Amazon.com’s dream of drone deliveries became a step closer to reality Thursday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave the e-commerce giant approval to test the service.

The formal terms give Amazon an “experimental airworthiness certificate,” which the FAA says it typically issues to manufacturers and technology developers to operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) that do not have a type certificate.

Under the terms of the certificate, all of Amazon’s flight operations must be conducted at 400 feet or below during daylight hours in good weather conditions.  The drone must always remain within visual line-of-sight of the pilot and observer, and the pilot flying the drone must have at least a private pilot’s certificate and current medical certification.

Amazon must also provide monthly data, including flight reports and any problems that arise, to the FAA.

Amazon first announced its drone delivery program in 2013 but hit regulatory approval hurdles shortly thereafter. Rules on drones proposed in February seemed to suggest that delivery drones would be banned, but this new announcement would suggest that they may still be a possibility.

While a step forward for the proposal, the experimental certificate is still limiting, given that drones must remain in a line of sight at all times; put simply it would cripple the idea at its inception if the restriction was applied to a permanent certificate.

Don’t expect to see an Amazon delivery drone in a neighborhood near you at any time in the near future.

Image credit: Amazon.