Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
Yes, you need a Colorado Parks and Wildlife falconry license. There is no federal falconry permit anymore if you hold a valid state permit. You pass a written exam at 80 percent or better, get a sponsor, pass a facilities inspection, then spend at least two years as an apprentice. License dollar amounts change. Confirm fees and forms with CPW before you pay anyone.
Do you need a license for falconry in Colorado?
Yes. You need a Colorado falconry license before you take, possess, transport, or hunt with a raptor. Unlicensed possession is illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and under Colorado wildlife law. There is no pet-hawk exception.
The federal statute is blunt. 16 U.S.C. § 703(a) says that "unless and except as permitted by regulations made as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill" a migratory bird.[1][2] Hawks, falcons, and most owls sit inside that statute. Eagles sit under a second federal statute, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.[7]
Colorado adds its own layer. Wildlife in this state is held in public trust and may be taken or possessed only as the Parks and Wildlife Commission allows. Title 33 of the Colorado Revised Statutes makes unpermitted possession of state wildlife unlawful, and the Commission put the falconry rules in 2 CCR 406-6, Chapter W-6 (Raptors).[3][4]
So the paper path is a state falconry permit that meets federal standards, plus whatever hunting license Colorado requires for the game you chase. A rehab permit is a different permit. A zoo permit is a different permit. A taxidermy bird is not a falconry bird.
If you are comparing states, start with the companion walkthrough on how to start falconry in Colorado. The license question is the same in neighboring states, even when the forms differ. See falconry license in Arizona if you live on the line or might trap out of state later.
How long does falconry take in Colorado?
Plan on years, not a season. The written exam and facilities inspection can be done in a winter if you already have a sponsor and a legal mews. The apprenticeship itself takes at least two years. Master class takes at least seven years of permitted experience under the federal class ladder Colorado uses.[5]
Federal falconry standards set a 2-year apprentice minimum and a 5-year general minimum before master class (50 CFR 21.82).[5] That clock starts after Colorado Parks and Wildlife issues the apprentice permit, not after you buy a glove. Nobody serious counts Facebook study time as class time.
The slow step is usually the sponsor. Colorado does not assign you one. You find a general or master falconer willing to put their name on you, visit your setup, and later certify that you actually flew and hunted. In a thin year that search takes longer than the exam. I would not pour a slab for a mews until a real sponsor has said yes and walked the site.
Exam prep is weeks for people who already keep poultry or hunt, and a couple of months for people starting from videos. Facilities take as long as your carpentry and your county rules take. Inspection scheduling is a CPW workload fact, not a promise. Confirm current wait practice with the falconry contact listed on the Chapter W-6 materials. Do not treat any blog timeline as a guarantee.
After you are licensed, the bird still takes the year. A passage red-tailed hawk trapped in the fall is a winter project. Molt, weight, and game all run on daylight, not on your weekend calendar.
How much does falconry cost in Colorado?
The state license fee is the small line. Confirm the current falconry license price, exam charge if any, and renewal cycle with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before you budget. Those dollar figures change by Commission rule and I will not invent this year's number.[4]
The real money is housing, food, and electronics. A tight, inspectable mews you build yourself can be a few hundred dollars in lumber, wire, and shade if you already have a legal place to put it. A contractor-built backyard hawk house can run into the thousands. Hail on the Front Range will test cheap roofing. I would spend on a solid roof, predator-proof wire, and a door that latches before I spent on decorative stonework.
Day-one kit that actually gets used: a glove, jesses, a swivel, a leash, a giant hood or travel box, a bath pan, and a gram scale. A basic digital scale is often tens of dollars to low hundreds. Fancy Italian hoods are a collector hobby. They do not make a first red-tail hunt better.
Telemetry is the line item people underestimate in Colorado. Open prairie and big public parcels swallow a bird. A used VHF setup can be a few hundred dollars. Newer GPS transmitters commonly run from several hundred dollars into the low thousands, plus a recovery subscription on some brands. I would not fly a first wild bird in eastern Colorado without a working transmitter. I would skip the top-catalog GPS if it means you cannot afford food and vet care.
Food is a monthly bill for the life of the bird. Quail, rats, and legally obtained wild game add up. An avian vet visit is not optional when a hawk goes off feed. Add a Colorado small game license and a Habitat Stamp when you hunt, and a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp if you fly at waterfowl.[10][11]
FalconryPath publishes a $149 one-time State Exam + Sponsor + Mews Kit for people who want the paper sequence in one place. That is a study aid from an independent publisher. It is not a CPW fee and it does not replace the state exam or inspection.
Waste of money in year one: a captive-bred hybrid, a giant mews built before you pass the test, and any bird you cannot feed through July. If cash is tight, pass the exam, share trapping gear with your sponsor, and build the smallest facility that still meets Chapter W-6 and 50 CFR 21.82.[4][5]
What exam and score does Colorado require?
You take a written falconry examination administered under Colorado's program, and you need at least 80 percent. That score is not a Colorado whim. It is the federal floor. 50 CFR 21.82 requires that you "correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on an examination" before a certified state may issue the permit.[5][6]
The exam covers raptor care, diseases, housing, training, and the law. Federal and state rules both show up. People fail on possession limits, wild-take reporting, and what an apprentice may not do. Read Chapter W-6 and the federal section, then quiz yourself on numbers. Guessing on band rules is how you drop below 80.
Colorado sets the sitting details (where, how you schedule, what ID you bring). Confirm those with CPW. Retake rules also sit with the state. I would sit the test before I bought lumber. Passing first keeps you from owning a pretty shed you cannot put a hawk in.
Study materials that work: the regulation text, a raptor ID guide that includes Colorado winter plumages, and a sponsor who will make you weigh a bird on paper. Flashy national courses do not override 2 CCR 406-6. If a packet disagrees with Chapter W-6, the chapter wins.[4]
What are the apprentice, general, and master class rules in Colorado?
Colorado uses the federal three-class system. Apprentice is the entry class. General is the middle. Master is the top. The possession caps and wait times below are the federal standards in 50 CFR 21.82, which certified states including Colorado apply. Read the current Chapter W-6 table before you trap, because a state may be tighter than the federal floor.[4][5]
| Class | Federal minimum age | Time required | Typical wild-bird cap | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | 12 | Entry class | 1 | Yes |
| General | 16 | At least 2 years as apprentice | 3 | No |
| Master | 18 | At least 5 years as general | 5 wild | No |
A parent or guardian has to be on the paperwork if you are a minor. Confirm Colorado's exact signature and age language in Chapter W-6. Some states sit above the federal age floor. Do not assume 12 is automatic until you read the current rule.[4][5]
Apprentices keep one bird. That is the whole air force. General falconers may keep more, and master falconers may keep still more, with extra room in the federal rule for captive-bred birds at the higher classes. Golden eagles are a master-class problem under separate eagle law, not an apprentice project.[5][7]
Your sponsor has to be a general or master falconer who meets the experience test in the federal standards and any extra Colorado filter. They are not a pen pal. They are the person CPW will call if your bird looks rough.
Moving up is paperwork plus time plus a sponsor letter (apprentice to general) and a clean record. There is no paid shortcut. Buying an expensive captive-bred hawk does not shorten the two years.
Do you still need a federal falconry permit in Colorado?
No separate federal falconry permit is required if you hold a valid permit from a certified state. Colorado is one of those states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped the old federal falconry card when it rewrote the standards in 2008, and the current text lives at 50 CFR 21.82.[5][6]
The 2008 rule said a federal falconry permit would no longer be required in states that meet the federal standards.[6] You still live under federal law. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act did not go away. Eagle law did not go away. The electronic 3-186A acquisition and disposition report is still a federal form, even when you file it through the state program.[1][8]
What you do need, every year you hunt, is the Colorado paper that matches the activity. Falconry license. Hunting license for the game. Habitat Stamp in the ages Colorado requires it. Duck Stamp for waterfowl. If you leave the state with a bird, you carry a copy of your permit and the bird's paperwork. Reciprocity is not a vibe. It is whatever the destination state printed.[10][11]
If you later move, you transfer under that state's rules. Compare how to start falconry in Arizona or falconry license in California before you load the mews into a trailer. Do not assume Colorado paper is enough to trap on arrival.
What mews and facilities will Colorado inspect?
CPW inspects your housing before you get a bird. The checklist tracks federal facility standards in 50 CFR 21.82 and the extra language in Chapter W-6.[4][5] If the mews fails, you do not get the license. Fix it and ask for another look. There is no grace hawk.
Expect them to care about weather protection, predator-proofing, perches that will not wreck feet, a bath, clean water, and enough room for the bird to bate without breaking feathers. Indoor mews and outdoor weathering areas both have to keep dogs, raccoons, and neighborhood kids out. Sun and hail are Colorado problems. A tarp and hope is not a plan.
Tethered weathering on a lawn is not a substitute for a closed facility unless the rule text you are holding actually allows that setup for your class and species. Read the words. Inspectors do.
I would build after the exam and after a sponsor walk-through. Bring the printed standards to the lumber yard. Overbuilding a cedar showpiece is optional. Underbuilding the wire gauge is how you fail.
Lease and HOA drama is on you. CPW will not fight your landlord. If you rent, get written permission before inspection day. A portable mews that still meets the specs is cleaner than a fight with a property manager the week you hoped to trap.
Can you hunt with only a falconry license in Colorado?
No. A falconry license lets you possess and fly the raptor. Taking game still sits under Colorado hunting law. You need the hunting license that matches the quarry, plus a Habitat Stamp if you are in the age band that requires one.[10][13]
Small game (rabbits, ducks under waterfowl rules, some upland birds) is the usual falconry bag. Seasons, bag limits, and legal hours are in the small game chapter and the current brochure, not in folklore at the trapping site.[13] Waterfowl also needs the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.[11]
Public land is not automatically open to a trained hawk. State wildlife areas, USFS, and BLM each have access rules, dog rules, and sometimes area closures. Private land needs permission. Falconry Colorado field days go bad when someone flies across a fence they did not ask about.
Your raptor may flush game you cannot take that day. That is still hunting activity. Carry the licenses. If a district wildlife manager asks, you want paper, not a speech about tradition.
Which raptors can you have as a Colorado apprentice?
Start with Chapter W-6, not a national meme. Federal standards now let apprentices possess most falconiform and strigiform species except eagles, federally listed species, and a short list of other barred birds, with a one-bird cap.[5] Many states still write a shorter apprentice list. Colorado's current species table and take seasons are in 2 CCR 406-6. Confirm them before you set a trap.[4]
In practice, a passage red-tailed hawk or an American kestrel is still the honest first bird for most Colorado apprentices. They are legal in the federal scheme, common enough that you can actually trap one in season, and forgiving compared with a Cooper's hawk you are not ready to weight. A prairie falcon is a Colorado bird with a Colorado wind problem. Talk to your sponsor before you decide you are the exception.
Nestling (eyas) take, nonresident take, and any peregrine opportunity are tightly fenced. Some years a peregrine take exists under a separate quota process. I will not invent a quota or a season date. If the current Chapter W-6 or a CPW notice does not give you a number, you do not have a number.[4]
Captive-bred birds are a paperwork path, not a legal shortcut around the apprenticeship. Hybrids and imported hood ornaments do not impress an inspector. They do impress a first-year electric bill.
Eagles are closed to apprentices. Bald eagles are closed, period, for falconry. Golden eagles sit under 16 U.S.C. § 668 and a narrow master-class process. That is not your year-one plan.[7]
How do you report birds and stay legal after you are licensed?
Every acquisition, transfer, loss, escape, and death gets reported on the federal 3-186A form through the Service's electronic falconry system, on the timeline in the federal rule (commonly within 10 days). Colorado uses that system. Bookmark it before you trap.[5][8]
Certain species need a closed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service band, or an ISO microchip where the rule allows a chip instead. Bands come through the state. You do not make your own. The Bird Banding Laboratory is the federal banding backbone for wild migratory birds. Do not pull a band off a wild passage bird because it looks ugly on Instagram.[12]
Keep a copy of your permit, the 3-186A history, and any captive-bred paperwork with the bird when you travel. If the hawk dies, you still report. If it escapes, you still report. If you give it to another falconer, both sides report.
Wild take has an annual cap in the federal standards (two wild raptors per year is the long-standing federal limit, with extra state limits possible). Released birds and lost birds still count in ways people get wrong. Read the take section twice.[5]
Falconry Colorado compliance is mostly boring calendar work. The people who get in trouble skipped a 3-186A, flew a bird they never listed, or kept a second hawk as an apprentice because a friend was "just holding it."
How do you find a sponsor and start the paper in Colorado?
You ask working falconers, in person, after you have read the rules. The North American Falconers Association keeps beginner guidance and a path to state clubs.[9] Colorado has an active hawking club circuit. Show up helpful. Do not lead with a request to borrow a gyrfalcon.
A sponsor is taking on risk. Bring a printed copy of Chapter W-6, a photo of the proposed mews site, and a work schedule that includes weekday evenings in January. If you travel 20 days a month, say so. An honest no is better than a trapped hawk and an empty house.
Paper sequence I would actually follow: read 2 CCR 406-6 and 50 CFR 21.82, contact CPW for the current application and exam instructions, pass the exam, lock a sponsor, build to the inspection list, pass inspection, then apply for the apprentice permit. Trap only after the permit is in hand and the 3-186A account works.[4][5][8]
Out-of-state readers should not copy another state's packet. How to start falconry in California and how to start falconry in Alaska are different climates and different take rules. Use them for contrast, not as Colorado forms.
If you want a single paper checklist after you have read the statutes, the FalconryPath kit is at /start. FalconryPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not Colorado Parks and Wildlife. It cannot issue a license or speed an inspection.
What gets people cited or denied a Colorado falconry license?
Keeping a hawk with no permit. That is the simple one. It is a federal migratory bird case and a state wildlife case at the same time.[1][3]
Other reliable ways to get denied or cited: a mews that fails inspection, an apprentice with two birds, a wild take out of season, a missing 3-186A, flying on a wildlife area that is closed, taking game with no small game license, and any eagle story that is not backed by eagle paperwork.[4][5][7][8][13]
Criminal wildlife convictions and false statements on an application are how permits die. I cannot quote a hidden CPW points matrix that does not exist in public. If you have a record, ask CPW before you pay for lumber.
Nonresidents get in trouble by trapping in Colorado on a home-state permit without reading the nonresident paragraph in Chapter W-6. Some states allow short visits with birds you already own. Take of a wild Colorado raptor is a different act. Confirm it. Do not guess at a gas-station trailhead.[4]
Rehab birds are not falconry birds unless a specific transfer rule is followed. If someone offers you a "rescued" sharp-shin in a cardboard box, the answer is no.
The boring path is the one that works. Read the chapter. Pass the 80 percent exam. Take the sponsor you can stand for two winters. Hunt legal game. File the form in 10 days. That is falconry in Colorado as the paper actually runs.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for falconry in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado Parks and Wildlife must license you before you take, possess, or hunt with a raptor. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Title 33 of the Colorado Revised Statutes both bar unpermitted possession. A rehab card, a pet shop receipt, or an out-of-state story is not a Colorado falconry license. Confirm current forms with CPW.
How much does falconry cost in Colorado?
State license fees are the small part and they change. Confirm them with CPW. Most first-year money goes to a legal mews, a scale, leather, food, vet access, and telemetry. A simple owner-built mews can be a few hundred dollars. GPS transmitters often run several hundred to more than $2,000. Fancy hoods are optional. Food is not.
How long does falconry take in Colorado?
The exam and inspection can fit into one off-season if a sponsor and a mews are ready. The apprentice class itself lasts at least two years under 50 CFR 21.82. General class lasts at least five years before master. Finding a sponsor is often the longest unscheduled wait. CPW does not publish a guaranteed processing calendar.
How old do you have to be to get a Colorado falconry license?
Federal standards set a 12-year floor for apprentice, 16 for general, and 18 for master, with a parent or guardian on minor applications. Colorado may follow that floor or set a higher one in Chapter W-6. Read the current age line in 2 CCR 406-6 and confirm with CPW before you file.
Is a federal falconry permit still required in Colorado?
No separate federal falconry permit is required if you hold a valid Colorado falconry permit. USFWS ended the extra federal card for residents of certified states in the 2008 rule, now at 50 CFR 21.82. You still file federal 3-186A reports and you still obey the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and eagle law.
Can I keep a hawk as a pet in Colorado without falconry?
No. Native raptors are migratory birds and state wildlife. There is no pet-hawk license. Unpermitted possession is unlawful under 16 U.S.C. § 703 and Colorado Title 33. If you want a bird in the house, pick a legal domestic species. A hawk is a hunting partner under permit, or it is contraband.
Do I need a hunting license in addition to the falconry license?
Yes, if you take game. The falconry permit covers the raptor. Colorado hunting rules cover the rabbit, duck, or upland bird. Buy the matching small game license, a Habitat Stamp if your age requires it, and a Federal Duck Stamp for waterfowl. Carry that paper in the field.
Can a Colorado apprentice trap a peregrine or an eagle?
Eagles are closed to apprentices, and bald eagles are closed to falconry. Golden eagles sit under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and a narrow master-class path. Peregrine take, when it exists at all, is a limited, separately announced process. Do not invent a quota. If Chapter W-6 and CPW have not opened it, it is closed.
How do I find a falconry sponsor in Colorado?
Ask licensed general or master falconers after you have read Chapter W-6. NAFA points beginners toward state clubs. Show up, help net birds, and be honest about your work hours. Colorado does not assign sponsors. A polite no is common. Budget months for this step if you live far from the Front Range clubs.
What happens if my mews fails the Colorado inspection?
You do not get the permit, and you do not get a bird. Repair the defects in the inspection notes (wire, latch, perch, weather, sanitation) and request another inspection. Confirm the reinspection process with CPW. Building before you pass the written exam is how people own a shed that still cannot hold a hawk.
Can a nonresident practice falconry in Colorado?
Sometimes, and only on the terms in Chapter W-6. Visiting with a bird you already hold under another state's permit is not the same as trapping a wild Colorado raptor. Read the nonresident paragraph and call CPW before you cross the line with a trap. Do not rely on parking-lot advice.
Do I have to band a falconry bird in Colorado?
Certain species require a USFWS closed band, or an ISO microchip where the federal rule allows a chip. Bands are issued through the state program, not homemade. Report the band or chip number on the 3-186A. Leave existing USGS research bands alone and follow Bird Banding Laboratory and CPW instructions if you trap a banded wild bird.
Can I fly a licensed raptor on Colorado public land?
Often yes, if the parcel is open to hunting and you hold the right hunting licenses. State wildlife areas, USFS, and BLM each post closures, seasonal limits, and access rules. Private land always needs permission. A falconry license is not a key to every gate. Read the area sheet the morning you go.
Does a wildlife rehabilitation permit replace a falconry license?
No. Rehab and falconry are different permits with different birds and different end points. A rehab bird goes back to the wild or stays in the rehab system. You may not fold a "rescued" hawk into falconry unless a specific transfer rule is met and both agencies sign off. When in doubt, leave the bird with a licensed rehabilitator.
Sources
- Cornell LII, 16 U.S.C. § 703 (Migratory Bird Treaty Act): Unpermitted pursuit, take, capture, or killing of migratory birds is unlawful unless authorized by regulation.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918: The MBTA is the federal statute that restricts take and possession of migratory birds, including raptors used in falconry.
- Colorado General Assembly, Colorado Revised Statutes Title 33 (Parks and Wildlife): Colorado Title 33 makes take and possession of state wildlife unlawful except as the statutes and Parks and Wildlife Commission rules allow.
- eCFR, 50 CFR 21.82 Falconry standards and falconry permitting: Federal standards require an 80 percent exam score, set class ages and minimum times (2-year apprentice, 5-year general), possession caps, facilities rules, and reporting duties that certified states apply.
- Federal Register, Migratory Bird Permits: Changes in the Regulations Governing Falconry (Oct. 8, 2008): The 2008 falconry rule ended the separate federal falconry permit for residents of states that meet federal standards.
- Cornell LII, 16 U.S.C. § 668 (Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act): Bald and golden eagles are protected under a separate federal statute with take and possession bans except as permitted.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Falconry 3-186A electronic reporting (ePermits): Falconers report acquisitions, transfers, losses, and deaths on the federal 3-186A through the Service electronic system.
- North American Falconers Association, Getting Started: NAFA publishes beginner guidance and is the national membership body apprentices use to find clubs and sponsors.
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Habitat Stamp: Colorado requires a Habitat Stamp for eligible hunters and anglers in addition to the activity license.
- USGS Bird Banding Laboratory: The federal Bird Banding Laboratory administers banding of wild migratory birds and band reporting.
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Small Game and Waterfowl Hunting: Colorado small game and waterfowl seasons, licenses, and bag limits apply to game taken by falconry.