Checkride Radar
Regional summary · community-reported

What pilots say they paid, and how long they waited

Medians of examiner fees pilots posted publicly on r/flying, grouped by region. Small samples. Unverified. Every number links to its source thread. The FAA itself says it has no method for measuring checkride wait times, so these reports are the data.

COMMUNITY-REPORTED 77 fee data points and 7 wait-time reports seeded from public threads. Examiner fee only (no aircraft rental). Add yours.
RegionPrivateInstrumentCommercialCFI initialCFIIMulti add-on / MEIATPRetest
Northeast———$1,500
n=1		————
Southeast$900
n=5, $500–$1,300		$1,050
n=2, $800–$1,300		$1,188
n=2, $1,075–$1,300		$2,000
n=2, $2,000–$2,000		$1,250
n=1		$1,500
n=1		——
Midwest$800
n=3, $800–$1,000		$1,000
n=3, $800–$1,000		$1,000
n=1		$1,500
n=2, $1,500–$1,500		$1,100
n=2, $1,000–$1,200		$1,000
n=1		——
South Central$1,000
n=1		———————
Mountain West$1,000
n=2, $800–$1,200		$1,400
n=2, $1,000–$1,800		$1,100
n=2, $700–$1,500		$1,150
n=2, $1,000–$1,300		$1,150
n=2, $800–$1,500		$1,800
n=1		——
Southwest$700
n=1		$800
n=1		$1,500
n=1		$2,000
n=1		$1,200
n=1		$1,250
n=2, $1,000–$1,500		——
West Coast———$3,000
n=1		—$1,000
n=1		——
Pacific Northwest$750
n=1		$750
n=1		$1,200
n=1		——$1,200
n=1		——
Unspecified$1,500
n=6, $550–$1,500		$1,350
n=4, $550–$1,500		$1,650
n=2, $1,500–$1,800		$2,350
n=2, $2,200–$2,500		$2,000
n=2, $1,500–$2,500		$1,500
n=1		$2,000
n=1		$600
n=2, $500–$700

Cell = median fee; n = number of reports; range = min–max. "Unspecified" = poster didn't give a location. Some posts gave one flat fee for "all ratings except CFI"; those are counted under the rating they named only.

Wait-time reports

WhereRatingWaitDetailSource
Not statedWait time17 wkA FSDO area where scheduling was 'like a 4 or 5 month ordeal' (~4-5 months)thread
Not statedInstrument3 wkthread
Not statedPrivate3 wkthread
Not statedAny—'Wait time might be between 3-10 weeks'thread
Southern CaliforniaAny13 wk'3+ months here'thread
FloridaInstrument13 wkPart 61 school had been trying to find a DPE for 3 monthsthread
Not statedCommercial—Trying since March; still unscheduled near July after a weather cancelthread

For context: in Embry-Riddle's 2025 national survey, flight schools reported an average 5.1-week wait; DPEs reported 3.1 weeks (Gref & Beckman, IJAAA 2025).

Every data point

WhereRatingFeeTypeYearNoteSource
Not statedPrivate$1,500examOriginal post, first attemptsCheckride fees by region
Not statedInstrument$1,200examOriginal post, first attemptsCheckride fees by region
Not statedCommercial$1,800examOriginal post, first attemptsCheckride fees by region
Not statedCFI initial$2,200examOriginal post, first attemptsCheckride fees by region
Not statedCFII$2,500examOriginal post, first attemptsCheckride fees by region
GeorgiaPrivate$900exam2024Checkride fees by region
GeorgiaPrivate$500retest2024Re-check, flying portion only, different DPECheckride fees by region
GeorgiaInstrument$800exam2025Checkride fees by region
GeorgiaCommercial single$1,075exam2026DPE flew to the applicant's airportCheckride fees by region
Not statedPrivate$1,500exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedInstrument$1,500exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedCommercial$1,500exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedATP$2,000exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedCFI initial$2,500exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedCFII$1,500exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedMEI$1,500exam2026Posted DPE fee schedule effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedRetest$700retest2026Same posted schedule, effective Aug 1, 2026Checkride fees by region
WYPrivate$800exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
COInstrument$1,000exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
MTCommercial single$700exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
COCFI initial$1,300exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
MTCFII$800exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
CAAMEL add-on$1,000exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
AZMEI$1,500exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
FLASES add-on$600exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
FLAMES add-on$500exam2024-2025Checkride fees by region
Phoenix, AZPrivate$700exam2021Checkride fees by region
Phoenix, AZInstrument$800exam2022Checkride fees by region
Phoenix, AZCommercial$1,500exam2023Checkride fees by region
Phoenix, AZCFI initial$2,000exam2023Checkride fees by region
Phoenix, AZCFII$1,200exam2024Checkride fees by region
Phoenix, AZCommercial multi add-on$1,000exam2025Checkride fees by region
Pacific NorthwestPrivate$750examPlus $250 travel fee split between two students ($875 each)Checkride fees by region
Pacific NorthwestTravel fee$250travelSplit between two studentsCheckride fees by region
Pacific NorthwestInstrument$750examCheckride fees by region
Pacific NorthwestCommercial$1,200examCheckride fees by region
Pacific NorthwestCommercial multi add-on$1,200examCheckride fees by region
MidwestCFI initial$1,500examCheckride fees by region
MidwestCFII$1,200examCheckride fees by region
MarylandAll ratings except CFI initial$1,000exam'Everything is $1,000 flat'Checkride fees by region
MarylandCFI initial$1,500examCheckride fees by region
OhioPrivate$800examThree different DPEsCheckride fees by region
OhioInstrument$1,000examThree different DPEsCheckride fees by region
OhioCommercial single$1,000examThree different DPEsCheckride fees by region
OhioCommercial multi add-on$1,000examThree different DPEsCheckride fees by region
OhioCFI initial$1,500examThree different DPEsCheckride fees by region
OhioCFII$1,000examThree different DPEsCheckride fees by region
Southwest FloridaPrivate$1,300examCheckride fees by region
Southwest FloridaInstrument$1,300examCheckride fees by region
Southwest FloridaCommercial single$1,300examCheckride fees by region
Southwest FloridaCFI initial$2,000examCheckride fees by region
Southwest FloridaCFII$1,250examCheckride fees by region
Southwest FloridaCommercial multi add-on$1,500examCheckride fees by region
UtahPrivate$1,200examCheckride fees by region
UtahInstrument$1,800examCheckride fees by region
UtahCommercial single$1,500examCheckride fees by region
UtahCommercial multi$1,800examCheckride fees by region
UtahCFI initial$1,000examFAA observed, DPE gave a discountCheckride fees by region
UtahCFII$1,500examCheckride fees by region
Not statedPrivate$550exam2025Checkride fees by region
Not statedInstrument$550exam2026Checkride fees by region
Not statedPrivate$1,500examSame DPE charged about $800 six years earlierPrivate pilot checkride cost
San Diego, CAAll ratings except CFI$1,500exam'Going rate for every checkride except CFI'Private pilot checkride cost
San Diego, CACFI initial$3,000examPrivate pilot checkride cost
MidwestPrivate$1,000exam2024Some local DPEs asking $1,300-1,500Private pilot checkride cost
MidwestInstrument$1,000examPrivate pilot checkride cost
Dallas-Fort Worth, TXPrivate$1,000exam'Typical'Private pilot checkride cost
Southwest MichiganPrivate$800exam2024Private pilot checkride cost
Southwest MichiganInstrument$800exam2025Different DPEPrivate pilot checkride cost
GeorgiaPrivate$900examLow quote; high quote $1,300Private pilot checkride cost
GeorgiaPrivate$1,300examHigh quote; low quote $900Private pilot checkride cost
Not statedPrivate$1,500examIncludes oral and flight, not plane rentalPPL check ride costing $1500. Is that normal?
Not statedPrivate$1,000examPPL check ride costing $1500. Is that normal?
Not statedInstrument$1,500examPPL check ride costing $1500. Is that normal?
Not statedRetest$500retestCommercial retest fee quoted alongside $1,500 commercialPPL check ride costing $1500. Is that normal?
South FloridaAll ratings except CFI initial$1,500examPPL check ride costing $1500. Is that normal?
South FloridaCFI initial$2,000examPPL check ride costing $1500. Is that normal?