New York falconry license

First-year fees

$40 for a five-year falconry license (6 NYCRR 173.2(c)); the exam and facility inspection carry no charge

Licenses expire December 31 every fifth year after issuance

An annual falconry report is due December 31 every year. Licenses are for residents — nonresidents may fly in New York on their home-state permit plus a NY small-game hunting license (173.2(b)).

Exam & minimum age

Exam: 80% to pass. 80% on a DEC-administered written exam; the exam itself is free, taken online in a 2-hour window on scheduled dates, and a passing score stays valid for three years.

Minimum age: 14 — Stricter than the federal floor: apprentices must be at least 14 and General falconers at least 18 (6 NYCRR 173.2(e)(1),(4)).

Classes: Apprentice → General → Master

Birds by class & trapping

Apprentice (14+): one raptor — an American kestrel or red-tailed hawk taken from the wild under the sponsor's direct supervision; no nestlings. General (18+, 2 apprentice years incl. 4 months hunting per year): up to 3 raptors with two wild replacements per calendar year; may sponsor up to 3 apprentices after 2 general years. Master (5 general years, raptor held 3 of them): up to 13 raptors with no more than 5 from the wild — among the most generous possession caps in the country — plus unlimited captive-bred replacements if trained and hunted; white-tailed and Steller's sea eagles up to 3 with Falconry Advisory Board approval.

Apprentices capture only under a sponsor's direct supervision. Wild replacement take is capped at two raptors per calendar year for general and master falconers; nestling take is barred for apprentices. All acquisitions, losses and transfers go on the annual DEC report due December 31.

Notes from the official sources

Regulation of record: 6 NYCRR Part 173 (ECL 11-1001 et seq. — the license moved from $20/two-year to $40/five-year in 2012). Master advancement requires three master-falconer field evaluations plus written Falconry Advisory Board approval.