8610-2 Form: The Experience and Military Path to the A&P
The 8610-2 form is the FAA’s Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application for mechanics, and school graduates file it too. On the experience and military path, the FAA must endorse it before you can test; JSAMTCC graduates are the exception. To get that authorization, the FAA’s submission instructions direct the form to an FSDO or IFO appointment with an Airworthiness ASI. That review is a step toward testing, not the O&P itself.
FAA Form 8610-2 submission instructions · FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, p. 7 · FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. i · FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
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What experience can support an O&P application?
Under § 65.77(b), the experience route requires documentary evidence satisfactory to the Administrator. The rule specifies at least 18 months of practical experience appropriate to one rating, or at least 30 months concurrently performing duties appropriate to both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings. For the 18-month route, the experience involves the procedures, practices, materials, tools, machine tools, and equipment generally used in constructing, maintaining, or altering the relevant airframes or powerplants.
The school route is different: § 65.77(a) permits an authenticated document from a certificated AMTS. FAA Order 8900.1 says § 65.77 does not provide for a combination of the two, so apply on one basis or the other, not a mix of school and experience evidence.
14 CFR § 65.77 · FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, p. 8
What is the 8610-2 interview for?
FAA Order 8900.1 says an experience applicant must establish both the time component and the practical-experience component of § 65.77(b). Once the FAA verifies the requirement, it endorses Form 8610-2 so the applicant can begin certification testing. The order expressly separates the experience evaluation from evaluation of knowledge and skills during testing.
FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, p. 7
Before the appointment, organize a clear work history. Use dates and descriptions of the work you actually performed, and bring the documentary evidence the office requests for that history. Our advice is to make the connection between each period of work and the rating sought easy to follow; the FAA decides whether the evidence satisfies the rule.
How do you fill out the current 8610-2 form?
Use the current FAA form and its own instructions. The form is marked 04/26 and says it supersedes the previous edition. For printed applications, the instructions call for two originals. The form’s cover page also describes IACRA, the FAA’s web-based application, and says all applicants must establish an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA before taking any FAA airman knowledge test.
FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. i · FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. v
| Part of the current form | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Application basis | Identify civil experience, military experience, or the applicable school basis. |
| Section III, Record of Experience | Prepare dates, employer and location, and descriptions of work performed. |
| Section IV, Applicant’s Certification | Read the certification before signing at application. |
| Section V, FAA Endorsement | Leave the FAA-use section for the FAA. |
| Page 2 Applicant’s Certification | Complete it at temporary-certificate issuance, rather than with the initial application. |
FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
The instructions require civil and military mechanic applicants to complete Section III. They specifically warn that a job title is not a description of the work performed. Additional experience can be continued on a separate sheet when necessary.
FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
Section IV is completed when you make the application. Section V is for FAA use only. The separate Applicant’s Certification on page 2 is completed only when a temporary certificate is issued. Follow the instructions for the current form rather than using signature-block directions from an older edition.
FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
How does military experience fit?
The form instructions direct military applicants to complete blocks B1–B3 for service, rank or grade, and specialty codes; only JSAMTCC applicants complete B4–B6. Applicants with both civil and military practical experience mark both basis boxes A and B.
FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
A military specialty code is not automatic acceptance of the experience requirement. FAA Order 8900.1 says specialty codes are not accepted carte blanche and the FAA must still evaluate documentary evidence of both the time and practical experience. The form instructions identify a separate exception for JSAMTCC graduates: they do not need an FAA endorsement to test.
FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, p. 10 · FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
What happens after the authorization review?
A test endorsement does not replace the examinations. Section 65.79 still requires the oral and practical tests appropriate to the rating sought. Section 65.75 normally requires passing each written section before applying for O&P tests; § 65.80 provides a separate early-testing path for eligible school students.
14 CFR § 65.79 · 14 CFR § 65.75 · 14 CFR § 65.80
Use the DME locator and scheduling guide to find and schedule an examiner. For study, keep the ACS codes on your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) with your review material and use the O&P study plan to organize the work.
Frequently asked questions
Does an endorsed 8610-2 form mean I have passed the O&P?
No. The FAA endorsement lets an experience applicant begin certification testing; the experience review is distinct from the knowledge and skill evaluations in the tests.
FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, p. 7
Can I use only my military specialty code as proof that I qualify?
No. FAA Order 8900.1 requires evaluation of documentary evidence and does not accept specialty codes automatically as satisfying § 65.77(b).
FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, p. 10
Do JSAMTCC graduates need an FAA endorsement before testing?
No. The current form instructions state that an AMTS or JSAMTCC graduate does not need FAA endorsement to test; that is different from an ordinary civil- or military-experience application.
FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), p. vi
Should I sign both applicant certification sections when first applying?
No. Complete Section IV at application, but complete the separate page 2 Applicant’s Certification only at issuance of a temporary certificate.
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Related guides
Sources
- FAA Form 8610-2 submission instructions
- FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 2, Authorize a Mechanic Applicant to Test (CHG 929, 9/17/2024)
- FAA Form 8610-2 (04/26), including instructions
- 14 CFR part 65 (eCFR)
About this guide: drafted with AI from the FAA sources listed on this page and checked claim by claim against them. Not reviewed by an A&P mechanic or DME. How we make our guides
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