Iowa falconry license

First-year fees

$63.50 for the three-year permit, all classes (Iowa DNR Form 542-1359, 04/2024)

Permits expire June 30 of the third year after issuance

The rule text (571 IAC 101.1(4)) still prints the older $61.50 figure — the current DNR form's $63.50 is the operative charge. A separate nonresident raptor trapping application fee is $100 (571 IAC 101).

Exam & minimum age

Exam: 80% to pass. Written examination approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior covering biology, care and handling, laws and regulations; minimum 80%. Applicants who fail may reapply (571 IAC 101.1(2)).

Minimum age: 14 — A falconry permit may be issued to any person 14 years of age or older (571 IAC 101.1(2)); apprentice applicants must be at least 14 — stricter than the federal floor of 12.

Classes: Apprentice → General → Master

Birds by class & trapping

Apprentice: one raptor, and only a red-tailed hawk — Iowa omits the federal kestrel option, so apprentices are limited to a single species; nestling/fledgling take is barred. General (18+): up to 3 raptors, one wild replacement per 12 months. Master (5 general years): up to 5, two wild replacements per 12 months. Wild-take species list: kestrel, Cooper's, ferruginous, goshawk, great horned owl, gyrfalcon, Harris's, merlin, peregrine, prairie, red-tailed, rough-legged and sharp-shinned.

All wild-taken raptors must be marked with an Iowa marker band provided by the DNR, and wild raptors may not be sold, bartered or traded (571 IAC 101.1).

Notes from the official sources

Sponsors must have at least two years of active experience at General and may mentor at most two apprentices; if the apprenticeship is not completed, the red-tailed hawk transfers to the sponsor of record. Renewal requires the annual report; exam-free renewal is at DNR discretion.