Overview
ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026 standardizes the digital representation of Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) or drone licences and training certificates. Published by ISO and IEC, this standard provides global guidance for issuing authorities-such as aviation agencies-on implementing digital UAS or drone licences using the mdoc data model outlined in ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-2. The document specifies the structure, doctype, namespaces, and required data elements, enabling consistent, secure, and interoperable digital credentials for remote pilots. It does not prescribe specific licence categories or conditions, but instead supports national and regional customization through tailored namespaces, allowing authorities worldwide to define licence attributes as per their own regulations.
Key Topics
- Digital UAS or drone licence specification: Guidance for digitizing drone licences, including the required technical structure and identifiers.
- mdoc data model compatibility: Ensures that digital licences conform to the mobile document (mdoc) data model in ISO/IEC 18013-5 for secure and portable electronic credentials.
- Doctype and namespace rules: Defines how document types and namespaces should be constructed, allowing easy extension and localization by different regions and jurisdictions.
- Common data elements: Outlines standard data fields (e.g., issue date, expiry date, authority, pilot name, competencies) to promote interoperability and ease of verification.
- Extensibility for local regulations: Supports adding local data fields and namespaces while maintaining compliance with the global structure.
- Transmission and application: Aligns with application and protocol requirements for digital licences, ensuring compatibility with mdoc apps and data transmission standards such as ISO/IEC TS 18013-7 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-4.
Applications
The adoption of ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026 provides several practical benefits and applications:
- Digital remote pilot licences: Enables aviation authorities to issue, manage, and verify pilot accreditation electronically, reducing reliance on physical documents.
- Training certificate management: Supports digital records for pilot training and competencies, aiding compliance and practical enforcement.
- Mobile integration: Facilitates use of digital UAS licences via mobile devices, enabling quick presentation and easy verification during operations or inspections.
- Global and local interoperability: Provides a harmonized framework that allows for both international interoperability and national or regional adjustments, making it adaptable for diverse regulatory environments.
- Enhanced security: Leverages machine-readable technologies and options for public key infrastructure (PKI), supporting anti-forgery and improved trust in digital credentials.
- Streamlined administration: Improves operational efficiency by standardizing the structure and communication protocols for digital UAS or drone licences.
Related Standards
- ISO/IEC 18013-5: Personal identification-ISO-compliant driving licence-Part 5: Mobile driving licence (mDL) application (core reference for mdoc data model).
- ISO/IEC TS 23220-2: Building blocks for identity management via mobile devices-Data objects and encoding rules for generic eID systems.
- ISO/IEC TS 23220-4: Protocols and services for operational phase of mobile identity documents.
- ISO 3166-1 and ISO 3166-2: Codes for the representation of country and subdivision names.
- RFC 8943 and RFC 8949: Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR) and tags for date and time encoding, relevant for data format interoperability.
- ISO/IEC 18013-1, ISO/IEC TS 18013-7: Physical and add-on functions for ISO driving licences, supporting wider personal identity card applications.
By following ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026, organizations can ensure their digital UAS or drone licence issuance and verification processes are secure, efficient, and globally recognized, supporting the growing need for digital identity and compliance in the drone industry.