Mississippi falconry license

First-year fees

$100 falconry permit

Expires on the fifth June 30 after issuance — five years

Purchased/renewed through the MDWFP main office in Jackson. A Sportsman's hunting license ($32/year resident) is required to hunt with the bird.

Exam & minimum age

Exam: 80% to pass. Falconry exam per the federal framework (≥80%) before the first permit; MDWFP administers the program from its Jackson office, where the permit is also purchased.

Minimum age: 12 — The minimum age to apply for an apprentice falconry license is 12 (MDWFP Falconry FAQs).

Classes: Apprentice → General → Master

Birds by class & trapping

Apprentice: one raptor — American kestrel, red-tailed hawk or red-shouldered hawk only — and the first bird must be captured from the wild and hunted for one complete season. General and Master limits follow the federal framework; MDWFP describes Master as requiring a minimum of eight years of overall experience.

Nonresidents need a valid home-state General/Master permit, a Mississippi nonresident hunting license and a special nonresident taking permit (issued only under reciprocity); max 1 raptor/year. Peregrine take follows the USFWS 2008 migratory peregrine management plan by department permit.

Notes from the official sources

Regulation of record is 40 Miss. Code R. 5-2.1 (Public Notice W 1923). 3-186A reports due within 10 calendar days of any transaction; a Mississippi propagation permit is required in addition to the federal one.