The fastest way to confirm a pilot certificate exists is a free public search like the FAA Airmen Inquiry tool, but that only gives you an informal snapshot. A legally binding verification, the kind that holds up for certification, insurance, or international hiring, requires a formal request to the issuing National Aviation Authority (NAA) and can take anywhere from 10 working days to 90 days depending on the country.
TL;DR:
- Public registry checks like FAA Airmen Inquiry can confirm certificate type, status, and medical validity but do not verify training records or current compliance.
- Formal verification requests to the National Aviation Authority take between 10 and 90 days, requiring complete applicant data and proper request channels to avoid delays.
- Digital licenses via ICAO's Electronic Personnel License system enable QR-code scans that can shorten verification to minutes but depend on each country's implementation.
- Initiate formal verification as early as the first shortlist to prevent scheduling delays, and escalate immediately if inconsistencies or rejections occur.
- Using verified candidate profiles on platforms like AVCrewLink can significantly streamline initial screening but still requires official NAA verification for legal certification.
Table of Contents
- Quick informal checks: using FAA Airmen Inquiry and other NAA registries
- Formal verification: requesting a binding NAA letter step-by-step
- What information NAAs require before they'll process a request
- Digital licenses and the ICAO Electronic Personnel License
- Recruiter checklist: timing, red flags, and when to escalate
- Where verified candidate profiles fit into this process
- AVCrewLink: speeding early credential screening
- FAQ
- Sources
- Official NAA and ICAO resources for verification requests
Quick informal checks: using FAA Airmen Inquiry and other NAA registries
Before you request anything official, run a quick online search. It costs nothing and takes seconds, and it tells you whether the certificate number and name a candidate gave you actually line up.
The FAA Airmen Inquiry database lets you search by last name or certificate number and returns the certificate type, its status, and medical certificate expiration where applicable. It will not show you a date of birth, a home address, or disciplinary history, since the FAA limits what is releasable to the public.
Other countries run comparable public tools. The UK Civil Aviation Authority and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) both maintain licensing frameworks that support candidate-level confirmation, though the depth of public disclosure varies by jurisdiction.
For early-stage screening, here is what a quick check can confirm:
- Whether a certificate number matches the name provided
- The certificate type (private, commercial, airline transport)
- Current medical certificate status, where shown
- Whether the certificate appears active, suspended, or revoked
What it cannot confirm is just as important: training records, type ratings tied to specific aircraft, or whether the license is genuinely current in every respect a hiring decision depends on. Treat an informal check as a first filter, not a final answer. If a candidate's name does not return a match at all, that is worth a direct conversation before you move forward, not an automatic disqualification, since minor spelling variations or maiden names can cause false negatives.
Formal verification: requesting a binding NAA letter step-by-step
A binding verification letter is different in kind from a database lookup. It comes from the issuing authority itself, addressed to another authorized official or organization, and it carries legal weight for certification, cross-border licensing, or litigation purposes.
Most NAAs will not send this letter directly to an individual applicant. The FAA's verification process states that requests on behalf of a foreign license holder must be initiated by the foreign authority itself, not the pilot or the employer. This protects against fraudulent requests and keeps the chain of custody clean.
A typical formal verification flow looks like this:
- Identify the correct requester: usually the hiring airline, an authorized aviation employer, or another NAA, rather than the individual pilot.
- Gather the applicant's identifying data and the requester's official contact details before submitting anything.
- Submit through the designated channel: an email address, a web form, or a specific document depending on the country.
- Confirm the destination is an authorized recipient address, since NAAs typically transmit verification NAA-to-NAA or NAA-to-company, never to a personal inbox.
- Track the expected timeline and follow up only after that window has reasonably passed.
Examples of these routes vary by country. The FAA uses its foreign license verification process, which references forms accessible through IACRA including Form 8060-71, and typically takes 45 to 90 days to complete. The UK CAA's verification service uses its own request form (SRG1160) and commits to 10 working days when the application and supporting documents are complete. CASA uses Form 452 for its own verification requests and charges a fee for processing.
Pro Tip: Submit your formal verification request the same week you shortlist a candidate, not after you have made an offer, since the window between application and response is your biggest scheduling risk.
What information NAAs require before they'll process a request
Incomplete submissions are the single biggest cause of delay. Most authorities reject or pause requests over missing data rather than denying them outright, so a complete package the first time saves weeks.
Expect to provide:
- The pilot's full legal name, date of birth, certificate number, and issuing State
- Your organization's name, physical address, and a verifiable business email address
- Proof of authority to request on the pilot's behalf when you are not the issuing NAA
- A scanned copy of the license, a photo ID, and any national reference number the issuing country requires
- A signed authorization from the pilot permitting release of their certification data
Send requests to the official NAA contact address listed on that authority's own site rather than a general inquiry inbox. The FAA's Airmen Certification Branch, for example, publishes a dedicated email for written verification requests, and using it instead of a generic contact form noticeably reduces processing friction.
Digital licenses and the ICAO Electronic Personnel License
Some authorities have moved past paper-based verification entirely. The ICAO Electronic Personnel License (EPL) framework supports automated QR-code scanning and a manual query option, letting an inspector or authorized party verify a license on the spot where the issuing State participates.
Here is how it generally works:
- A QR code on the digital license triggers an automated query against the issuing authority's database.
- Where automated access is not available, a manual query module uses a short passcode window the license holder provides.
- An offline visual inspection remains the fallback where no digital system is in place yet.
CASA's myCASA portal is one practical example of this shift already in use for Australian licenses. According to ICAO's EPL documentation, participation and data-sharing depend on each state's own implementation, so an EPL check is not yet a universal substitute for a formal letter. It is still worth asking candidates directly whether their issuing authority supports a QR-based check, since where it exists, it can cut what used to take weeks down to minutes.
Recruiter checklist: timing, red flags, and when to escalate
Verification delays become a hiring problem only when nobody planned for them. Build the request into your timeline from the first interview, not after a conditional offer.
- Start the formal verification request as soon as a candidate reaches a serious shortlist stage, since the issuing authority's response time is the real bottleneck, not your own paperwork.
- While waiting, run every informal check available: a public registry search, a direct look at the scanned license, and confirmation that medical dates are current.
- Ask whether the candidate's authority supports an EPL or QR-based check, since that alone can close the gap faster than a mailed letter.
- Watch for red flags: a certificate number that returns no match, a name mismatch, or a candidate who resists any verification at all.
- If something does not line up, escalate by requesting a direct NAA-to-NAA verification and pause onboarding until it resolves, documenting every email and date along the way.
Pro Tip: Keep a simple log of every verification attempt, including dates sent and responses received, since a documented paper trail protects you if a certification question resurfaces after hiring.
Where verified candidate profiles fit into this process
A platform that centralizes aviation credentials can shorten the early screening stage considerably. On AVCrewLink, verified profile flags give us a faster first read on a candidate's stated qualifications, though they complement rather than replace a formal NAA letter for legal certification. This kind of pre-screening layer is already part of how hiring teams work.
— Trevor
AVCrewLink: speeding early credential screening
We built our platform around the reality that recruiters cannot wait weeks for every initial screen. Verified candidate profiles, smart matching, and real-time recruitment metrics let you narrow a shortlist fast, while formal NAA verification still runs in parallel for the hires that matter most.
What this looks like in practice:
- Verified profiles with detailed aviation qualifications and experience
- Employer plans built for different recruiting volumes
- Tools to post roles and track candidates through recruitment roadshows
Check our pricing plans to see which tier fits your hiring volume, or post your next aviation role to start reviewing verified profiles today.
FAQ
How do you verify if someone is a pilot?
Run a quick search on the FAA Airmen Inquiry tool by name or certificate number for an informal confirmation of certificate type and status. For a binding verification tied to employment or certification, your organization needs to submit a formal request through the issuing NAA, which for foreign licenses tied to the FAA takes about 45 to 90 days.
Can I find someone's FAA license by name?
Yes, the FAA Airmen Inquiry database supports a name-based search and will return the certificate type and current status if a match exists. It will not show personal details like date of birth or home address, since the FAA restricts what is publicly releasable.
Are pilot licenses public record?
Basic certificate information such as type and status is publicly searchable through tools like FAA Airmen Inquiry, but detailed records including training history and full personal data are restricted to authorized requesters. A legally binding verification letter still requires a formal request through the issuing authority rather than a public database search.
Can I check who my pilot is?
You can confirm a commercial pilot's certificate status through public tools like FAA Airmen Inquiry if you have their name or certificate number. A full verification of qualifications and currency, however, is something only the issuing NAA can confirm through its formal verification channel.
Sources
- FAA Airmen Inquiry - Airmen Inquiry
- Foreign license verification | FAA
- Electronic Personnel Licences (EPL) | ICAO
- Verify your licence | UK Civil Aviation Authority
Official NAA and ICAO resources for verification requests
Use these official channels directly when you need to act on a verification:
- FAA Airmen Inquiry for instant, informal public certificate lookups.
- FAA foreign license verification for formal requests tied to foreign-issued licenses.
- ICAO EPL information for digital license and QR-code verification standards.
- UK CAA licence verification for UK-issued certificate requests.
Always route a binding request through the issuing NAA's official contact rather than a general inquiry form, since that is what keeps the response authoritative.