Definition
A special FAA registration certificate issued to aircraft dealers that allows them to operate and demonstrate aircraft held for sale without registering each individual aircraft in the dealer's name. The certificate is intended for use during flights connected with the sale of the aircraft, such as demonstration flights to prospective buyers, and is not a substitute for a standard Certificate of Aircraft Registration once an aircraft is sold to a non-dealer purchaser.
Plain English
A special registration that lets aircraft dealers fly the aircraft they have for sale without having to register each one in their own name. It is meant for sales-related flights, like showing the aircraft to a possible buyer.
Context Anchor
You will see this term when reviewing aircraft registration documents and deciding whether an aircraft has the proper paperwork to be legally operated.
Derivation
A 'dealer' is someone whose business is buying and selling goods. The term simply marks this as a registration certificate designed for dealers rather than individual owners, reflecting that dealers handle many aircraft and need a practical way to fly them for sales purposes.
Why Pilots Care
It allows dealers to legally operate and demonstrate aircraft before completing full registration paperwork, avoiding grounding of sale-ready planes.
Analogy
It is similar to a car dealer using a dealer plate to move or demonstrate a car before the buyer gets regular registration. The aircraft version is FAA paperwork, not a license plate, but the basic idea is similar.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “dealer’s” just means any aircraft being sold by any person. In this context, it means a special FAA registration arrangement for a qualified aircraft business, and it is not the same as proof that the aircraft is permanently registered to its next owner.
Example Sentence 1
The dealership flew the new trainer to the customer's home airport under its dealer's aircraft registration certificate for a demonstration flight.
Example Sentence 2
Before offering demonstration flights, the sales team confirmed the dealer's aircraft registration certificate was current.