For the first time ever, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will require all drones of a certain size to be registered with the federal government, if their owners intend on using them outside.

It's part of an effort to curb incidents of drones wreaking havoc by flying where they shouldn't and to hold irresponsible operators accountable for their actions.

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This may create some confusion for current drone owners or the million soon-to-be drone owners receiving drones as holiday gifts. Here's a breakdown of the announcement and the FAA's FAQ page on drone registration.

What drones need to be registered?

If your drone weighs between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds and you intend on flying it outside, it must be registered with the FAA. The FAA considers anything lighter than 0.55 pounds a toy and anything heavier must be registered using an older, non-drone-specific system.

On its FAQ page, the FAA notes that paper airplanes, toy balloons and frisbees don't need to be registered, in case you were wondering.

When do I need to register my drone?

The registration system goes live on the FAA's site on December 21, 2015. Current drone owners will have 60 days (until February 19, 2016) to register. Drones purchased after the 21st must be registered before they're operated outside.

A camera-equipped "Inspire 1" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, of DJI (Dajiang Innovations) is pictured during a test in Shanghai, China, 10 January 2015. Image: Imaginechina/Corbis

And how much will registration cost?

It's $5 for each drone operator, regardless of how many drones they own, but the FAA will waive the registration fee for the first 30 days of registration. Unless you have $5 burning a hole in your pocket, you should definitely register your drone before January 20, 2016, then.

Even if you register when the fee is waived, the FAA requires your credit card information as a way to verify your identity. You'll initially receive a $5 charge, but you'll get a reimbursement after 30 days as long as you register before January 20, 2016.

What happens when I register?

The FAA will give your drone its own unique registration number and a Certificate of Registration you can either print or save to your phone. The registration number must be displayed legibly on the drone and operators must be prepared to show their certificate any time they fly outdoors, either on their phone or on paper.

If you own multiple drones, the FAA will allow you to use the same registration number for all of your drones. Registration must be renewed after three years.

So, what happens if I don't register?

If you're caught operating an unregistered drone outdoors, the FAA can assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties can run as high as $250,000 and/or up to three years in jail.

Suddenly, the $5 registration fee seems downright reasonable.

10 Dec 2013, Spain —- Man flying a drone, Madrid, Spain

What if I'm a 12-year-old Austrian citizen living in the U.S.?

Sadly, you won't be able to register your drone because the FAA requires all registrants to be U.S. citizens who are 13 or older.

What if I have a business that's interested in deploying drones?

This registration system applies only for hobbyists for now. The FAA says it will eventually support businesses to register drones, although laws for commercial operation don't exist yet.

What if I'm Google, Amazon or some other company interested in developing drones?

The FAA approves drones for testing on case-by-case basis. Any company interested in developing drones must register them using the FAA's paper-based system.

Image: alery Sharifulin/ITAalery Sharifulin/ITAR-TASS Photo/CorbisR-TASS Photo/Corbis

OK, so now I know how to register, but I don't quite understand why I need to.

As drones exploded in popularity, dangerous episodes of close calls between drones and commercial airlines and drones disrupting firefighting became increasingly common. Drones have also found themselves in other sensitive places such as the White House lawn in a particularly memorable incident.

Up till now, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were largely unregulated, making it difficult to hold operators accountable. This system is intended to improve that accountability much easier.