Is the age limit really 31?

Yes. FAA announcements state that a maximum age of 30 is established for initial entry into air traffic control positions and that persons who have reached their 31st birthday may not be appointed. Recent announcements test this at the vacancy closing date.

Can I get a waiver for the age limit?

No. There is no waiver process. The only route past the limit is proof of an original appointment to the civilian 2152 series before your 31st birthday, evidenced by your initial SF-50.

No. One year of full-time work experience in any field meets the minimum qualification as an alternative to a four-year degree. An associate degree alone does not qualify but can be combined with work experience.

Does this check decide whether I can apply?

No. It is a reading of the FAA's published requirements and has no connection to the FAA. Medical eligibility is determined by the FAA's examiners and suitability by the investigating agency.

Is anything I enter stored?

No. The check runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is saved and nothing is sent anywhere.

Am I eligible to be an air traffic controller?

Ten questions against the FAA's published requirements. Free, no account, nothing stored — and it will tell you plainly if something rules you out rather than making you find out three months into an application.

0 of 10 answered

1.Will you be under 31 on the day the vacancy announcement closes?
Not the day you apply — the day the announcement closes. Recent nationwide announcements have set the test at the vacancy closing date.
Source: FAA trainee announcement; 5 U.S.C. § 3307(b); Public Law 92-297
2.Are you a United States citizen?
Source: FAA, Air Traffic Controller Qualifications
3.Do you have one year of full-time work experience, a four-year degree, or a combination of the two?
The work experience can be in any field. Part-time counts, pro-rated against a 40-hour week. An associate degree on its own does not qualify, but it can be combined with work experience.
Source: FAA trainee announcement, minimum qualifications
4.Can you speak English clearly enough to be understood over radios and similar communications equipment?
Source: FAA trainee announcement; FAA medical standards
5.Do you have distant and near vision of 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with correction if needed?
Glasses and standard contact lenses are fine. Bifocal contact lenses used to correct near vision are specifically unacceptable.
Source: FAA, Air Traffic Controller Qualifications — vision
6.Has your colour vision been formally tested, and was it normal?
This is the requirement people most often have never been tested against.
Source: FAA, Air Traffic Controller Qualifications — vision
7.Are you free of a diagnosis or history of diabetes mellitus, a convulsive disorder, or heart disease?
Several of the published standards turn on history or diagnosis rather than current symptoms, and some disqualify applicants who are under preventive treatment.
Source: FAA, Air Traffic Controller Qualifications — general, neurological and cardiovascular
8.Are you willing to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays?
Facilities that operate around the clock are staffed every day of the year. Controllers get at least 10 hours off between shifts and 12 either side of a midnight shift.
Source: FAA trainee announcement; FAA–NATCA fatigue agreement, July 2024
9.Are you willing to train in Oklahoma City and then work at any FAA facility in the country?
You choose your first facility from a list of locations with the greatest staffing needs, after you graduate — not before.
Source: FAA trainee announcement, facility placement
10.Are you prepared for a federal background investigation and pre-employment drug screening?
An Access National Agency Check (ANACI) or higher is required before you start, and the position sits inside the Department of Transportation's drug and alcohol testing programme.
Source: FAA trainee announcement, conditions of employment

Answer all 10 to see the summary.

This check is a reading of the FAA's published requirements, nothing more. It is not an application, it is not a determination, and it has no connection to the FAA. Nothing you enter here is stored or sent anywhere. Medical eligibility is decided by the FAA's examiners on clinical evidence, and suitability by the investigating agency — neither can be settled by a questionnaire.

The requirements, in the FAA's words

The FAA's Air Traffic Controller Qualifications page lists the minimum qualifications as: be a United States citizen; be under the age of 31; pass a medical examination; pass a security investigation; pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, including the Air Traffic Skills Assessment; speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment; and have one year of progressively responsible work experience, a bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience totalling one year.

The same page notes that "less than 10% of all applicants meet these requirements and are accepted into the training program". Most of that attrition is not the gates above — it is the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, which is the one stage you can prepare for.

Which of these can change?

Age and citizenship are fixed. Neither has a waiver route. See our age waiver page for why.
Experience is something you can go and get. A year of full-time work in any field satisfies it. See becoming a controller without a degree.
Medical is a clinical judgement, not a checklist. The full published standards are on our ATC medical requirements page.

Common questions

What are the basic requirements to become an air traffic controller?: The FAA lists: be a United States citizen, be under the age of 31, pass a medical examination, pass a security investigation, pass the pre-employment tests including the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment, and have one year of progressively responsible work experience, a bachelor's degree, or a combination totalling one year.
Is the age limit really 31?: Yes. FAA announcements state that a maximum age of 30 is established for initial entry into air traffic control positions and that persons who have reached their 31st birthday may not be appointed. Recent announcements test this at the vacancy closing date.
Can I get a waiver for the age limit?: No. There is no waiver process. The only route past the limit is proof of an original appointment to the civilian 2152 series before your 31st birthday, evidenced by your initial SF-50.
Do I need a degree?: No. One year of full-time work experience in any field meets the minimum qualification as an alternative to a four-year degree. An associate degree alone does not qualify but can be combined with work experience.
Does this check decide whether I can apply?: No. It is a reading of the FAA's published requirements and has no connection to the FAA. Medical eligibility is determined by the FAA's examiners and suitability by the investigating agency.
Is anything I enter stored?: No. The check runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is saved and nothing is sent anywhere.

Sources

FAA, Air Traffic Controller Qualifications — minimum qualifications and the full medical standards
FAA, Safe Skies. Strong Careers. — the five hiring phases
FAA, Air Traffic Controller Applicant Checklist
USAJOBS historic announcement text, FAA-ATO-25-ALLSRCE-94444 — age, pools, conditions of employment and facility placement
5 U.S.C. § 3307(b) and Public Law 92-297 — maximum entry age

ATSA Practice is an independent practice and familiarization resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Federal Aviation Administration. This page summarises publicly published requirements and is not a determination of eligibility.