FAA Form 8610-2 and IACRA — Applying for Your A&P Certificate

What Is FAA Form 8610-2?

FAA Form 8610-2 is the Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application used for all airman certificates except student pilots. For A&P mechanics, it captures: your legal name and contact information, the certificate(s) and rating(s) you are applying for (Airframe, Powerplant, or both), the basis of your eligibility (Part-147 graduate or documented practical experience), a summary of your experience or school training, and the required signatures. The form has multiple sections that are completed at different stages of the process — you start it, your certifying supervisor or school signs it, and your DME signs it on exam day after a successful O&P. The FAA FSDO processes the signed form and issues your permanent certificate.

Documenting Your Experience on Form 8610-2

If you qualify through the practical experience path (not Part-147), Section III of Form 8610-2 requires you to describe your experience, including the type of aircraft and engines you worked on, the nature of the maintenance tasks performed, the time period, and your employer's name and location. Your supervising A&P mechanic (who must hold the rating you are seeking) signs the form under penalty of federal law, certifying that the experience you listed is accurate and that you performed the work under their supervision. Do not round up or generalize your experience — list the actual tasks you performed. Inaccurate representations on Form 8610-2 are a federal offense.

IACRA: The FAA's Electronic Application System

IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application) at iacra.faa.gov is the FAA's web-based system for processing airman certificate applications electronically. For A&P mechanics, IACRA replaces the paper Form 8610-2 in most FSDOs. You create an account, complete your application online, and receive an FTN (FAA Tracking Number) that links your written-test scores and application. Your certifying supervisor or school official signs your IACRA application electronically. Your DME completes the recommendation section in IACRA on exam day and submits the application to the FAA electronically. IACRA reduces processing time and eliminates lost-paper risk.

The Role of the DME on Exam Day

After you successfully complete your O&P exam, your DME signs Form 8610-2 (or completes the IACRA submission) recommending you for certification. The DME will also issue a Temporary Airman Certificate on the spot — a paper certificate that is valid for 120 days while the FAA processes your permanent plastic certificate. The Temporary Airman Certificate has the same legal authority as the permanent certificate. Keep it safely until your permanent certificate arrives by mail. If your permanent certificate does not arrive within 60–90 days, contact the FAA Airmen Certification Branch.

Common Form 8610-2 and IACRA Errors to Avoid

The most frequent errors that delay certificate issuance include: mismatched legal names between Form 8610-2, your government ID, and FAA records; incomplete or unsigned experience sections; failure to obtain the supervisor's signature before the O&P (the DME will not proceed without it); incorrect application of the Part-147 vs. experience path boxes; and IACRA accounts with incorrect birth dates or names that do not match the SSA or TSA records. Create your IACRA account early — well before your O&P — and verify that your name and date of birth match your government-issued ID exactly. Correct any discrepancies through IACRA or the FAA Airmen Certification Branch before exam day.

After Certification: Keeping Your Records Current

Once you receive your permanent A&P certificate, maintain a copy in a safe place — the FAA will issue a replacement for a fee, but the process takes time. The FAA Airmen Inquiry system (amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry) allows you to verify your certificate status online. If you subsequently earn additional ratings (such as an Inspection Authorization), those endorsements are documented separately. If your name changes, you must notify the FAA Airmen Certification Branch and update your records — your certificate must match your current legal name to be valid.

Filling the Form, Section by Section

Form 8610-2 is short, and almost every problem with it comes from one of four places.

Your personal details must match your identification exactly. The name on the form, the name on the photo ID you present, and the name that will appear on the certificate are one name. A middle initial on one and a full middle name on another is the kind of mismatch that produces delay, and correcting a name on an issued certificate is far more work than getting it right once.

The certificate and ratings sought must be stated explicitly. Airframe, powerplant, or both. This is not inferred from your experience record.

The experience section is the substantive one. It records the period and the nature of the practical experience being claimed, and it is where the supervising mechanic or the Part-147 school official certifies it. A Part-147 graduate presents the school's certificate of completion in place of a supervisor's certification. Whichever route applies, this section is a statement someone is signing their certificate number against, so it needs to describe work that actually happened.

Signatures are the fourth. An unsigned or wrongly-signed form is the most common single reason an application is handed back, and it is entirely avoidable by checking every signature block before you leave the person who signed it.

The FSDO Authorisation Step

Between having the experience and sitting the oral and practical sits an approval step that candidates on the experience route routinely discover late.

If you are qualifying by practical experience rather than by Part-147 graduation, the FSDO reviews your documented experience and determines whether it satisfies 14 CFR 65.77 before you are authorised to test. This is a real review by a real person, and it can come back asking for more evidence, clearer documentation, or a broader spread of work than you have shown.

Build time into your plan for it. Appointments are not always immediate, the review is not always same-day, and a request for further documentation restarts the wait. Candidates who assume this is a formality and book an examiner first end up rescheduling.

Go in prepared. Bring the experience record itself, not just the summary form: dates, aircraft, tasks, references and supervisor signatures. Bring identification. Be ready to talk about specific jobs — what was wrong, what you did, what data you worked from — because the interview exists to confirm the record describes your work.

Part-147 graduates generally have a simpler path here, since the school's certification of completion is the evidence, but confirm your local office's expectations rather than assuming.

From Temporary to Permanent Certificate

When you pass the oral and practical, the examiner issues a temporary airman certificate on the spot. It is a real certificate with real privileges and it is what you carry until the permanent one arrives.

The temporary is valid for a limited period — typically 120 days — while the FAA's Airmen Certification Branch processes the application and produces the permanent plastic card. Most applications complete well inside that window. If yours does not, contact the Airmen Certification Branch before the temporary expires rather than after, because an expired temporary with no permanent in hand leaves you unable to exercise the privileges you have earned.

Check the temporary before you leave the examiner. Name, ratings, and date are all worth reading carefully while the person who can correct them is still in the room.

Once the permanent arrives, keep the certificate and your records safe and current. Update your address with the FAA when you move — you are required to, and it is also how the certificate reaches you. And keep the experience record that got you here: it is the foundation of the three years of A&P experience that an Inspection Authorization will later require you to document.

Frequently asked questions

Do I use paper Form 8610-2 or IACRA?

Most FSDOs and DMEs now require IACRA submissions. A small number of remote locations or situations may still use paper 8610-2. Ask your DME which system they use when you schedule your O&P. Starting an IACRA account early is recommended regardless, since your FTN from IACRA is needed to link your written-test scores in some cases.

What is an FTN and why do I need one?

Your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) is a unique identifier assigned when you create your IACRA account. It links your written-test results, your IACRA application, and eventually your airman certificate record. Some PSI test center operators will ask for your FTN when you schedule your knowledge tests so your scores are linked correctly. Create your IACRA account and note your FTN before scheduling any written tests.

Can my supervisor sign Form 8610-2 if they only hold one rating?

Your supervising mechanic must hold the specific rating(s) you are applying for. If you are applying for both Airframe and Powerplant, your supervisor must hold both ratings (or you may have two supervisors, one for each rating). A mechanic with only an Airframe rating cannot certify your Powerplant experience.

How long does it take to receive the permanent certificate?

The FAA typically mails the permanent plastic certificate within 30–60 days of receiving a complete IACRA submission. During busy periods it can take longer. Your Temporary Airman Certificate issued by the DME is legally valid for 120 days — you can work under it while waiting. If it expires before your permanent certificate arrives, contact the FAA Airmen Certification Branch.

What if I need to make a correction to my IACRA application before the DME signs it?

Corrections to IACRA applications before the DME's electronic signature can usually be made by logging into your IACRA account and editing the relevant fields. If the application has already been signed by your supervisor, you may need their re-signature after a correction. Contact your DME or local FSDO if you are unsure of the correct procedure for your specific situation.

Do mechanics use IACRA or the paper 8610-2?

Both are in use, and which applies depends on your examiner and your local office. IACRA is the FAA's electronic application system and handles mechanic applications; the paper 8610-2 remains in circulation and is still what many experience records are certified on. Ask your examiner well before the exam which they will be using, and if it is IACRA, register and have your FTN ready in advance rather than on the day.

What is an FTN and do I need one?

An FTN is the FAA Tracking Number issued when you register in IACRA. It identifies you across applications and stays with you. If your application is going through IACRA you will need one, and registering takes a few minutes — do it before exam day rather than in the examiner's office, where it becomes a source of delay in an already long day.

ACS subject areas covered here

These are the FAA Mechanic ACS areas this guide maps to. Each page breaks the area down and carries free practice questions with worked rationales.

• Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications (AM.I.I)

Primary sources

• IACRA — Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application
• FAA Form 8610-2 — Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application (PDF)
• FAA Airmen Certification — Airmen Inquiry System
• 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart D — Mechanics (eCFR)

Related guides

• How to Become an FAA Aircraft Mechanic (A&P Certificate Guide)
• FAA A&P Mechanic Eligibility Requirements — Age, English, Experience
• FAA A&P Oral and Practical Test — What to Expect from the DME Exam