Duration and surrender of certificate and operations specifications

This regulation explains how long air carrier and operating certificates remain valid and when they must be surrendered.

An Air Carrier or Operating Certificate stays effective indefinitely until either the certificate holder voluntarily surrenders it or the FAA suspends, revokes, or terminates it.

Operations specifications (OpSpecs) remain valid unless:

• The FAA suspends, revokes, or terminates the certificate itself
• They're amended through the formal amendment process
• The certificate holder stops conducting a particular type of operation too long without following proper resumption procedures
• The FAA specifically suspends or revokes OpSpecs for certain operations

If a Part 135 operator shuts down completely, they must return both their operating certificate and operations specifications to their local Flight Standards office within 30 days.

This matters because it establishes that certificates don't expire on their own—they remain valid until formally ended—and sets clear rules for when operators must return their authorization documents.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*