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Night Currency Requirements Under FAR 61.57: Everything Pilots Need to Know

Complete guide to FAA night currency requirements under §61.57(b). Covers the definition of night, 3 takeoffs and landings requirement, same category/class rules, tailwheel currency, and how to log night time.

April 2026·6 min read read·Faraim Editorial

KEY POINT

Night currency is one of the most commonly misunderstood requirements in Part 61. When does 'night' officially begin? How do you log it? What aircraft counts? This guide covers every detail.

Before you can carry passengers at night, you need night currency under 14 CFR §61.57(b). It's separate from your daytime passenger currency, and many pilots don't realize they've let it lapse — until they want to fly a night cross-country with family aboard.

The Night Currency Requirement (§61.57(b))

To act as PIC and carry passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, you must have made at least 3 takeoffs and 3 full-stop landings during that same period within the preceding 90 days.

3 takeoffs and 3 full-stop landings
Performed at night (1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise)
Within the preceding 90 days
In the same category, class, and type (if a type rating is required) as the aircraft to be flown
At a towered airport (if the aircraft is a tailwheel) or any airport for nosewheel aircraft

When Does 'Night' Begin for Currency Purposes?

This trips up a lot of pilots. There are actually two different definitions of 'night' in aviation, and they're used for different purposes:

<strong>For logging night flight time (§61.51):</strong> Night begins at the end of evening civil twilight and ends at the beginning of morning civil twilight. This is what you log in your logbook.
<strong>For night currency and passenger carriage:</strong> Night is defined as the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise. This is the window when you need night currency to carry passengers.

In practice, this means the period from sunset to civil twilight is NOT night for currency purposes, but it IS counted as night for logging. Confused? Most pilots just track sunset and add an hour to be safe.

Full-Stop Landings Required

The regulation specifically requires full-stop landings — not touch-and-gos or stop-and-gos for night currency (though touch-and-gos count for daytime currency under §61.57(a)). You must come to a complete stop on the runway. This is intentional — the FAA considers night landings higher risk and requires the more deliberate full-stop.

Tailwheel Night Currency

If you're flying a tailwheel airplane at night with passengers, you need night currency specifically in a tailwheel. Three full-stop night landings in a Cessna 172 don't count for a Citabria. The same category (airplane), class (single-engine land), and type (tailwheel, though usually not a specific type) must match.

Can I Fly Myself at Night Without Currency?

Yes. Night currency only applies to carrying passengers. You can fly solo at night regardless of whether you have night currency. However, solo night flight without currency is a proficiency question — the FAA's rules don't require it, but your personal minimums probably should.

How to Log Night Time Correctly

Night time for logbook purposes begins at the end of evening civil twilight. You can look this up for any date and location on apps like ForeFlight, the USNO website, or through a standard weather briefing. Log night time as the time flown between end of evening civil twilight and beginning of morning civil twilight.

Pro tip: If you flew a full-stop landing 30 minutes before your night currency expired, it counts — as long as the landing was in the night currency window (1 hour after sunset or later). Always log the time of your last landing, not just total flight time.