14 C.F.R. § 21.182
Aircraft identification
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each applicant for an airworthiness certificate under this subpart must show that his aircraft is identified as prescribed in § 45.11 of this chapter.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to applicants for the following:
(1) A special flight permit.
(2) An experimental airworthiness certificate issued for the purposes of research and development, showing compliance with regulations, crew training, exhibition, air racing, market surveys, or operating former military aircraft.
(3) A change from one airworthiness classification to another, for an aircraft already identified as prescribed in § 45.11.