Montana falconry license

First-year fees

$50 for a first-time apprentice falconry license; the standard falconry license application fee is $125 (Montana FWP; ARM 12.6.1120)

Three-year license issued once the exam and facility inspection are complete

Third-party tables listing $50 as Montana's general fee understate the standard $125 application fee — the $50 figure applies only to first-time apprentices.

Exam & minimum age

Exam: 80% to pass. Apprentice applicants must satisfactorily pass a falconry examination (80% or more correct) and construct an approved facility before the license issues (Montana FWP).

Minimum age: 12 — Montana licenses follow the federal framework (ARM 12.6.11xx; 50 CFR 21.29), whose minimum age is 12; applicants under 18 must have a parent or guardian co-signature assuming legal responsibility — confirm exact class-entry ages with FWP.

Classes: Apprentice → General → Master

Birds by class & trapping

Apprentice: federal-framework species only, under a General/Master sponsor for the two-year apprenticeship. General (after 2 apprentice years) and Master (5 general years): federal species and possession limits. Owls: only the great horned owl may be used in Montana falconry.

Summer peregrine take runs under FWP quotas with prompt 3-186 reporting and closure when the cap is hit. Nonresident capture is by drawing: $5 application due Mar 15, $200 capture permit, one raptor per successful applicant, permits valid Jun 1 – Mar 31; the peregrine nonresident slot is offered once every two years.

Notes from the official sources

Regulation of record: ARM 12.6.1101–12.6.1130 and MCA 87-5-201..210. Some species must be banded with FWP-issued bands; nonresidents must obtain an export permit before transporting a raptor home.