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The Office of Inspector General is initiating an audit on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) approval and oversight processes for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) waivers. FAA published a new rule governing the use of small UAS (i.e., systems weighing less than 55 pounds) in June 2016. However, the rule does not permit several potential uses for UAS that are highly valued by industry, such as operating beyond line of sight or at night. To accommodate these and other types of operations, the rule allows operators to apply for waivers from its provisions. Our audit objectives will be to assess FAA’s processes for: (1) granting waivers under the rule for small UAS operations, and (2) conducting risk-based oversight of UAS operators with waivers.