so identified by the registration number in the operations specifications of the certificate holder having the approved inspection program;
(3) An aircraft subject to the requirements of paragraph (d) or (e) of this section; or
(4) Turbine-powered rotorcraft when the operator elects to inspect that rotorcraft in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section.
(d) Progressive inspection. Each registered owner or operator of an aircraft desiring to use a progressive inspection program must submit a written request to the responsible Flight Standards office, and shall provide—
(1) A certificated mechanic holding an inspection authorization, a certificated airframe repair station, or the manufacturer of the aircraft to supervise or conduct the progressive inspection;
(2) A current inspection procedures manual available and readily understandable to pilot and maintenance personnel containing, in detail—
(i) An explanation of the progressive inspection, including the continuity of inspection responsibility, the making of reports, and the keeping of records and technical reference material;
(ii) An inspection schedule, specifying the intervals in hours or days when routine and detailed inspections will be performed and including instructions for exceeding an inspection interval by not more than 10 hours while en route and for changing an inspection interval because of service experience;
(iii) Sample routine and detailed inspection forms and instructions for their use; and
(iv) Sample reports and records and instructions for their use;
(3) Enough housing and equipment for necessary disassembly and proper inspection of the aircraft; and
(4) Appropriate current technical information for the aircraft.
The frequency and detail of the progressive inspection shall provide for the complete inspection of the aircraft within each 12 calendar months and be consistent with the manufacturer's recommendations, field service experience, and the kind of operation in which the aircraft is engaged. The progressive inspection schedule must ensure that the aircraft, at all times, will be airworthy and will conform to all applicable FAA aircraft specifications, type certificate data sheets, airworthiness directives, and other approved data. If the progressive inspection is discontinued, the owner or operator shall immediately notify the responsible Flight Standards office, in writing, of the discontinuance. After the discontinuance, the first annual inspection under § 91.409(a)(1) is due within 12 calendar months after the last complete inspection of the aircraft under the progressive inspection. The 100-hour inspection under § 91.409(b) is due within 100 hours after that complete inspection. A complete inspection of the aircraft, for the purpose of determining when the annual and 100-hour inspections are due, requires a detailed inspection of the aircraft and all its components in accordance with the progressive inspection. A routine inspection of the aircraft and a detailed inspection of several components is not considered to be a complete inspection.
(e) Large airplanes (to which part 125 is not applicable), turbojet multiengine airplanes, turbopropeller-powered multiengine airplanes, and turbine-powered rotorcraft. No person may operate a large airplane, turbojet multiengine airplane, turbopropeller-powered multiengine airplane, or turbine-powered rotorcraft unless the replacement times for life-limited parts specified in the aircraft specifications, type data sheets, or other documents approved by the Administrator are complied with and the airplane or turbine-powered rotorcraft, including the airframe, engines, propellers, rotors, appliances, survival equipment, and emergency equipment, is inspected in accordance with an inspection program selected under the provisions of paragraph (f) of this section, except that, the owner or operator of a turbine-powered rotorcraft may elect to use the inspection provisions of § 91.409(a), (b), (c), or (d) in lieu of an inspection option of § 91.409(f).
(f) Selection of inspection program under paragraph (e) of this section. The registered owner or operator of each airplane or turbine-powered rotorcraft described in paragraph (e) of this section must select, identify in the aircraft maintenance records, and use one of the following programs for the inspection of the aircraft:
(1) A continuous airworthiness inspection program that is part of a continuous airworthiness maintenance program currently in use by a person holding an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate issued under part 121 or 135 of this chapter and operating that make and model aircraft under part 121 of this chapter or operating that make and model under part 135 of this chapter and maintaining it under § 135.411(a)(2) of this chapter.
(2) An approved aircraft inspection program approved under § 135.419 of this chapter and currently in use by a person holding an operating certificate issued under part 135 of this chapter.
(3) A current inspection program recommended by the manufacturer.
(4) Any other inspection program established by the registered owner or operator of that airplane or turbine-powered rotorcraft and approved by the Administrator under paragraph (g) of this section. However, the Administrator may require revision of this inspection program in accordance with the provisions of § 91.415.
Each operator shall include in the selected program the name and address of the person responsible for scheduling the inspections required by the program and make a copy of that program available to the person performing inspections on the aircraft and, upon request, to the Administrator.
(g) Inspection program approved under paragraph (e) of this section. Each operator of an airplane or turbine-powered rotorcraft desiring to establish or change an approved inspection program under paragraph (f)(4) of this section must submit the program for approval to the responsible Flight Standards office. The program must be in writing and include at least the following information:
(1) Instructions and procedures for the conduct of inspections for the particular make and model airplane or turbine-powered rotorcraft, including necessary tests and checks. The instructions and procedures must set forth in detail the parts and areas of the airframe, engines, propellers, rotors, and appliances, including survival and emergency equipment required to be inspected.
(2) A schedule for performing the inspections that must be performed under the program expressed in terms of the time in service, calendar time, number of system operations, or any combination of these.
(h) Changes from one inspection program to another. When an operator changes from one inspection program under paragraph (f) of this section to another, the time in service, calendar times, or cycles of operation accumulated under the previous program must be applied in determining inspection due times under the new program.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2120-0005)
Test yourself
Practice questions from our free FAA written test prep that cite 14 CFR 91.409.
Commercial Pilot
An aircraft used to carry persons for hire must have had, within the preceding 100 hours of time in service:
- A. an annual or a 100-hour inspection.
- B. a 50-hour oil change and inspection.
- C. an altimeter and static system check.
- D. a transponder certification.
Show answer
A. an annual or a 100-hour inspection. When carrying persons for hire, or giving flight instruction for hire in an aircraft the instructor provides, the aircraft needs an annual or a 100-hour inspection within the preceding 100 hours of time in service. An annual satisfies the 100-hour requirement; a 100-hour does not replace the annual. The 100 hours may be exceeded by up to 10 hours to reach a place of inspection, and that excess is deducted from the next interval.
More Commercial Pilot practice →CFI Airplane
Which inspections must be current for an aircraft used for flight instruction for hire when the instructor provides the aircraft?
- A. Annual and 100-hour inspections.
- B. Annual inspection only.
- C. 100-hour inspection only.
- D. Annual, 100-hour, and progressive inspections.
Show answer
A. Annual and 100-hour inspections. The 100-hour requirement attaches when the aircraft is provided by the person giving instruction, or when carrying persons for hire. A student who owns the airplane and hires only the instructor needs only the annual.
More CFI Airplane practice →Basic Ground Instructor
A 100-hour inspection is required when an aircraft is:
- A. used to carry persons for hire, or used for flight instruction for hire when provided by the instructor.
- B. flown more than 100 hours in a calendar year.
- C. operated by a flying club of any kind.
- D. rented to any pilot, even without an instructor.
Show answer
A. used to carry persons for hire, or used for flight instruction for hire when provided by the instructor. The 100-hour requirement attaches to carrying persons for hire and to instruction for hire in an aircraft the instructor provides. An annual inspection may substitute for a 100-hour, but a 100-hour never substitutes for an annual. The 100-hour limit may be exceeded by up to 10 hours to reach a place where the inspection can be done.
More Basic Ground Instructor practice →A&P Airframe
A 100-hour inspection that comes due while away from maintenance may be exceeded by:
- A. up to 10 hours to reach a place where the inspection can be done, with the excess counted against the next interval.
- B. up to 10 hours, with the next interval starting fresh at the inspection.
- C. up to 25 hours with FSDO approval.
- D. nothing; the aircraft is grounded at 100.0 hours.
Show answer
A. up to 10 hours to reach a place where the inspection can be done, with the excess counted against the next interval. The 10-hour overrun exists solely for repositioning, and it is not free time: fly 7 hours over and the next inspection is due in 93. The 'starts fresh' distractor is the misreading that quietly stretches every interval.
More A&P Airframe practice →
Questions pilots ask
How often does an airplane need an annual inspection?
Within the preceding 12 calendar months, under Part 43, with approval for return to service by a person authorized by 43.7 (91.409(a)(1)), unless an exception in 91.409(c) applies.
When is a 100-hour inspection required?
When the aircraft carries any person (other than a crewmember) for hire, or when a person gives flight instruction for hire in an aircraft that person provides (91.409(b)). An annual inspection within the preceding 100 hours also satisfies the requirement.
Can you go over 100 hours?
By not more than 10 hours, and only while en route to reach a place where the inspection can be done. The excess time must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service (91.409(b)).
Does a 100-hour inspection count as an annual?
Only if it is performed by a person authorized to perform annual inspections and entered as an "annual" inspection in the required maintenance records (91.409(a)).