FAR/AIM 2026: what is in it, where the free official text is, and book vs app
Based on: 14 CFR (Title 14), Aeronautical Information ManualeCFR text current as of Checked
Short answer
"FAR/AIM" is not one FAA document. It is the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR) and the Aeronautical Information Manual, which publishers bind together each year. Both are free from the government: the regulations on eCFR, updated as amendments take effect, and the AIM on the FAA website as web pages and a PDF. A printed 2026 edition is a snapshot taken before the year starts; an app or eCFR follows amendments as they happen.
Two publications, one name
| Half | What it is | Free official source | How it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAR (14 CFR) | Binding regulations: certification, operating rules, maintenance, medical | eCFR, Title 14 | Section by section, on each amendment’s effective date |
| AIM | Procedures and good practice: airspace, ATC, weather, navigation, emergencies. Not regulatory, but often cited | FAA website, web pages and PDF | New editions and changes on FAA-set effective dates |
| Pilot/Controller Glossary | Official meaning of ATC terms. Published with the AIM | FAA website, P/CG | With the AIM |
What the combined book binds together, and where each half lives for free.
Why “2026” matters less than it looks
The regulations do not change once a year. Amendments take effect on dates the FAA sets, scattered through the year. Two examples from Part 61:
- The BasicMed limits in § 61.113(i) went from 6 occupants and 6,000 pounds to 7 occupants and 12,500 pounds on November 18, 2024, after most 2025 books had been printed. Details: BasicMed rules in the FARs.
- § 61.113 changed again on October 22, 2025.
A printed edition is correct as of its print date. For anything that matters, such as a checkride answer or an argument about legality, check the date the section was last amended.
The sections pilots look up most
Many searches are for one section rather than the whole book. These have their own guides:
- Required equipment for VFR flight (§ 91.205), day and night lists
- IFR currency (§ 61.57(c) and (d)), with a worked six-month example
- Preflight action (§ 91.103), what NWKRAFT stands for in the rule
- BasicMed (§ 61.113(i) and § 61.23(c)(3)), current limits
Book, PDF, website or app
- Printed book. Tabs, highlighting, and no battery. It is a snapshot taken before the year starts, and you buy a new one each year.
- Government websites. Free and current. eCFR shows every amendment the day it takes effect. They need a connection, and the AIM and the regulations are two different sites.
- App. Our app, Regline, carries 26 parts of 14 CFR, 49 CFR 830, the AIM and the Pilot/Controller Glossary offline. It updates from eCFR and the FAA every week and shows each section’s FAA amendment date. Highlights stay on your words when the text around them changes.
As of November 2026, Regline carries the AIM edition effective July 9, 2026 and eCFR text current as of November 5, 2026.
Questions pilots ask
Is there a free FAR/AIM 2026 PDF?
The two halves are free from the government separately. The AIM is published by the FAA as web pages and a PDF. The regulations are on eCFR, which can print or download any part. The combined FAR/AIM book is a commercial product from private publishers.
When does the 2026 FAR/AIM come out?
The release date is set by each publisher. The regulations themselves change whenever an FAA amendment takes effect, and the AIM changes when the FAA issues a new edition or change, so neither waits for the book.
Which parts of 14 CFR does a pilot need?
For most private and instrument pilots: Part 1 (definitions), 43 (maintenance, including preventive maintenance by pilots), 61 (certification), 67 or 68 (medical or BasicMed), 91 (operating rules) and 49 CFR 830 (accident reporting). Commercial and airline work adds Parts 119, 121, 135 and 117.
Is an app allowed in place of the book on a checkride?
The regulations do not require a particular format. Whether an examiner accepts an app for looking things up during the oral exam is the examiner's decision, so ask beforehand.
The full text, offline
Regline: FAR/AIM Reader
14 CFR, the AIM and the Pilot/Controller Glossary on iPhone and iPad, offline. Type (Title 14) and it is the first result; highlights stay on your words when the FAA amends the text.
View on the App StoreOne purchase, $14.99
We make this app. Everything above is true whether or not you use it.