Every pilot who has handed over a logbook at a ramp check, and every buyer who has sifted through a battered stack of records before writing a deposit check, has encountered the same question: what exactly does the FAA require you to keep, and for how long?
The answer lives in three sections of the Code of Federal Regulations: 14 CFR §91.417 (what to keep and for how long), §91.419 (what transfers on sale), and §43.9 (what each entry must contain). The inspection-cycle records from §91.409, §91.411, and §91.413 feed directly into the §91.417 permanent record set. Get any of these wrong and you either violate the record-retention rules, create a logbook defect that clouds the aircraft's airworthiness chain, or hand a buyer undocumented history that can make the aircraft legally unairworthy the moment they take title.
This guide walks through each layer — what the rules actually say, how they interlock, and what a complete records set looks like at the point of sale or FAA inspection.
What 14 CFR §91.417 Actually Requires
14 CFR §91.417 is the central recordkeeping rule for Part 91 general aviation and corporate operations. It places the obligation on the registered owner or operator of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft — not just the A&P or IA who performed the work. The owner is responsible for the records, even when a Part 145 repair station or independent A&P does the maintenance.
The §91.417 Record Obligation: Owner vs. Maintainer
Under §91.417(c), each owner or operator must make all maintenance records required by §91.417 available for inspection by the FAA or by any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The A&P or repair station makes the logbook entry under §43.9 — but it is the owner's obligation to preserve that entry and the full record set. Many owners discover this distinction for the first time at a ramp check or pre-purchase inspection when a prior owner's poor record habits become their problem.
§91.417 distinguishes two tiers by retention period:
§91.417(a)(1) — Temporary Records (Minimum 1 Year)
Records of maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations must be kept until the work is repeated or superseded by other work, or for one year after the work is performed — whichever occurs first. These are the routine logbook entries: oil changes, tire replacements, airframe repairs, avionics swaps that don't rise to the level of a major alteration. The one-year minimum is a floor, not a cap — many operators and shops retain these records far longer for liability and resale value reasons.
§91.417(a)(2) — Permanent Records (Life of Aircraft + Transfer on Sale)
These records must be kept as long as the aircraft is registered in the U.S. and transferred to the new owner under §91.419 on any change of ownership. The permanent set includes:
- Total time in service of the airframe (hours since new)
- Total time in service and time since last overhaul of each engine
- Total time in service and time since last overhaul of each propeller
- Current status of every life-limited part — hours/cycles remaining against the published limit
- Current inspection status: what inspection program the aircraft is on and the next due date(s)
- Current status of applicable ADs — for each AD, the compliance date, method, reference, and if recurring, the next due date
- Copies of current major alterations to the airframe, engines, propellers, rotors, and appliances (including all FAA Form 337s)
AD status is a §91.417(a)(2) permanent record
Every applicable Airworthiness Directive must be tracked with the compliance date, compliance method, reference document (service bulletin, service instruction, or specific repair), and — for recurring ADs — the next compliance due date. Missing or incomplete AD status is among the most common findings in pre-purchase inspections and FAA enforcement actions. Under §91.403, the owner is primarily responsible for the airworthy condition of the aircraft — which includes current AD compliance.
Permanent vs Temporary Records: Why the Distinction Matters
The two-tier structure reflects a practical reality: not every logbook entry carries equal regulatory weight. A routine oil change entry from 1998 has satisfied its one-year minimum and can — in strict regulatory terms — be discarded. The airframe total-time chain running from the aircraft's first flight to its last must be continuous, unbroken, and documented forever.
In practice, most aircraft owners retain far more than the minimums require. The reason is market value: a buyer who cannot verify the total-time chain, the overhaul history, and the AD compliance record will either discount the purchase price significantly or walk away. The logbooks are not just a compliance requirement — they are the aircraft's financial history.
| Record Type | CFR Citation | Retention | Transfers on Sale? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine maintenance / preventive maintenance entries | §91.417(a)(1) | 1 year minimum (or until superseded) | Yes — §91.419 (buyer may permit seller custody) |
| Alteration entries (minor) | §91.417(a)(1) | 1 year minimum (or until superseded) | Yes — §91.419 (buyer may permit seller custody) |
| Airframe total time in service | §91.417(a)(2)(i) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| Engine total time + time since overhaul | §91.417(a)(2)(i), (iii) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| Propeller total time + time since overhaul | §91.417(a)(2)(i), (iii) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| Life-limited part status (hours/cycles remaining) | §91.417(a)(2)(ii) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| Inspection status (program + next due dates) | §91.417(a)(2)(iv) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| AD compliance status (method + recurrence) | §91.417(a)(2)(v) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| Major alteration records (FAA Form 337s) | §91.417(a)(2)(vi) | Life of aircraft | Yes — §91.419 |
| §91.411 altimeter system test record | §91.411 / §43.9 (excepted from §91.417) | Kept in practice until next test | Not required — expected in practice |
| §91.413 ATC transponder test record | §91.413 / §43.9 (excepted from §91.417) | Kept in practice until next test | Not required — expected in practice |
How §91.409, §91.411, and §91.413 Relate to the §91.417 Record Set
Three inspection rules generate records a buyer will ask for — but they tie into §91.417 in different ways. A §91.409 inspection establishes the current inspection status, which is a §91.417(a)(2)(iv) permanent record, while §91.411 and §91.413 test work is expressly excepted from §91.417 recordkeeping and those test records are retained in practice. Understanding how they interlock explains why a pre-purchase inspector asks for the altimeter and transponder test records alongside the logbooks.
§91.409 — Inspections
No person may operate a U.S.-registered civil aircraft unless it has had an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months, unless a §91.409(c) exception applies (for example, an aircraft inspected under a part 125 or part 135 approved aircraft inspection program, or one carrying a special flight permit) or the aircraft is on a progressive inspection program under §91.409(d) or a §91.409(e)/(f) program for large and turbine-powered multiengine airplanes. A 100-hour inspection under §91.409(b) — required when carrying persons for hire or giving flight instruction for hire in an aircraft the instructor provides — is an additional requirement, not an alternative: an annual may substitute for a 100-hour, but a 100-hour never substitutes for the annual. Each completed inspection generates a §43.11 entry that establishes the current inspection status: the type of inspection, the date completed, the total time in service at the time of inspection, and either a return-to-service statement or a discrepancy list. The entry itself is a §91.417(a)(1) record — kept until the inspection is repeated or superseded, or for one year — while the current inspection status it evidences is the §91.417(a)(2)(iv) permanent record. A buyer who cannot locate the most recent annual entry cannot confirm legal currency, and an aircraft without a current annual cannot be flown.
§91.411 — Altimeter System and Altitude Reporting Equipment Tests and Inspections
No person may operate an airplane or helicopter in controlled airspace under IFR unless within the preceding 24 calendar months the aircraft's static system, altimeter instruments, and automatic pressure altitude reporting system have been tested and inspected and found to comply with appendices E and F of part 43. The record of this test — date, results, the certificate of the person who performed it — must be kept. Because the test recurs on a 24-calendar-month schedule, the record establishes when it was last done and when it is next due. §91.417(a) expressly excepts §91.411 test work from its recordkeeping requirements — the entry is made under §43.9 by the person performing the test — but owners keep these records with the aircraft in practice because buyers and FSDOs demand proof of test currency.
§91.413 — ATC Transponder Tests and Inspections
No person may use an ATC transponder specified in §91.215(a), §121.345(c), or §135.143(c) unless within the preceding 24 calendar months it has been tested and inspected under §43 Appendix F and found to comply with §91.413's performance requirements — the test obligation follows any use of the transponder, anywhere; the rule names no airspace classes. (Transponder-required airspace under §91.215(b) covers Class A, B, and C, the 30-nautical-mile Mode C veil, and certain altitudes — not Class D or most Class E.) As with §91.411, the record establishes the last test date and next due date. Both test records — §91.411 and §91.413 — are frequently missing or undated in pre-purchase inspections, creating uncertainty about whether the aircraft can legally fly IFR or into transponder-required airspace after closing.
The Inspection Calendar at a Glance
Annual Inspection
Every 12 calendar months
§91.409(a)
Resets the inspection status — a §91.417(a)(2)(iv) permanent record
Altimeter / Static System Test
Every 24 calendar months
§91.411
Required for IFR in controlled airspace; test record kept in practice
ATC Transponder Test
Every 24 calendar months
§91.413
Required whenever the transponder is used; test record kept in practice
What Every Maintenance Entry Must Contain — 14 CFR §43.9
14 CFR §43.9 governs the content and form of maintenance records. Each person who maintains, performs preventive maintenance, rebuilds, or alters an aircraft must make an entry in the maintenance record of that equipment containing:
1. Description of work
A description of the work performed, or a reference to data acceptable to the Administrator (e.g., a specific section of the maintenance manual or SB number with revision). Vague entries like "annual inspection completed" without a reference to the inspection basis fail this requirement.
2. Date completed
The date the work was completed. Not the date the squawk was written up, not the date parts were ordered — the date the work was finished and the aircraft was returned to service (or not, if discrepancies remain).
3. Name of person performing
The name of the person performing the work, if that person is different from the person approving the aircraft for return to service. This is common in shops where mechanics perform work and the IA approves the annual.
4. Signature, certificate number, and kind of certificate
The signature, certificate number, and kind of certificate (A&P, IA, Repairman) held by the person approving the aircraft or appliance for return to service. This is the legal approval — an entry without a valid signature from an appropriately certificated person is not a valid return-to-service approval.
§43.11 adds requirements for inspection entries specifically
For annual inspections and 100-hour inspections under §43.11, the entry must also include the type of inspection performed, the total time in service of the aircraft at the time of inspection, and — critically — either a return-to-service statement or a list of discrepancies found that prevented a return-to-service. An annual entry that simply reads "aircraft found airworthy, returned to service" without noting the type of inspection or the total time is technically deficient under §43.11, even if it passes a casual review.
Logbook defects under §43.9 and §43.11 are among the most common findings in both pre-purchase inspections and FAA ramp checks. Common defects include: entries with no certificate number, entries referencing maintenance data without specifying the revision level, annual inspection entries missing the total time in service, and return-to-service approvals signed by an A&P without IA authority for an annual inspection (which legally requires an IA under §65.95 or an appropriately certificated repair station).
Transfer on Sale: What §91.419 Requires
14 CFR §91.419 requires the registered owner or operator transferring ownership of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft to transfer to the purchaser, at the time of sale, both the maintenance records specified in §91.417(a)(2) and the §91.417(a)(1) records not already included in them. The purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of the (a)(1) records — but seller custody does not relieve the purchaser of the responsibility under §91.417(c) to make the records available for inspection.
This is not a courtesy — it is a regulatory obligation. The seller must deliver the complete §91.417(a)(2) permanent record set. A seller who says "logbooks were lost" or "the previous owner didn't have them" is telling the buyer that the aircraft's maintenance history is legally undocumented and potentially unairworthy. In those cases, an FAA airworthiness investigation may be required before the aircraft can be returned to service.
Lost Logbooks: The Airworthiness Consequence
When the §91.417(a)(2) permanent records are lost or missing, the aircraft's airworthiness is in question because total time cannot be established (affecting overhaul schedules and life-limited part tracking), AD compliance cannot be verified, and inspection currency cannot be confirmed. The path to restoring airworthiness typically involves a new logbook with a statement from the new owner, an IA inspection to establish current condition, and — for major components — coordination with the manufacturer or FAA to reestablish service histories. The cost can exceed the aircraft's value for older aircraft with time-limited components.
From a practical standpoint, the §91.419 obligation means that before closing on any aircraft purchase, the buyer should confirm:
- All airframe logbooks are present and the total-time chain is continuous from the delivery date to present
- All engine logbooks are present (including overhauled engines with the shop work order and return-to-service approval)
- Propeller logbooks are present with total time and overhaul history
- All FAA Form 337 major alteration records are present
- The AD compliance record is complete and current
- Life-limited part tracking documents are present for all tracked components
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Run the FAA Readiness Score — FreeBuyer's Logbook Due-Diligence Checklist
Pre-purchase logbook review is where the §91.417 framework meets the real world. A thorough review before closing protects the buyer from inheriting undocumented maintenance history, undisclosed ADs, or life-limited parts approaching their limits. The following checklist maps to the §91.417(a)(2) permanent record requirements.
1. Continuous Airframe Total Time
- All airframe logbooks present, pages consecutive, no time-gap breaks
- Total time from each logbook's last entry carries forward to the next book
- Delivery date and manufacturer's initial entry present in the original logbook
- Any time-gap is explained (e.g., ferry flight permit, documented storage period)
2. Engine Total Time and Overhaul History
- Each engine's logbook present with continuous total time since new (TSN)
- Time since major overhaul (SMOH) documented with the overhaul shop's work order or FAA Form 8130-3
- Any time-limited engine components (hot sections on turbines) tracked with cycles/hours remaining
- If engine was replaced, the replacement installation record (FAA Form 337 if a major alteration, or logbook entry referencing the engine data plate)
3. AD Compliance Status — Most Critical Item
- A written AD compliance list or logbook entries for each applicable AD
- For each one-time-compliance AD: the compliance date, method, and sign-off
- For each recurring AD: the compliance date, interval, method, and next-due date
- ADs applicable to installed appliances and avionics, not just the airframe and engine
- ADs are aircraft-specific — verify applicability against the specific serial number, not just the model
4. Life-Limited Parts Status
- For turbine aircraft: hot section components tracked with cycles accumulated and cycles remaining
- For helicopters: rotor blades, rotor head components, and transmission parts with hours/cycles tracking
- For any aircraft: landing gear structural components with manufacturer-specified life limits
- Parts approaching their limits — within 20% of their life — should be flagged for price negotiation
5. Annual Inspection Currency
- The most recent annual inspection entry dated within the preceding 12 calendar months
- Entry references the type of inspection (annual under §91.409) and the total time at inspection
- Entry includes the IA's (or repair station's) signature, certificate number, and return-to-service approval
- No open discrepancy items from the previous annual that were never closed
6. §91.411/§91.413 Instrument and Transponder Tests
- §91.411 static/altimeter test record with date completed and next due (24 calendar months)
- §91.413 transponder test record with date completed and next due (24 calendar months)
- Both tests still current at the intended date of aircraft delivery (buffer for closing delays)
- Test records made by an appropriately certificated person per §91.411(b) and §91.413(c)
How FileFlo Sits in the §91.417 Records Stack
FileFlo is a compliance document intelligence platform — a read-only proof layer that sits alongside your existing record-keeping stack and keeps the documents audit-ready. It classifies 600+ document types against the governing CFR section, tracks expirations (so a recurring AD due date or a §91.411 altimeter test expiration shows up 90/60/30 days out), and generates inspector-format audit binders on demand.
FileFlo does not replace your A&P, your IA, your CAMP Systems subscription, or your per-aircraft maintenance tracking system. It keeps the documents that prove your compliance — the §91.417 permanent record set, the AD compliance list, the inspection status records — organized, indexed against the relevant CFR, and ready for an FAA inspector or a buyer's pre-purchase review.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What aircraft records must a Part 91 operator keep under 14 CFR §91.417?
14 CFR §91.417 requires each registered owner or operator of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft to keep: (1) records of maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration — retained until the work is repeated, superseded, or for one year after the work is performed (§91.417(a)(1)); (2) the records specified in §91.417(a)(2) — including total time in service (airframe, engines, propellers), current status of life-limited parts, time since last overhaul of all items required to be overhauled on a specified time basis, current inspection status, current status of applicable Airworthiness Directives (ADs), and copies of current major alterations to the airframe, engine, propellers, rotors, or appliances — retained for the life of the aircraft and transferred with the aircraft on sale; and (3) all of those records made available for inspection by the FAA or any authorized representative of the NTSB upon request, as §91.417(c) requires. The §91.417(a)(2) life-of-aircraft record package is the most consequential for buyers and sellers: a missing total-time chain or undocumented AD compliance can render an aircraft legally unairworthy.
What is the difference between permanent and temporary records under §91.417?
14 CFR §91.417 divides aircraft records into two retention tiers. Temporary records — routine maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations under §91.417(a)(1) — must be kept until the work is repeated or superseded, or for one year after the work is performed, whichever occurs first. Permanent records under §91.417(a)(2) — total time in service of the airframe, engine(s), and propeller(s); current status of life-limited parts; time since last overhaul; current inspection status showing the inspection program and the next due dates; current status of applicable ADs including the method of compliance and if recurring, the time/date when due; and copies of current major alterations — must be retained for the life of the aircraft and transferred to the new registered owner or operator upon any transfer of ownership. The practical significance: a seller who cannot produce the §91.417(a)(2) permanent record set is selling an aircraft with undocumented history, which creates airworthiness and liability exposure for the buyer.
How do §91.409, §91.411, and §91.413 inspection records tie into §91.417?
14 CFR §91.409(a) requires an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months unless a §91.409(c) exception applies (for example, an aircraft inspected under a part 125 or part 135 approved aircraft inspection program, or one carrying a special flight permit) or the aircraft is inspected under a progressive inspection program per §91.409(d) — an approved aircraft inspection program (AAIP) and a progressive inspection are distinct programs, not the same thing. A 100-hour inspection under §91.409(b) — required when carrying any person (other than a crewmember) for hire or giving flight instruction for hire in an aircraft the instructor provides — is an additional requirement, not an alternative: an annual inspection may substitute for a 100-hour inspection, but a 100-hour never substitutes for the annual. The inspection record entry for each completed inspection is a §91.417(a)(1) record (kept until the work is repeated or superseded, or for one year), and the current inspection status it establishes is a §91.417(a)(2)(iv) permanent record that travels with the aircraft. §91.411 requires static system and altimeter tests every 24 calendar months before operating in controlled airspace under IFR. §91.413 requires ATC transponder tests every 24 calendar months whenever an ATC transponder specified in §91.215(a) is used — the duty follows use of the transponder, not specific airspace classes; transponder-required airspace under §91.215(b) covers Class A, B, and C, the 30-nautical-mile Mode C veil, and certain altitudes, not Class D or most Class E. Note that §91.417(a) expressly excepts work performed under §91.411 and §91.413 from its recordkeeping requirements — the test entries are made under §43.9 by the person performing the test, and owners retain them in practice because buyers and FSDOs demand proof that the tests are current. A buyer's pre-purchase due diligence should verify that the §91.411 and §91.413 test dates are current and documented.
What must a maintenance entry contain to satisfy 14 CFR §43.9?
Every maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration entry must contain: (1) a description of the work performed (or a reference to acceptable data such as an FAA-approved maintenance manual section number); (2) the date the work was completed; (3) the name of the person performing the work (if different from the person approving the return to service); and (4) if the work was performed satisfactorily, the signature, the certificate number, and the kind of certificate held by the person approving the return to service. For annual and 100-hour inspection entries under §43.11, the record must also include the type of inspection, the total time in service, the signature and certificate number of the inspector, and either a return-to-service statement or a list of discrepancies found. An entry missing any of these elements creates a logbook defect that can trigger an airworthiness question during a ramp check or a pre-purchase inspection.
What happens to aircraft records when an aircraft is sold?
14 CFR §91.419 requires the registered owner or operator transferring ownership of a U.S.-registered civil aircraft to transfer to the purchaser, at the time of sale, both the maintenance records described in §91.417(a)(2) and the §91.417(a)(1) records not already included in them — though the purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of the (a)(1) records, and seller custody does not relieve the purchaser of the §91.417(c) responsibility to make the records available for inspection. The §91.417(a)(2) set is the permanent records: total time in service of the airframe, all engines, and all propellers; current status of life-limited parts; time since last overhaul; current inspection status; current AD compliance status; and current major alteration records. The transferring owner must produce the full §91.417(a)(2) set — not partial logbooks or a summary. Missing or incomplete records are a leading cause of purchase price disputes and post-sale airworthiness findings. A buyer who discovers undocumented AD compliance gaps after closing may face out-of-pocket compliance costs and cannot legally fly the aircraft until the AD status is verified or brought current.
What does a buyer's logbook due-diligence check cover?
A pre-purchase logbook review under 14 CFR §91.417(a)(2) should verify: (1) continuous airframe total time — every logbook page present with no time-gap breaks; (2) continuous engine time — each engine's total time since new and time since last overhaul (TSMOH), with the overhaul shop work order or FAA Form 337 cross-referenced; (3) propeller total time and overhaul history; (4) life-limited parts status — all tracked components (typically turbine hot-section parts, landing gear trunnions, rotor blades on helicopters) with current hours/cycles remaining against their published limits; (5) AD compliance — every applicable AD listed with the compliance date, the method of compliance, the sign-off, and for recurring ADs the next-due date; (6) all major alterations — every FAA Form 337 for structural changes, avionics upgrades, STC modifications; (7) §91.409 annual inspection currency — the most recent annual entry dated within the preceding 12 calendar months; and (8) §91.411/§91.413 instrument and transponder test currency. Any gap in items 1 through 8 is a logbook defect requiring resolution before the aircraft can be legally operated after transfer.
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Written by Chad Griffith, Founder & CEO, FileFlo · Reviewed June 9, 2026 · Primary sources: eCFR 14 CFR §91.417, §91.419, §91.409, §91.411, §91.413, §43.9, §43.11