Louisiana falconry license

First-year fees

$150 first year: $50 falconry (game breeder's) license + one-time $100 facility inspection

Annual license valid one calendar year, expiring December 31 regardless of issue date

Renewals are $50/year. Licenses are not issued for pets or the pet trade/industry.

Exam & minimum age

Exam: 80% to pass. 100-question falconry test (≥80%) scheduled through LDWF's Falconry Coordinator. Uniquely, the mew design and location must be reviewed and approved before construction, followed by a mew and equipment inspection.

Minimum age: 16 — Stricter than the federal floor: apprentice falconers must be at least 16; under 18 needs a parent/guardian signature (La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § V-301(C)(1)).

Classes: Apprentice → General → Master

Birds by class & trapping

Apprentice (16+): one raptor; passage take September 1 – February 28 (no nestlings, no imprints); any species except eagles, swallow-tailed kite, Swainson's hawk, peregrine, flammulated/elf/short-eared owls and federally listed species; birds may be transferred in — no self-capture requirement. General (2 apprentice years): up to 3 raptors; eyasses year-round with one left per nest. Master (5 general years): up to 5 wild raptors plus unlimited captive-bred; up to 3 eagles with departmental written authorization.

Max 2 wild raptors per calendar year. Passage take September 1 – February 28; American kestrels and great horned owls of any age in the same window. Peregrine (passage only) September 20 – October 20 by trapping permit, General/Master. Nonresidents may not take peregrines, bald eagles or swallow-tailed kites in Louisiana.

Notes from the official sources

Regulation of record is La. Admin. Code tit. 76, § V-301 (falconry license issued as a Game Breeder's License for Falconry). Scale must read in ≤1/5 oz (5 g) steps — finer than the federal 15 g standard. Take reports are due within 10 days.