What category of flight rules must a private pilot operate under to fly passengers?

A private pilot must operate under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) to fly passengers. VFR allows pilots to fly in weather conditions generally clear enough for them to see where they are going and to navigate visually. This flexibility is crucial for private pilots who may not have the advanced training or certification needed to operate under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), which involve flying solely by reference to instruments, primarily in low visibility conditions.

While commercial flight rules (CFR) pertain specifically to commercial operations and night flight rules (NFR) regulate flights conducted at night, these do not apply to private pilots flying passengers under normal circumstances. A private pilot's primary regulatory framework is VFR, which provides the necessary understandings and protocols for safely conducting flights with passengers on board, as long as the weather conditions are suitable for visual navigation.