US announces drone owners must register their devices with the government by February or face a fine

America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that drone owners must register their devices by 19 February 2016 - with heavy penalties for those who fail to register in time.

US government plans to enforce the registration of drones were first reported in October, and there was speculation that the system could be in place in time for Christmas, when drones are set to be a popular present. The FAA announced the system on 14 December

All drones that weigh between 250 grams and 22 kilograms must be registered, and those caught flying unregistered devices could face civil penalties that include a fine of up to $27,500 (£18,150). Criminal penalties, on the other hand, could result in a fine of up to $250,000 (£165,000) and a maximum of three years in jail.

Most hobby drones, which can be bought for under £100 on the high street, weigh more than 250 grams - so most 'casual' drones that will be given for Christmas this year will fall under the new regulations.

The federal law becomes effective on 21 December, when drone owners will be able to start registering. Usually, the registration fee is $5 (£3.30), but the FAA is waiving this small sum for the first 30 days, in order to encourage registration before the deadline.

After they've registered online by supplying their name, home address and email address, they will get a certificate and a unique number for their drone, which must be marked on the device itself - in order to help trace a drone back to its owner if it gets lost or is flown in a manner that breaks the law.

Registration will last for three years, and will have to be renewed for an additional $5 once that time is up. Registration also applies to the owner, not the drone - so even if pilots have multiple drones, they'll only need to register (and pay the fee) once.

The new registration system closes the gap between hobbyists and those who fly drones for commercial means, such as for filming or security. Commercial pilots already have to register with the FAA, but they can't do it online - the agency said in a statement that they were working on enhancements to the system that will allow commercial pilots to register online too.

The US, faced with the surging popularity and availability of drones, has talked about a registration system for some time - and politicians in the UK and considering a similar scheme as well.

In March this year, the House of Lords called on the EU to regulate and enforce the registration of drones, but the plans have stalled. Currently, British drone owners don't have to register their devices unless they're flying for commercial reasons, although there are strict limits on where they can be flown - built-up areas, airports and military installations are out of bounds.

As the number of drones in the hands of hobbyists has increased, so has the number of near-misses with aircraft and structures.

Last summer, there were four potentially dangerous near-misses between drones and planes in a single month across the UK - if even a small drone were to get sucked into a planes engine or collide with the aircraft at high speed, the results could be catastrophic.

In March, Robert Knowles became the first person in the country to be convicted for dangerous drone flying - after his drone almost collided with a bridge and drifted into restricted airspace over a nuclear submarine facility after he lost control of it.