FAR 91.419 — Maintenance Records Transfer
FAR 91.419 requires sellers of U.S.-registered aircraft to transfer maintenance records to the buyer at sale. Learn what must be transferred and how.
In Plain English
FAR 91.419 governs what happens to an aircraft's maintenance records when a U.S.-registered aircraft changes hands. When you sell an aircraft, you must transfer specific records to the buyer at the time of sale. The records can be in plain language or coded form — the purchaser chooses, as long as any coded format is acceptable to the Administrator.
The records that must be transferred are:
- § 91.417(a)(2) records — the permanent records (total time in service of the airframe/engines/propellers/rotors, current status of life-limited parts, time since last overhaul, current inspection status, current AD compliance, and copies of major alteration forms).
- § 91.417(a)(1) records not already included above — the maintenance/alteration/inspection history. The purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of these, but custody does not relieve the new owner of the duty under § 91.417(c) to produce them for the FAA or NTSB.
Why it matters: as a future aircraft owner or renter pilot, complete records prove airworthiness, AD compliance, and resale value. Missing records can ground the airplane.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 91.419§ 91.419 Transfer of maintenance records.
Any owner or operator who sells a U.S.-registered aircraft shall transfer to the purchaser, at the time of sale, the following records of that aircraft, in plain language form or in coded form at the election of the purchaser, if the coded form provides for the preservation and retrieval of information in a manner acceptable to the Administrator:
(a) The records specified in § 91.417(a)(2).
(b) The records specified in § 91.417(a)(1) which are not included in the records covered by paragraph (a) of this section, except that the purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of such records. However, custody of records by the seller does not relieve the purchaser of the responsibility under § 91.417(c) to make the records available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1If you buy a used aircraft, what maintenance records must the seller give you?
Per FAR 91.419, the seller must transfer the records listed in § 91.417(a)(2) (permanent records like total time in service, life-limited part status, overhaul times, inspection status, and AD compliance) plus the § 91.417(a)(1) maintenance history records not already covered.
Q2Can the seller keep any of the maintenance records after the sale?
Yes — under FAR 91.419(b), the purchaser may allow the seller to retain physical custody of the § 91.417(a)(1) maintenance history records, but the purchaser remains responsible under § 91.417(c) for making them available to the FAA or NTSB.
Q3In what format must the maintenance records be transferred at the time of sale?
FAR 91.419 requires the records be transferred in plain language or in coded form at the purchaser's election, provided any coded form preserves and allows retrieval of the information in a manner acceptable to the Administrator.
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Related Sections in Part 91