What you need to know if you’re getting a drone for the holidays

If you’re one of the 400,000 Americans getting a drone this holiday, wrapped up in that box are a few responsibilities you might not have realized.

Hobbyist operators with drones between 250 grams and 55 pounds will be required to register online, at a site that will go live a week from Monday, Transportation Department Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today.

For the first 30 days, registration is free, Foxx said. After that, it’ll cost you $5.

The $5 fee flies directly in the face of what an FAA task force recommended less than a month ago — that registration should be free. However, the FAA is required by law to charge a free to defray the cost of aircraft registration, Foxx said. (If you happened to purchase a Boeing 787 for Christmas, it’ll cost $5 to register that, too.)

Operators who purchased drones before Dec. 21 must register by Feb. 19, 2016; those who purchased drones after Dec. 21 must register before their first outdoor flight.

Each operator will be given a certificate and registration number, good for three years, which they must affix to each drone they fly. There’s no limit to the number of drones per registered operator.

If you don’t register, the FAA is allowed to assess a fine — but for now, the agency says, it’s focused on getting the word out.