Definition
The government agency or organization responsible for producing, publishing, and maintaining an aeronautical chart or instrument approach procedure. On an instrument approach chart, the issuing authority is identified in the chart heading and indicates who is legally and technically accountable for the chart's content, accuracy, and revisions.
Plain English
The official body that creates and publishes the chart. It tells you who made it and who keeps it up to date.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument approach procedure charts and related FAA chart information, usually as part of the chart identification or source information.
Derivation
From 'issue' (to put out officially, from Latin exire, 'to go out') and 'authority' (the power or right to act, from Latin auctoritas). Together: the body that has the official power to put out the chart.
Why Pilots Care
Confirms the chart is an official, current government publication and therefore legally usable for instrument flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read issuing authority as the person giving you instructions on the radio. Here it means the official organization that published the chart or procedure.
Example Sentence 1
Before the flight, the pilot checked the chart heading to confirm the issuing authority and the effective date of the approach procedure.
Example Sentence 2
Only charts from the correct issuing authority are acceptable for the instrument checkride.