ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026

Cards and security devices for personal identification — ISO UAS licence and drone or UAS security module — Part 3: Digital UAS or drone licence

The document specifies doctype, namespace and a set of data elements for digital UAS or drone licences (or training certificates) supporting mdoc data model specified in ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-2. This document is also applicable for any remote pilot licences or training certificates issued by aviation authorities. This document does not specify either licence categories and licence conditions and is designed to define any domestic licences and training certificates by defining domestic namespaces in accordance with each region and/or state’s regulations. The digital UAS or drone licence data specified in this document is applicable to mdoc application as defined in ISO/IEC 23220-1 and transmission protocol specified in ISO/IEC 18013-5, ISO/IEC TS 18013-7 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-4.

Titre manque — Partie 3: Titre manque

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 01-Feb-2026
• ICS: 35.240.15 - Identification cards. Chip cards. Biometrics
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17 - Cards and security devices for personal identification
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17/WG 12 - Drone license and drone identity module
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 02-Feb-2026
• Due Date: 31-Jan-2027
• Completion Date: 02-Feb-2026

Overview

ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026 standardizes the digital representation of Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) or drone licences and training certificates. Published by ISO and IEC, this standard provides global guidance for issuing authorities-such as aviation agencies-on implementing digital UAS or drone licences using the mdoc data model outlined in ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-2. The document specifies the structure, doctype, namespaces, and required data elements, enabling consistent, secure, and interoperable digital credentials for remote pilots. It does not prescribe specific licence categories or conditions, but instead supports national and regional customization through tailored namespaces, allowing authorities worldwide to define licence attributes as per their own regulations.

Key Topics

• Digital UAS or drone licence specification: Guidance for digitizing drone licences, including the required technical structure and identifiers.
• mdoc data model compatibility: Ensures that digital licences conform to the mobile document (mdoc) data model in ISO/IEC 18013-5 for secure and portable electronic credentials.
• Doctype and namespace rules: Defines how document types and namespaces should be constructed, allowing easy extension and localization by different regions and jurisdictions.
• Common data elements: Outlines standard data fields (e.g., issue date, expiry date, authority, pilot name, competencies) to promote interoperability and ease of verification.
• Extensibility for local regulations: Supports adding local data fields and namespaces while maintaining compliance with the global structure.
• Transmission and application: Aligns with application and protocol requirements for digital licences, ensuring compatibility with mdoc apps and data transmission standards such as ISO/IEC TS 18013-7 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-4.

Applications

The adoption of ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026 provides several practical benefits and applications:

• Digital remote pilot licences: Enables aviation authorities to issue, manage, and verify pilot accreditation electronically, reducing reliance on physical documents.
• Training certificate management: Supports digital records for pilot training and competencies, aiding compliance and practical enforcement.
• Mobile integration: Facilitates use of digital UAS licences via mobile devices, enabling quick presentation and easy verification during operations or inspections.
• Global and local interoperability: Provides a harmonized framework that allows for both international interoperability and national or regional adjustments, making it adaptable for diverse regulatory environments.
• Enhanced security: Leverages machine-readable technologies and options for public key infrastructure (PKI), supporting anti-forgery and improved trust in digital credentials.
• Streamlined administration: Improves operational efficiency by standardizing the structure and communication protocols for digital UAS or drone licences.

Related Standards

• ISO/IEC 18013-5: Personal identification-ISO-compliant driving licence-Part 5: Mobile driving licence (mDL) application (core reference for mdoc data model).
• ISO/IEC TS 23220-2: Building blocks for identity management via mobile devices-Data objects and encoding rules for generic eID systems.
• ISO/IEC TS 23220-4: Protocols and services for operational phase of mobile identity documents.
• ISO 3166-1 and ISO 3166-2: Codes for the representation of country and subdivision names.
• RFC 8943 and RFC 8949: Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR) and tags for date and time encoding, relevant for data format interoperability.
• ISO/IEC 18013-1, ISO/IEC TS 18013-7: Physical and add-on functions for ISO driving licences, supporting wider personal identity card applications.

By following ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026, organizations can ensure their digital UAS or drone licence issuance and verification processes are secure, efficient, and globally recognized, supporting the growing need for digital identity and compliance in the drone industry.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO/IEC 22460-3
First edition
Cards and security devices for
2026-02
personal identification — ISO UAS
licence and drone or UAS security
module —
Part 3:
Digital UAS or drone licence
Reference number
© ISO/IEC 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Symbols and abbreviations . 2
5 Generic Principle . 2
6 UAS or drone licence data model . 2
6.1 Overview .2
6.2 doctype .3
6.3 namespace .3
6.4 Data elements .3
6.4.1 Overview .3
6.4.2 Basic data elements .4
6.4.3 UAS or drone licence specific elements (org.iso.22460.3.1 namespace) .4
6.4.4 Remote pilot competencies .5
6.4.5 Design considerations .5
Annex A (normative) CDDL structure . 7
Bibliography . 8

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.
ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/
IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
ISO and IEC draw attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the
use of (a) patent(s). ISO and IEC take no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any
claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO and IEC had not
received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers
are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent
database available at www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch. ISO and IEC shall not be held
responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 17, Cards and security devices for personal identification.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 22460 series can be found on the ISO and IEC websites.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
iv
Introduction
Security aspects of ID documents are very important and machine-readable technologies have been used
to access to credentials. In addition, digital signature technology with public key infrastructure is used for
anti-forgery.
The mobile driving licence application International Standard was published as ISO/IEC 18013-5.
ISO/IEC 18013-5 specifies mdoc data model which easily handles set of credentials on digital devices. An
mdoc data model consists of doctype, namespace and element identifiers. Doctype is specified to select
a specific document type (e.g. mDL). Namespace is specified to identify the definition of data element
identifiers, including region or country level definition of data element identifiers.
Based on ISO/IEC 18013-5, the ISO/IEC 23220 series generalizes issuance and operation of mobile documents
and specifies building blocks to handle mobile documents.
This document is developed to enable issuance of digital UAS or drone licence or training certificates
with mdoc data model. This document does not specify data elements for UAS or drone licence or training
certificates. This document can be used for a digital representation of data elements specified by each
aviation authorities.
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
v
International Standard ISO/IEC 22460-3:2026(en)
Cards and security devices for personal identification — ISO
UAS licence and drone or UAS security module —
Part 3:
Digital UAS or drone licence
1 Scope
The document specifies doctype, namespace and a set of data elements for digital UAS or drone licences (or
training certificates) supporting mdoc data model specified in ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ISO/IEC TS 23220-2.
This document is also applicable for any remote pilot licences or training certificates issued by aviation
authorities.
This document does not specify either licence categories and licence conditions and is designed to define
any domestic licences and training certificates by defining domestic namespaces in accordance with each
region and/or state’s regulations.
The digital UAS or drone licence data specified in this document is applicable to mdoc application as defined
in ISO/IEC 23220-1 and transmission protocol specified in ISO/IEC 18013-5, ISO/IEC TS 18013-7 and
ISO/IEC TS 23220-4.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country code
ISO 3166-2, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 2: Country
subdivision code
ISO/IEC 18013-1:2018, Information technology — Personal identification — ISO-compliant driving licence —
Part 1: Physical characteristics and basic data set
ISO/IEC 18013-5, Personal identification — ISO-compliant driving licence — Part 5: Mobile driving licence
(mDL) application
ISO/IEC TS 18013-7, Personal identification — ISO-compliant driving licence — Part 7: Mobile driving licence
(mDL) add-on functions
ISO/IEC TS 23220-2, Cards and security devices for personal identification — Building blocks for identity
management via mobile devices — Part 2: Data objects and encoding rules for generic eID systems
RFC 3339, Date and Time on the Internet: Timestamps
RFC 8943, Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR) Tags for Date
RFC 8949:2020, Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR)

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
digital UAS or drone licence
digital document issued by an issuing authority to a UAS or drone licence holder granting the individual the
privilege to operate a UAS or drone within its jurisdiction
3.2
mdoc
document or application that resides on a mobile device or requires a mobile device as part of the process to
gain access to the document or application
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 18013-5:2021, 3.5]
3.3
mdoc reader
device that can retrieve mdoc (3.2) data for verification purposes
4 Symbols and abbreviations
CDDL concise data definition language
mRPL mobile remote pilot licence
UAS uncrewed aircraft system
5 Generic Principle
UAS or drone licences or training certificates are ba
...