Raptors are the most heavily regulated birds an American can keep. You cannot simply buy a hawk - you earn the right to one through a tiered federal and state falconry licensing system. Here is exactly how it works.
Raptors - hawks, falcons, eagles, and owls - are legal to keep in the United States, but they sit at the far end of the regulatory spectrum, further than parrots, further than cranes, further than any other group in this guide. You cannot walk into a sale and buy a hawk. Keeping a bird of prey is a licensed activity, and the license is earned over years.
The reason is that nearly all raptors native to North America are migratory birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The law does not forbid keeping them - it channels it through falconry, a tightly structured permitting system run jointly by the federal government and the states. Falconry is one of the oldest field sports in human history, and in modern America it is also one of the most strictly governed.
So the honest answer is: yes, you can keep a raptor - if you commit to becoming a licensed falconer. That means a sponsored apprenticeship, written examinations, facility inspections, and progression through tiers over a span of years. This guide explains the licensing structure, then walks through the falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls, and finally the captive-bred-propagation side. Treat it as a roadmap, not a shopping list.
Falconry in the United States is governed at two levels at once, and you need authorization from both.
The federal layer rests on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The US Fish and Wildlife Service sets the national framework and standards for falconry, but - importantly - the day-to-day permitting has been delegated to the states. The federal government defines the rules of the game; the states issue the licenses and enforce them.
The state layer is therefore where a prospective falconer actually operates. Your state wildlife agency administers the falconry program, examines applicants, inspects facilities, issues the permit, and regulates what species you may hold and how you may take a wild bird. A handful of states do not offer falconry at all; everywhere else, the state is your point of contact from the first day to the last.
Two more federal threads matter. The Lacey Act turns any state-level falconry violation into a potential federal offense once a bird crosses state lines. And CITES reaches the foreign falcon species - Saker, Lanner, and others imported into the trade - adding documentation on top of the falconry permit. But for the typical American keeping a native red-tailed hawk or a peregrine falcon, the structure is simple to state: federal framework, state license, and you must satisfy both before a raptor is lawfully yours.
American falconry is built as a three-tier apprenticeship, and you cannot skip steps. Each tier expands what you may keep and do.
Every falconer begins here. An Apprentice must be sponsored by an experienced General or Master falconer for a period of years, must pass a written examination on raptor biology, care, and law, and must have falconry facilities - mews and weathering area - inspected and approved before a bird is acquired. Apprentices are restricted to a small number of beginner-appropriate species, typically a red-tailed hawk or an American kestrel, and may hold only one bird.
After completing the apprenticeship - commonly around two years of demonstrated, sponsored practice - a falconer may advance to the General class. A General falconer can keep a wider range of species and more than one bird, and is qualified to eventually sponsor apprentices.
The Master class is reached after several more years of experience at the General level - generally a total of around seven years in the sport. Master falconers may keep the largest number of birds and the widest range of species, and Master status is the gateway to the most restricted raptors of all, the eagles. Master falconers are also the backbone of the sport's sponsorship and mentoring system.
The exact year counts, species lists, and bird limits vary by state, so confirm your own state's regulations - but the shape is national: sponsored Apprentice, then General, then Master, earned over years.
The true falcons, family Falconidae, are the classic birds of high-style falconry. The small, common species are entry points; the large species are advanced birds.
The American Kestrel is the smallest North American falcon and a recognized apprentice-suitable bird in many states - a manageable introduction to the sport. The Merlin is a small, fast falcon flown by more experienced falconers. The Peregrine Falcon - the fastest animal on earth and a celebrated conservation-recovery success - is one of the most prized falconry birds, kept by experienced falconers and bred extensively in captivity. The Prairie Falcon and the magnificent arctic Gyrfalcon, the largest falcon, round out the North American group.
Captive breeding has also made falcon hybrids central to modern falconry - Gyr-Peregrine, Gyr-Saker, Peregrine-Prairie and other crosses that combine size, speed, and temperament. These captive-bred birds, along with imported species such as the Saker and Lanner Falcon (which carry CITES considerations), are a major part of the sport. Every one of them, native or hybrid, is held under the same falconry-license structure.
The hawks, family Accipitridae, are where most falconers spend their careers - and where the single most popular falconry bird in America belongs.
The Red-tailed Hawk is the workhorse of American falconry and the classic apprentice bird: widespread, hardy, powerful, and forgiving of a beginner's mistakes. Generations of falconers have started with a passage (first-year) red-tail.
The Harris's Hawk is the most popular falconry raptor in the country and, increasingly, in the world. Unusually among birds of prey, Harris's Hawks are social and cooperative - they hunt in groups in the wild - which makes them more sociable, more trainable, and more tolerant of handling than most raptors. They are also bred prolifically in captivity. For many falconers past the apprentice stage, the Harris's Hawk is the bird of choice.
Other hawks flown in falconry include the powerful Northern Goshawk, a legendary but demanding bird, along with the Cooper's Hawk, the Red-shouldered Hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk, and others. All are kept under the falconry licensing system, with the species available to a falconer expanding as they progress from Apprentice to General to Master.
Eagles are the most restricted raptors in American falconry, and they belong to the very top of the system.
The Golden Eagle may be flown only by Master falconers, and even then under additional permitting; the take of a wild golden eagle is tied to specific, limited circumstances. Golden eagle falconry is a rare, demanding specialty practiced by a small number of the most experienced falconers in the country.
The Bald Eagle is, for practical purposes, not available for falconry at all. As a national symbol it carries its own dedicated federal protection, and captive bald eagles are confined to rehabilitation, education, and zoological facilities rather than the sport.
The eagles exist in this guide mainly to mark the ceiling. For the realistic falconer, the species that matter are the red-tailed hawk, the Harris's hawk, the kestrel, the peregrine, and their relatives - the eagles are the distant summit of a long climb, not a starting goal.
Owls occupy an unusual niche. They are raptors, and the native species - the Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, Screech Owls, and the rest - are protected migratory birds, so keeping a native owl runs through the same falconry permitting system. In practice, owls are flown in falconry far less than hawks and falcons: they are nocturnal, hunt differently, and are temperamentally less suited to classic daytime falconry, so owl falconry is a minority pursuit even among licensed falconers.
The owl most often kept is actually a non-native species: the Eurasian Eagle Owl, one of the largest owls in the world. Because it is not native to North America, it is not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it considerably less restricted than native owls - though state exotic-animal rules still apply and a large, powerful owl is a serious commitment.
The lesson mirrors the rest of the guide: a native owl is a federally protected raptor requiring the full falconry framework, while a non-native owl such as the Eurasian Eagle Owl is an exotic bird governed mainly by state law. Identify which you are dealing with before anything else.
Not all raptor-keeping involves taking a bird from the wild. A large and growing share of falconry birds - peregrines, gyrfalcons, Harris's hawks, and the falcon hybrids especially - are captive-bred by licensed raptor propagators.
Captive breeding is itself a separately permitted activity, and it has reshaped the sport: it supplies birds without pressure on wild populations, makes hybrids possible, and gives falconers a documented, banded, known-history bird. Captive-bred raptors still must be held under a falconry permit (or the appropriate propagation or exhibition permit), but they spare the falconer the wild-take process and are often the easier path for species like the peregrine.
Whether wild-taken or captive-bred, every lawful raptor in the United States is documented - banded, recorded, and tied to a permit. That documentation is the bird's legal identity, exactly as a closed leg band is for a parrot. A raptor without paperwork is not a bird you can keep.
Raptors are legal to keep - and illegal to keep casually. There is no version of lawful hawk, falcon, or eagle ownership in the United States that does not run through the falconry permitting system or a related propagation or exhibition permit.
The path is clear and it is long. Becoming a falconer means finding a General or Master sponsor, passing a written examination, building and passing inspection on proper facilities, and progressing through the Apprentice, General, and Master tiers over a span of years. Apprentices start with a forgiving bird - typically a red-tailed hawk or an American kestrel. Generals broaden into more species and more birds. Masters reach the widest range and the eagles. Native owls follow the same system; the non-native Eurasian Eagle Owl is the notable exotic exception governed mainly by state law.
For anyone genuinely drawn to birds of prey, the message is encouraging but honest: the door is open, but it opens slowly. Contact your state wildlife agency, find a sponsor, and commit to the apprenticeship. Falconry rewards that commitment with one of the most profound relationships possible between a person and a bird - but it is earned, never bought.
| Native hawks & falcons (Red-tailed, Harris's, Kestrel, Peregrine) | Falconry permit required - federal framework + state license, tiered Apprentice/General/Master. |
|---|---|
| Golden Eagle | Master falconers only, with additional permitting; rare specialty. |
| Bald Eagle | Effectively not available for falconry; rehab, education, and zoo only. |
| Native owls (Great Horned, Barn, Screech) | MBTA-protected; falconry permit system applies; rarely flown. |
| Eurasian Eagle Owl | Non-native; not MBTA-protected; governed mainly by state exotic-animal law. |
| Captive-bred raptors & hybrids | Still held under a falconry or propagation permit; documented and banded. |
No. Keeping a raptor in the United States is a licensed activity. You must become a permitted falconer - or hold a propagation or exhibition permit - and that means a sponsored apprenticeship, examinations, and inspected facilities, earned over years.
Contact your state wildlife agency, find a General or Master falconer to sponsor you, pass the written falconry examination, and build falconry facilities that pass inspection. You then enter the sport as an Apprentice and progress over years to General and Master.
The Apprentice stage commonly lasts around two years of sponsored practice before advancing to General. Reaching Master class generally takes around seven years in the sport overall. Exact requirements vary by state.
Apprentices are limited to beginner-appropriate species - most commonly a red-tailed hawk or an American kestrel - and may hold only one bird. The range expands at the General and Master levels.
The Harris's Hawk. It is unusually social and cooperative for a raptor, which makes it more trainable and tolerant of handling, and it is bred prolifically in captivity. The red-tailed hawk is the classic apprentice bird.
Golden Eagles may be flown only by Master falconers under additional permitting, and it is a rare specialty. The Bald Eagle is effectively not available for falconry - captive bald eagles are limited to rehabilitation, education, and zoos.
Native owls are MBTA-protected raptors and fall under the falconry permit system, though they are rarely flown. The non-native Eurasian Eagle Owl is not MBTA-protected and is governed mainly by state exotic-animal law.
The federal government sets the national framework, but day-to-day falconry permitting is delegated to the states. In practice your state wildlife agency issues the license and enforces the rules - and you must satisfy both layers.
No. A wild-caught native raptor cannot be kept without proper authorization. Injured wild raptors should go to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Possessing a protected raptor without a permit is a federal offense.
They still require a falconry or propagation permit, but captive-bred raptors - common for peregrines, gyrfalcons, Harris's hawks, and hybrids - spare the falconer the wild-take process and come documented and banded with a known history.
Almost everywhere. A small number of states do not offer falconry programs at all; everywhere else the state wildlife agency administers it. Confirm with your state before making plans.
Approved falconry facilities - a mews (indoor housing) and a weathering area (outdoor space) meeting state standards - must be built and pass inspection before you may acquire a bird. Facility requirements are part of the licensing process.
This guide is general educational information, not legal advice. Wildlife, agriculture, and zoning law varies by state, county, and municipality and changes frequently. Verify current requirements with your state wildlife agency, USDA APHIS, the USFWS, and your local government before acquiring, breeding, selling, releasing, or transporting any bird.