Illinois falconry license
Checked 2026-11-04 against official sources — see the links at the bottom. General guidance only; always confirm with the state agency before you apply.
First-year fees
$200 falconry permit (5 years) + $50/year resident raptor capture permit ($100 nonresident); peregrine capture permit $50 resident / $100 nonresident (Master-only lottery)
Renewable every 5 years for $200
A hunting license is required to fly at game. Nonresident permittees may practice falconry in Illinois up to 30 days; longer stays need written IDNR authorization.
Exam & minimum age
Exam: 80% to pass. Closed-book exam administered by IDNR covering raptor care, laws and related subjects. Fail once: retry after 45 days; fail twice: six-month wait. Lapsed permits (5+ years) require re-examination plus a facility inspection.
Minimum age: 14 — Stricter than the federal floor: all applicants must be at least 14 (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1590.50(a)(1)(B), 1590.80(a)(1)); under 18 needs a parent/guardian to sign.
Classes: Apprentice → General → Master
Birds by class & trapping
Apprentice: one raptor; most Falconiform/Strigiform species allowed except prohibited species (bald eagle, osprey, barn owl), golden/white-tailed/Steller's eagles and a listed exclusion list — but no eyasses and no imprints. General (16+, 2 apprentice years): up to 3 raptors. Master: up to 5 wild raptors plus unlimited captive-bred; up to 3 eagles (golden/white-tailed/Steller's aggregate) with experience letters.
Capture permits are capped at 250/year statewide. Passage birds Sept 1 – Mar 1; haggard American kestrels and great horned owls Sept 1 – Jan 1; eyasses Feb 1 – Aug 1 with at least one left in the nest. Max 2 wild raptors per calendar year. Peregrine capture Sept 20 – Oct 20 by lottery (Master only).
Notes from the official sources
Regulation of record is Title 17 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1590. Facilities are inspected before permit issuance; equipment list (Aylmeri jesses, leash and swivel, 2–6 in bath pan, weathering perch, scale to ½ oz/15 g) is set in rule §1590.70(g). Banding/microchip rules in §1590.82.
Official sources for this page
Regulations change. Verify every figure against these sources and the agency's current rules before you rely on it.
Getting geared up in Illinois?
Most states' equipment inspection lists overlap heavily — Aylmeri jesses, a weathering-resistant leash and swivel, a bath pan, a weathering perch and a graduated scale. Build a list matched to your class and climate with the equipment checklist builder, or print the start-up equipment checklist for your mews inspection visit. Comparing neighboring states? Back to the full state matrix.