FAR 141.23 — Advertising Limitations
FAR 141.23 sets advertising rules for Part 141 pilot schools: no false claims, must distinguish approved courses, and remove signage when certification ends.
In Plain English
FAR 141.23 governs how a Part 141 pilot school (or provisional pilot school) can advertise itself to prospective students. The goal is simple: protect students from misleading marketing about whether a school — or a specific course — is actually FAA-approved.
The rule has three main requirements:
- No false or misleading statements. A school cannot make any claim about its certification or ratings that is false or designed to mislead someone considering enrollment.
- Differentiate approved courses. If a school advertises that it is certificated, it must clearly distinguish which courses are approved under Part 141 and which are not. Many schools offer both Part 141 and Part 61 training, and students need to know which is which.
- Remove certification indications when no longer valid. The school must promptly take down all signs and indications that it is FAA-certificated:
- From any vacated premises, and
- Anywhere, if the certificate has expired, been surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
Operationally, this matters because Part 141 approval affects training requirements, minimum hours, and VA/financial-aid eligibility. Misleading advertising can directly harm a student's career timeline.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 141.23§ 141.23 Advertising limitations.
(a) The holder of a pilot school certificate or a provisional pilot school certificate may not make any statement relating to its certification and ratings that is false or designed to mislead any person contemplating enrollment in that school.
(b) The holder of a pilot school certificate or a provisional pilot school certificate may not advertise that the school is certificated unless it clearly differentiates between courses that have been approved under part 141 of this chapter and those that have not been approved under part 141 of this chapter.
(c) The holder of a pilot school certificate or a provisional pilot school certificate must promptly remove:
(1) From vacated premises, all signs indicating that the school was certificated by the Administrator; or
(2) All indications (including signs), wherever located, that the school is certificated by the Administrator when its certificate has expired or has been surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What restrictions does Part 141 place on how a pilot school advertises its certification?
Per FAR 141.23, a pilot school may not make any false or misleading statements about its certification or ratings, and if it advertises being certificated, it must clearly differentiate which courses are approved under Part 141 and which are not.
Q2If a pilot school's Part 141 certificate is suspended or revoked, what must the school do regarding its signage and advertising?
Under FAR 141.23(c), the school must promptly remove all indications, including signs, that it is certificated by the Administrator whenever the certificate has expired, been surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
Q3If a Part 141 school relocates, what does the regulation require about signage at the old location?
FAR 141.23(c)(1) requires the school to promptly remove all signs from the vacated premises indicating that the school was certificated by the Administrator.
Studying for a checkride?
Related Sections in Part 141