When an applicant passes the FAA mechanic knowledge tests, oral exams, and practical tests, the agency issues an Airman Certificate with one or more ratings—Airframe, Powerplant, or both. Unlike a driver's license that must be renewed every few years, the mechanic certificate itself has no expiration date and remains valid for the holder's lifetime, as long as it is not surrendered, suspended, or revoked. This is often described by saying the certificate is "duration unlimited." However, holding a valid certificate and being legally current to exercise its privileges are two very different things, and confusing the two is a common—and potentially costly—mistake.
This article walks through every currency and recency requirement an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) must understand to stay legal, explains the rules governing the Inspection Authorization (IA), and highlights the most commonly tested points on the FAA AMT General knowledge exam.
The Certificate Itself: Lifetime Validity
The mechanic certificate is issued under 14 CFR Part 65, Subpart D. Once issued, the certificate does not carry a renewal date on its face. The FAA will reissue a certificate if it is lost, destroyed, or if the holder legally changes their name, but the reissued document does not reset any clock—it simply replaces the original. The certificate number stays the same, and the certificate retains its original significance.
Because the certificate never expires, there is no periodic paperwork to submit, no fee to pay for renewal, and no formal application to reactivate it after a period of inactivity. However, this does not mean a mechanic can walk back into a hangar after years away and immediately sign off airworthiness approvals. That is where currency rules come in.
Recent Experience: The 24-Month Rule
Under 14 CFR §65.83, a certificated mechanic may not exercise the privileges of the certificate unless, within the preceding 24 calendar months, at least one of the following conditions has been met:
- Served as a mechanic under the certificate. The individual must have exercised the actual privileges of the rating—performing maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations on aircraft or aircraft components—for a period of at least six months.
- Technically supervised other mechanics. The certificate holder supervised the work of other certificated mechanics for at least six months, using the knowledge and skills associated with the certificate rating.
- Passed a practical test. The holder has passed a practical test for the certificate or rating in the 24-month window, effectively demonstrating continued competency to an FAA designee or inspector.
- Passed an oral or written test. Under arrangements approved by the FAA, the holder passed an approved written or oral test covering the privileges of the certificate or rating.
It is critical to understand that these are four separate, alternative ways to satisfy §65.83—a mechanic does not need six months of hands-on work specifically; passing a practical test, or passing an approved oral/written test, satisfies currency just as well. When relying on the active-service or supervision path, however, that six-month period of activity must fall within the preceding 24 calendar months. If a mechanic has been inactive for more than 24 months, simply doing some maintenance work for a week does not immediately restore currency; the six months of experience must accumulate within that 24-month lookback window, or the holder must instead pass a practical, oral, or written test to reestablish currency. Practically speaking, this means a mechanic returning from an extended absence should document their returned work carefully from the start and plan on a period of legitimate active work—or arrange to pass an appropriate test—before signing off approvals on their own.
Currency is tracked by rating. A mechanic holding both an Airframe and Powerplant rating must maintain recent experience separately for each rating if exercising both. If the holder only works on engines and not airframes, the Airframe rating currency could lapse even while the Powerplant rating remains current.
The Inspection Authorization: Annual Renewal Required
The Inspection Authorization (IA) is not a separate certificate—it is an authorization issued to an already-certificated mechanic who holds both Airframe and Powerplant ratings. The IA grants the holder the privilege to perform annual inspections and to approve major repairs and major alterations for return to service. Because of the elevated responsibility it confers, the IA operates on a fundamentally different cycle than the underlying mechanic certificate.
Under 14 CFR §65.92, an IA expires on March 31 of each year. This means an IA is valid for, at most, approximately one year, and the holder must renew it annually. The March 31 expiration date is fixed regardless of when during the year the IA was originally issued or last renewed, so someone who first receives an IA in December will have it expire the following March 31—just a few months later.
Requirements to Renew an IA
To renew an IA, the mechanic must meet the requirements of 14 CFR §65.93. During the period the IA was in effect, the holder must show that they have done at least one of the following:
- Performed or supervised at least one annual inspection.
- Performed or supervised at least one progressive inspection under an approved program.
- Performed or supervised a major repair or major alteration on a type-certificated product, recording the work in the maintenance record and on FAA Form 337.
- Received refresher training totaling at least 8 hours, as approved by the FAA, during the period the IA was in force.
In addition to meeting one of those activity requirements, the holder must still satisfy the underlying §65.83 recent experience requirements for their mechanic certificate. The renewal application is submitted to the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), and the FAA has the authority to deny renewal if the applicant fails to demonstrate they have remained active and qualified.
Privileges and Limitations Tied to Currency
A mechanic who has lapsed under §65.83 may not sign off maintenance entries, approve work for return to service, or exercise any privilege of the certificate. This is not a gray area. Operating outside currency is a violation of 14 CFR and could expose the mechanic to certificate action. It could also expose an aircraft owner-operator to violations if they knowingly allow uncurrent maintenance personnel to perform and approve maintenance.
Importantly, the FAA does not automatically notify mechanics when they are approaching a currency lapse. Self-monitoring is the mechanic's personal responsibility. A practical approach is to log all maintenance activities, keep personal records of dates worked, and set a personal reminder well before the 24-month window closes.
Key Numbers and Rules
- Mechanic certificate duration: Unlimited (no expiration date). [14 CFR §65.15]
- Recent experience lookback: 24 calendar months. [14 CFR §65.83]
- Minimum active experience required: At least 6 months of exercising certificate privileges within that 24-month window (one of four alternative ways to satisfy currency, along with 6 months of supervision, a practical test, or an approved oral/written test).
- IA expiration: March 31 of each year, regardless of when issued. [14 CFR §65.92]
- IA refresher training alternative: At least 8 hours of approved refresher training during the IA period qualifies as an activity for renewal. [14 CFR §65.93]
- IA prerequisite ratings: Must hold both Airframe AND Powerplant ratings to apply for an IA.
- IA prerequisite experience: The mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings must have been in effect for at least 3 years, and the holder must have been actively engaged for at least the 2 years preceding application in maintaining aircraft as a certificated mechanic. [14 CFR §65.91(c)]