Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
You cannot buy your way into falconry in Hawaii. Federal rules require a permit from a certified state program, and Hawaii does not run one. Importing a hawk still hits Hawaii agriculture rules. A hunting license is not a falconry permit. Plan to apprentice in a certified state, and confirm current status with DLNR and HDOA before you spend money.
Do you need a license for falconry in Hawaii?
Yes, and here is the hard part: the license you need does not exist in Hawaii. Federal falconry rules require a permit from a certified State, tribal, or territorial program before you may possess a raptor for falconry.[1] Hawaii does not run that program. No program, no permit, no legal bird.
That is the gate. People still ask if a Hawaii hunting license covers a hawk. It does not. HRS 183D-21 says no person shall hunt, pursue, kill, or catch any game bird or mammal without first procuring a hunting license. That sentence is about game. It is not about keeping a red-tail in a mews.[3] DLNR publishes hunting licenses and permits. It does not publish falconry classes.[9]
I would not spend a dollar on perches, telemetry, or a crate until you can point to a current Hawaii rule that names falconry classes, facilities inspections, and reporting. I have not found that package. Confirm it with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Agencies amend rules. I will not invent a fee or a processing time that the board has not printed.
Federal standards sit on top of state paper. 50 CFR 21.82 is the floor.[1] The Migratory Bird Treaty Act still makes it unlawful to take or possess migratory birds except as permitted by regulation.[6] Most North American falconry species are on that migratory list.[11]
If someone offers to sponsor you on Oahu with a wild Hawaiian hawk or a shipped kestrel, walk away. Taking indigenous wildlife is a state problem. Moving a raptor without agriculture clearance is another one.[5][8][13]
How much does falconry cost in Hawaii?
There is no board-published falconry fee in Hawaii, so there is no honest starter cost for a legal Hawaii bird. The real number is zero dollars toward a permit that is not issued, or thousands wasted on a raptor you cannot keep. Do not budget for a Hawaii apprentice permit. Budget for relocation if you want the sport.
People still want a spreadsheet. In certified states, first-year cash goes to a mews and weathering area, a glove and furniture, telemetry, food, and that state's printed exam or license fees. Nobody has good data on a single national average. The closest honest range is low thousands of dollars on the mainland once housing and telemetry are real. Confirm every fee with that state's wildlife agency.
Hawaii will still take money for things that are not falconry. A hunting license does not authorize a raptor.[3][9] Import review through the Hawaii Department of Agriculture is a separate process if you even qualify to move a live animal.[5][14]
| Line item | Hawaii today | Certified mainland state |
|---|---|---|
| State falconry permit | Not issued (confirm with DLNR) | Required, fee set by that agency |
| Apprentice period | Cannot start on a Hawaii permit | At least 2 years under federal standards |
| Legal falconry take | Not authorized | Limited by class and season rules |
| Live raptor import | HDOA list and permit rules | State-to-state transfer plus federal reporting |
| Game hunting license | Required for listed game, not a raptor permit | Often required in addition to falconry |
If a vendor quotes a Hawaii falconry package, ask for the permit number they expect you to hold. Then watch them stall.
How long does falconry take in Hawaii?
You cannot finish a Hawaii falconry apprenticeship because the clock never starts. Federal standards keep apprentices in class for at least two years under a sponsor, inside a certified program.[1] No Hawaii permit means no Hawaii sponsor of record and no legal bird to log those seasons.
Time on the mainland is the only clock that counts. After you pass that state's exam, pass a facilities inspection, and get listed as an apprentice, you still have two years before general class is on the table.[1] Some states add hunter education or a separate hunting license. Confirm those extras with the state you move to. Nobody can promise you a date.
Living in Honolulu and flying on weekends in California is a fantasy schedule. Apprentices work birds daily. A sponsor has to see it. Treat a Hawaii falconry plan as a relocation project.
If you already have years on a mainland permit and you move here, those years do not convert into a local privilege. Practice still needs a certified program where you fly.[1][2]
Do not confuse this with a Hawaii hunting license. That is a short counter trip in a normal year, and it runs on a different statute.[3][9] Falconry time is seasons with a bird on your fist.
Why doesn't Hawaii issue a falconry permit?
Hawaii stays out because the islands treat new animals as a biosecurity risk, and because the state never built the certified falconry code federal rules demand.[1][2][5] It is not because an exam fee was high.
The 2008 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule put it plainly: "Falconry is a legal hunting sport in 49 States, and most of those States already have falconry regulations in place."[2] Hawaii sat outside that 49. I have not seen a later federal action that certified a Hawaii program. Confirm with USFWS and DLNR if you think that changed.
Endemic birds matter here. The Hawaiian hawk lives on Hawaii Island. The pueo is a resident owl. State wildlife and endangered species statutes still control take even after a federal listing changes.[7][8] A local falconry program would have to answer wild take, escaped exotics, and disease in a place already fighting mosquitoes and avian malaria.
I think that is the right call for the islands. I also think it is hard if you grew up on Maui and found the sport online. Hard feelings are not a permit.
Can you import a hawk or falcon into Hawaii?
Usually no, not as a falconry bird you keep at home. Live animals entering Hawaii fall under HRS chapter 150A. Import of restricted articles is prohibited except as the statute and the department allow.[5] HDOA Plant Quarantine runs live-animal import.[14] Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 4-71 sorts taxa into prohibited, conditionally approved, and restricted lists.[10]
Raptors are not goldfish. Even if a species is not on the prohibited list the day you look, you still need department authorization before a crate lands. A California falconry permit is not a Hawaii import permit. Inspectors at Honolulu will not shrug.
I would not buy a captive-bred hybrid and figure out the paperwork later. If the bird arrives without clearance, you can lose the animal and pick up state and federal trouble. The Lacey Act reaches wildlife moved in violation of state law.[13]
Confirm the current 4-71 list with HDOA before you request a health certificate. Lists get amended. I will not quote a species fee or a processing time that is not on today's form.
What raptors live in Hawaii and can you fly them?
You may not take Hawaii's resident raptors for falconry. The Hawaiian hawk is a Buteo endemic to Hawaii Island. USFWS removed it from the federal endangered list in 2020.[7] That delisting did not hand the bird to falconers. Indigenous wildlife rules still apply, and there is no falconry take season.[8][4]
Pueo, the Hawaiian short-eared owl, is the owl people actually see in grasslands. You do not trap one. Short-eared owls as a species are migratory birds under federal law.[11]
Vagrant peregrines show up on rare days. Rare is not a quota. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act says "it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill" migratory birds except as permitted by regulation.[6] Hawaii has not written a falconry regulation that permits it.
If you want a legal buteo, you want a red-tailed hawk in a state that authorizes passage take for apprentices. That is a mainland path.
Photograph the Hawaiian hawk. Do not fly it. Using an endemic hawk as a starter bird would be ugly even if a clerk stamped a form.
What does federal law require before a state can allow falconry?
A state has to be certified as meeting federal falconry standards before its permit means anything under 50 CFR 21.82.[1] Those standards cover permit classes, sponsor duties, facilities, wild take, marking, and reporting. Until certification exists, there is no legal Hawaii apprentice box to check.
The Service does not hand you a separate federal falconry permit to skip a missing state program.[1][2] A printout of the CFR taped to your fridge does not let you trap a bird in Waimea.
Facilities rules are part of the floor. You need inspectable housing before you possess a raptor for falconry. Hawaii heat, rats, and humidity would change how I built a mews if the law ever flipped. Building one now, hoping the law flips, is how you own an expensive shed.
Reporting is the piece people skip. Certified programs expect acquisition and disposition reporting when you get or lose a bird. No program, no lawful acquisition.
HRS 183D-61 lets DLNR issue permits to take wildlife under conditions the department sets.[4] That is a general wildlife-permit valve. It is not a published three-class falconry system with sponsors and mews inspections. Do not try to squeeze falconry through a scientific collecting form.
What would first-year costs look like if you trained on the mainland?
If you relocate, first-year money looks like any other certified state. Read a real state breakdown before you copy a forum budget. falconry cost in California is the nearest large program island residents ask about. falconry cost in Alaska is the fairer comparison on isolation, because Alaska certified a program and Hawaii did not.
Expect to pay for a state exam if that state charges, a hunting license, a mews that can pass inspection, a glove, jesses, a scale, and telemetry. Food never stops. I would buy a used known-good transmitter before decorative hoods. Pretty leather does not find a lost bird.
FalconryPath publishes a $149 one-time State Exam + Sponsor + Mews Kit for people entering a real state path. It will not open a Hawaii file.
Waste of money: a giant mews on Oahu just in case, a hybrid falcon from social media, and any course that promises a shortcut around a sponsor. The two-year apprentice rule is in the federal standards.[1]
For other dollar paths see falconry cost in Arizona and falconry cost in Colorado. Confirm those numbers with the agency, not with a screenshot.
Can you keep a falconry permit if you move to Hawaii?
No. A California or Arizona falconry permit does not become a right to fly on Maui. Federal rules tie practice to a certified program where you are practicing.[1] Hawaii is not that program.
Deal with the birds before you ship household goods. Transfer them to another permitted falconer, or follow origin-state and 50 CFR 21.82 rules for disposition.[1] Do the paper first. An unpermitted raptor in a Honolulu garage is a seizure waiting to happen.
Import is a second wall. Even a lawfully held captive-bred bird needs Hawaii agriculture clearance, and many taxa will not get it.[5][10] Call HDOA Plant Quarantine and the origin-state falconry coordinator on the same day. Keep the emails.
I will not guess how many days a transfer takes. Anyone who guarantees you a date is selling comfort.
If your plan is military orders to Hawaii, rehome the birds before you fly out. Service members already do this with horses and dogs. Raptors are stricter.
Is hunting with a raptor treated like regular hunting in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii game bird hunting runs on HRS 183D. You need the hunting license, you hunt listed species, and you use methods the hunting rules allow.[3][9] Falconry is not in that toolkit.
DLNR's licenses and permits page covers hunting licenses and related paper. You will not find apprentice, general, and master falconer classes there.[9] That absence is the answer.
Could a board write falconry in later? A legislature can amend statutes. Until it does, and until USFWS certifies the package, hunting a pheasant with a Harris's hawk on Kauai is an illegal game take plus illegal raptor possession.
If you want legal game birds in Hawaii, buy the hunting license and use a legal firearm or bow. That is a different hobby. It is not falconry.
Compare that stack to falconry cost in Florida or falconry cost in Georgia, where a hunting license and a falconry permit are meant to sit together.
What paper should you read before you spend any money?
Start with 50 CFR 21.82, then HRS 183D, HRS 150A, HRS 195D, and the current HDOA non-domestic animal list.[1][3][5][8][10] That is the stack. Blog posts are not.
Read the 2008 federal rule preamble if you want the history of state certification.[2] Read the 2020 Hawaiian hawk delisting if someone tells you the hawk is off the list so it is fair game.[7] It is not.
Call two desks. Ask DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife whether Hawaii has a certified falconry program and an application. Ask HDOA Plant Quarantine whether your species is prohibited or conditionally approved. Write down the date and the name. If the answers are no and do not ship it, stop spending.
I would also read 16 U.S.C. 703 so you see how broad the federal take ban is without a permit.[6] Read 16 U.S.C. 3372 if you are tempted to move a bird anyway.[13] HRS 183D-5 is where state wildlife penalties live.[12]
Skip laminated raptor keeper certificates from private websites. They have no force in a Hawaii courtroom.
What should you do if you already live in Hawaii and want falconry?
Move, or wait. Those are the clean options. If your life is rooted in the islands, falconry is not your legal sport right now. If you can relocate to a certified state, start that state's apprentice paper the week you have a local address and a sponsor who answers the phone.
Do not trap a Hawaiian hawk. Do not import a kestrel into a garage. Do not call a hunting license a workaround.[3][6][7] State wildlife penalties and federal counts can stack.[12][13]
Pick a destination state the way you pick a job. California is close by air. Arizona and Idaho have real field cultures. Read falconry cost in Idaho and falconry cost in Alabama if you want to see how fees and land access swing once you are inside a real program.
If you are relocating to a certified state and you want the exam, sponsor, and mews paper in one pile, use /start. FalconryPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. Nothing on this page is a permit.
Confirm every current fee and form with the state that will actually print your license.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for falconry in Hawaii?
Yes. Federal rules require a falconry permit from a certified state, tribal, or territorial program. Hawaii does not issue that permit. A Hawaii hunting license does not authorize you to possess a raptor for falconry. Confirm with DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife before you buy gear or a bird.
How much does falconry cost in Hawaii?
There is no legal Hawaii permit to pay for, so there is no official starter fee. Money spent on a local bird or a backyard mews is usually wasted. If you apprentice in a certified state, plan on low thousands of dollars for housing, telemetry, and food, and confirm that state's actual fees with its wildlife agency.
How long does falconry take in Hawaii?
It does not start. Federal standards require at least two years as an apprentice with a sponsor inside a certified program. Hawaii has no such program, so those years cannot be logged here. Relocate, then ask that state how it counts seasons and inspections. Nobody can promise you a completion date.
Can I use a California falconry permit while I live in Honolulu?
No. Practice is tied to a certified program where you are actually flying. A California permit does not become a Hawaii privilege. Transfer or otherwise dispose of birds under California and federal rules before you move. Confirm both agencies and HDOA if any import question remains.
Is the Hawaiian hawk legal to trap now that it is off the ESA list?
No. USFWS delisted the Hawaiian hawk in 2020. State indigenous wildlife and endangered species law still control take. Hawaii has no falconry take season. Trapping an io is still illegal. Photograph it. Leave it on the lava.
Can I bring my licensed falconry bird through Honolulu airport?
Do not assume yes. Live animals need Hawaii Department of Agriculture clearance under HRS 150A and HAR 4-71. A mainland falconry permit is not an import permit. Many raptors will not qualify. Call HDOA Plant Quarantine before you book a crate. I would rehome the bird instead.
Does a Hawaii hunting license let me hunt pheasants with a hawk?
No. The hunting license covers listed game and legal methods. Falconry is not a published method of take in Hawaii. Using a raptor on a pheasant would stack an illegal hunt with illegal raptor possession. Hunt game birds with a legal firearm or bow if you want that field time.
Is there a Hawaii falconry exam or club sponsorship path?
Not through the state. DLNR does not publish apprentice, general, or master falconry classes. Private certificates do not replace a certified state permit. If someone offers local sponsorship with a bird in hand, ask which Hawaii statute names their permit. Then stop.
What happens if I keep an unpermitted raptor in Hawaii?
You risk seizure of the bird, state wildlife penalties under HRS 183D, possible endangered species counts, and federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Lacey Act exposure. Rehome legally through a permitted mainland falconer if the bird is still where that is lawful. Confirm both agencies before the animal moves.
Can I become a general falconer in Hawaii if I already finished two years on the mainland?
No. Class upgrades happen inside a certified program. Hawaii cannot promote you on a permit it does not issue. Your time may count if you transfer into another certified state. Ask that state's falconry coordinator how they treat incoming general-class applicants. Confirm in writing.
Are captive-bred Harris's hawks treated differently from wild take in Hawaii?
Captive-bred status helps on mainland transfer paperwork. It does not erase Hawaii import rules or the missing falconry program. A Harris's hawk in a Kaneohe garage is still an unpermitted raptor plus an import problem. Breed origin is not a hall pass.
Who do I call to confirm falconry Hawaii rules before I spend money?
Call DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and ask if a certified falconry program exists. Call HDOA Plant Quarantine and ask about your species on the chapter 4-71 lists. If you hold an out-of-state permit, call that state's falconry coordinator about transfer or disposition. Keep names and dates.
Can I practice falconry on a Hawaii military base if I have a mainland permit?
Base permission does not replace a certified state or territorial falconry permit, and it does not replace HDOA import rules. I would not count on a commander to override the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Ask the installation natural resources office and still confirm DLNR and HDOA. Expect the answer to be no.
Sources
- eCFR 50 CFR 21.82 Falconry standards and falconry permitting: Federal falconry practice requires a permit from a certified State, tribal, or territorial program and sets a multi-year apprentice class with facilities and reporting standards.
- Federal Register, Migratory Bird Permits; Changes in the Regulations Governing Falconry (Oct. 8, 2008): USFWS stated that falconry is a legal hunting sport in 49 States and that those states already had or needed regulations meeting federal standards.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §183D-21 Hunting licenses required: Hawaii requires a hunting license to hunt, pursue, kill, or catch game birds or mammals; that license is not a falconry possession permit.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §183D-61 Permits: DLNR may issue wildlife take permits under conditions it sets; this is a general permit authority, not a published falconry class system.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §150A-6 Importation of restricted articles: Hawaii law prohibits importation of designated articles except as the statute and the Department of Agriculture allow.
- 16 U.S.C. §703 Migratory Bird Treaty Act: It is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, or kill migratory birds except as permitted by regulation.
- Federal Register, Removing the Hawaiian Hawk from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (Jan. 6, 2020): The Hawaiian hawk (Buteo solitarius) was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2020.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §195D-4 Threatened and endangered species: Hawaii state law independently lists and protects threatened and endangered species and controls take beyond federal ESA status alone.
- Hawaii DLNR, Hunting Licenses and Permits: DLNR publishes hunting licenses and related permits; the page is the state's public list of hunting paper, not a falconry class application.
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture, HAR Chapter 4-71 Non-Domestic Animal Import Rules: Hawaii sorts non-domestic animals into prohibited, restricted, and conditionally approved import lists under HAR chapter 4-71.
- eCFR 50 CFR 10.13 List of Migratory Birds: Most North American falconry raptors and short-eared owls are federally listed migratory birds.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §183D-5 Penalties: Hawaii sets criminal and administrative penalties for wildlife law violations under chapter 183D.
- 16 U.S.C. §3372 Lacey Act prohibited acts: It is unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase wildlife taken or possessed in violation of state or federal law.
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Importing Live Animals program page: Live animal imports into Hawaii require Plant Quarantine authorization before entry.