A student pilot certificate is issued by an aviation medical examiner (AME) at the time of the student’s first medical examination; for operations not requiring a medical certificate, a student pilot certificate can be issued by an FAA inspector or an FAA-designated pilot examiner.

The student pilot certificate is only required when exercising solo flight privileges. The student certificate is valid until the last day of the month, 24 or 60 months (depending on age) after it was issued. Once a student has accrued sufficient training and experience, a CFI can endorse the student's certificate to authorize limited solo flight in a specific type (make and model) of aircraft. A student pilot may not carry passengers, fly in furtherance of a business, or operate an aircraft outside of the various endorsements provided by the flight instructor.

There is no minimum aeronautical knowledge or experience requirement for the issuance of a student pilot certificate other than the medical requirements for the class of medical certificate the student certificate is based upon.

There are, however, minimum aeronautical knowledge and experience requirements for student pilots to solo, including:

• Hold at least a current third class medical certificate (except for glider, balloon or sport pilot).
• Be at least 16 years of age (14 for glider or balloon)
• Read, speak, write, and understand the English language.
• Demonstrate satisfactory aeronautical knowledge on a knowledge test, including knowledge of the following areas:
  • Airspace rules and procedures for the airport where the solo flight will be performed
  • Flight characteristics and operational limitations for the make and model of aircraft to be flown
• Receive and log flight training for the maneuvers and procedures appropriate to the make and model of aircraft to be flown, including:
  • Preflight operations
  • Taxiing or surface operations, including run-ups
  • Takeoffs and landings, including normal and cross-wind
  • Straight and level flight, and turns in both directions
  • Climbs and climbing turns
  • Airport traffic patterns, including entry and departure procedures
  • Collision avoidance, wind shear avoidance, and wake turbulence avoidance
  • Descents, with and without turns, using high and low drag configurations
  • Flight at various airspeeds from cruise to slow flight
  • Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication of a stall, and recovery from a full stall
  • Emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions
  • Ground reference maneuvers
  • Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions
  • Slips to a landing
  • Go-arounds