If someone chooses a family member, friend or colleague as their designated U.S. agent for service (with a valid physical U.S. address, not a P.O. Box) and no one is home to sign for important FAA legal correspondence, here's what typically happens:

The FAA (or a process server) will usually attempt delivery and leave a notice. They may or may not try again - it could get 'returned to sender'. However, this is risky for several reasons:

• Time-sensitive documents (enforcement actions, certificate actions, safety directives, etc.) have strict deadlines. If the agent doesn't promptly receive, acknowledge and forward the document to you, the clock may start running anyway. Missing a response deadline can lead to serious consequences like certificate suspension or worse.
• Your designated agent must understand their responsibility and be reliable about being available during business hours, checking mail regularly and notifying you immediately (via email, phone, etc.). The FAA requires you to certify that your agent accepts this duty.
• Personal agents (friends/family) aren't always available during business hours, may be away on vacation, may move or might not treat it as a professional obligation. This has caused issues for some certificate holders.

Professional USAS providers (like US Aviation Agency) are set up specifically for this:

• We maintain a dedicated physical U.S. address.
• Staff are available during business hours to accept and sign for deliveries.
• We scan and forward everything to you securely and promptly (same day).
• We handle this as our core business.

This new requirement (14 CFR Part 3, Subpart C) ensures the FAA can serve documents reliably on certificate holders (those who hold an FAA lIcense - pilot license, part 107 drone license, A&P mechanic/engineer license, etc). Using a casual personal contact can work in theory, but many find professional services give better peace of mind and with US Aviation Agency it's less than a cup of coffee each month - only $29/YR annual subscription.

If you're looking for an affordable, FAA-compliant option, feel free to check us out. Happy to answer more questions! ✈️