Vermont falconry license

First-year fees

$250 initial permit fee for a three-year permit; renewals run $50/year (Vermont Fish & Wildlife falconry permit application)

Three years

Upgrading to a higher class while holding an unexpired permit costs no additional fee (§4.1). A Vermont hunting license is required, plus state/federal waterfowl stamps and HIP registration for migratory birds.

Exam & minimum age

Exam: 85% to pass. Vermont is the 85% outlier, confirmed in rule: the supervised written exam requires a minimum score of 85 (10 V.S.A. App. §11 §3.0(a)(4)); failed exams may be retaken no sooner than 60 days.

Minimum age: 16 — Stricter than the federal floor: applicants must be at least 16 and Vermont residents (10 V.S.A. App. §11 §3.0(a)(1)); General at 18; applicants under 18 need a parent/guardian signature on the application.

Classes: Apprentice → General → Master

Birds by class & trapping

Apprentice (16+): one raptor — a passage red-tailed hawk taken from the wild under the sponsor's supervision. General (18+): two raptors; wild take limited to passage red-tailed hawks. Master: three raptors; wild take limited to passage red-tailed hawks and goshawks; any other species only by petition to the Commissioner. Captive-bred birds are allowed for General/Master with complete transaction records.

Wild capture runs Sept 1 – Jan 25 and is limited to passage (hatching-year) birds — eyasses and adults may never be taken. Humane traps only (steel-jawed, gin, pole and jump traps illegal), each device tagged with the permittee's name and inspected daily; landowner permission is required and the Commissioner may close areas to take.

Notes from the official sources

Regulation of record: 10 V.S.A. App. §11 (Fish & Wildlife Board rule, eff. Jan 1, 2014). Sponsors commit to 20 hours of training annually for the first two years; a General sponsors one apprentice, a Master two. Out-of-state permits are honored up to six months after moving to Vermont; a veterinarian's statement is required before possessing a raptor; goshawks must carry non-reusable bands.