Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
You cannot start falconry in Hawaii. The state issues no falconry permit, and 50 CFR 21.82 recognizes the sport only where a state, tribe, or territory runs a qualifying program. Importing a hawk is blocked under HRS 150A because agriculture rules do not clear raptors for falconry. There is no apprentice clock to start. Want the sport? Plan to live in a state that licenses it.
Do you need a license for falconry in Hawaii?
Yes, and that is where the trouble starts. You need a falconry permit to take, possess, or hunt with a raptor, and Hawaii does not issue one. Federal rule 50 CFR 21.82 ties legal practice to a state, tribal, or territorial program that meets federal standards. No Hawaii permit means no apprentice card, no general class, no master class.[1]
This answer blindsides people who just moved from the mainland. In a state with a real program you study, sit an exam, find a sponsor, and pass a mews inspection. In Hawaii the first form is missing.
Federal law still covers the birds. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it unlawful "to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill" migratory birds except as permitted by regulation (16 U.S.C. 703).[9] Hawks, falcons, and owls sit on that list. A state hunting license is no substitute. HRS 183D-21 requires a hunting license to take game, but it does not authorize raptor possession.[7]
If a site sells a Hawaii falconry license packet, treat it as junk. Confirm with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife before you pay anyone. Rehab paperwork and zoo paperwork, when they exist, are not falconry. Those permits ban hunting and they ban unsupervised possession at your house.
You cannot skip the license by calling the bird a pet either. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act has no pet hawk clause. Possession without the right permit is the violation. Hunting is extra trouble stacked on top, not the only trouble.
Can you legally start falconry in Hawaii right now?
No. Two locks sit on the door. Hawaii publishes no falconry permit, exam, sponsor list, or mews inspection. Federal rules recognize falconry only where a qualifying program exists.[1] Separately, HRS 150A-6 blocks importing or bringing in animals except as that chapter and the agriculture rules allow.[3]
I have not found a DLNR falconry application, a fee line, or an apprentice handbook. That is not a loophole. That is the whole story. Confirm it with DOFAW if you want it in writing. Do not read silence on a hunting page as permission.
A raptor already in your hands does not fix this. Wild take inside the state hits indigenous wildlife rules under HAR chapter 13-124 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act at the same time.[6][9] Buying a captive-bred Harris's hawk on the mainland and flying it to Honolulu is still an importation under chapter 150A. Plant Quarantine inspects incoming animals. A band and a 3-186A history from another state buy you nothing at that table.
So the start path is not slow. It is closed. People waste months shopping for telemetry and giant hoods anyway. Don't. The paper stops you before the gear matters.
Why is falconry in Hawaii treated differently from states that license it?
Hawaii is an isolated island system with a brutal history of introduced disease and introduced predators. Native forest birds already took heavy losses from avian malaria and pox after mosquitoes arrived. Agencies treat new birds, and the pathogens they can carry, as a live risk. That conservation case is why agriculture law reads as a closed door with listed exceptions, not an open import counter.[3]
Raptor escape is the second fear. An escaped falconry bird can chase native species. The state still has the Hawaiian hawk (io) and the Hawaiian short-eared owl (pueo). Io left the federal endangered list in 2020, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the species "will remain protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and by the State of Hawaii."[8] Pueo is a state-listed bird on Oahu. Confirm the current HRS 195D list with DLNR before you repeat any listing claim at a party.[12]
None of that is a mood. It is why a mainland-style apprentice path never got built. Other states wrote exams and sponsor rules because they wanted the sport and could absorb it. Hawaii never published that package.
I would not bet on a cultural exception either. Native practice, hotel shows, and rehab are separate legal boxes. None of them mints a falconry class. If someone tells you "island style" means the feds look away, they are guessing. 16 U.S.C. 703 still applies in Honolulu.[9]
What do the federal falconry rules require if a state has a program?
50 CFR 21.82 is the federal floor. A state, tribe, or territory has to meet or beat those standards before USFWS will recognize its permits.[1] The 2008 falconry rule pushed administration down to the states and set the sunset on federal cards. In that rule the Service said it would no longer issue federal falconry permits as of January 1, 2014.[2]
The exam bar is concrete. A state program has to test you, and the federal standard is a score of at least 80 percent. Apprentice class carries a minimum age of 12. You need a sponsor. You stay in apprentice class at least 2 years, with real flying and hunting time in each of those years, before you move up.[1][2]
Facilities come before the bird. Federal standards require housing and equipment a state inspector can check. Indoor mews and weathering areas have size and shelter rules. Perches, jesses, a scale, and a bath pan are not optional flavor. They are checklist items. Fail the inspection, and you do not possess a raptor.
Hawaii never stood up that machine. So the 80 percent score, the 2 year clock, and the mews visit are real in California and Arizona. They are not offered here. Memorizing the federal pamphlet in a Hilo apartment does not start your apprentice time. There is no Hawaii sponsor with a valid local permit to sign you.
How much does falconry cost in Hawaii?
There is no Hawaii falconry license fee because there is no Hawaii falconry license. I will not invent a dollar figure DLNR does not publish. Confirm any wildlife fee with the current hunting and wildlife permit pages before you budget it.
The honest cost in Hawaii is zero for a permit and the full price of your plan if you buy birds or housing anyway. A mews on Oahu, a travel crate, telemetry, and a captive-bred hawk are wasted money when possession is not lawful. Food and vet care do not conjure a permit. Shipping a bird into the state adds agriculture seizure and penalty risk on top of the purchase price.[3][4]
In states that actually license the sport, the permit is usually the cheap line. Housing, food, and the bird dominate. I will not invent those mainland totals here. Read that state's fee page. California's falconry license path is a better place to price an exam and a license than any Hawaii blog post with a fake invoice.
Hunting licenses in Hawaii exist for other methods under HRS 183D-21. That fee, whatever DOFAW charges this year, does not buy raptor possession.[7] Do not drop a hunting license in a cart and call it a starter kit.
If you later move, budget for the new state's exam, inspection, and hunting license. Confirm those numbers with that board. Nobody has a clean national first-year total that survives contact with local rent and local rabbit prices.
How long does falconry take in Hawaii?
It does not take a year. It does not take two. There is no clock because there is no apprentice class. You cannot accumulate the federal 2 year apprentice term in a state that will not permit you.[1][2]
People still ask if they can study now and hit the ground running after a move. You can read. You can watch trained birds on a trip to a state that allows it. That study does not count as sponsored practice. The 2 year term is about keeping, training, flying, and hunting with a raptor under a sponsor, not about finishing a binder.
After a move, the new state sets its own processing. Some states test monthly. Some test once a year. Some want the mews built before they will even schedule inspection. I will not invent a wait time. Confirm exam dates and inspection lead time with that state's falconry desk. Alaska's start path and Alabama's start path split on calendar and climate. Read the one that matches where you will actually live.
If Hawaii ever certified a program, the federal floor would still be an 80 percent exam, a sponsor, a facilities check, and 2 years at apprentice class before general. That is the soonest the federal rule lets a new state program graduate you.[1] Do not plan your lease around a program that is not on the books.
What happens if you import a raptor into Hawaii anyway?
You walk into agriculture law, migratory bird law, and possibly the Lacey Act at once. HRS 150A-5 is the arrival and inspection chapter. Incoming animals are not a casual carry-on. HRS 150A-6 is the prohibition with exceptions only as the statute and rules allow.[3][5]
Penalties live in HRS 150A-14. Some chapter 150A violations are misdemeanors. Some import violations are class C felonies. Read the current section. Do not let a forum post tell you it is a warning and a slap.[4] Seizure of the bird is the practical first step. You do not keep the hawk at the hotel while you argue.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act still sits on top. 16 U.S.C. 707 sets criminal penalties for unlawful take and possession of migratory birds. A standard misdemeanor count can mean a fine up to $15,000 and jail up to 6 months. Worse facts charge worse.[10] The Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. 3372) makes it unlawful to import or transport wildlife taken or possessed in violation of state law.[11]
I would not test a "just visiting for a week" story at Kahului or HNL. A licensed California bird is still an animal entering Hawaii. Band numbers and a mainland permit copy do not rewrite HRS 150A. If a seller offers to ship a hybrid falcon to Maui in a dog crate, hang up. That is not a gray area.
Can you fly a hawk in Hawaii on an out-of-state falconry permit?
No. A valid Arizona falconry license or Alaska falconry license is worth something in states that host guest falconers. It is not a ticket to fly on Maui.
50 CFR 21.82 lets you practice in another jurisdiction when that jurisdiction allows it and you follow its rules.[1] Hawaii does not host the sport. No guest season, no temporary stamp, no meet on state land. Importing the bird to get it onto the field is still an HRS 150A problem.[3]
Leaving the bird on the mainland and coming over with empty gloves is legal travel. It is also not falconry. You can hike. You can watch io ride the wind over a lava field. You cannot legally bag game with a raptor you do not have.
Military orders do not punch a hole I can find in the public statutes. Confirm with DOFAW and HDOA Plant Quarantine if you are transferring to a Hawaii base and someone at the last duty station told you to bring the bird. Get that answer in writing. Verbal hangar talk is how people lose animals at the agricultural inspection table.
Can you use a Hawaiian hawk or pueo for falconry?
No. Io and pueo are not apprentice birds. They are native wildlife.
HAR chapter 13-124 restricts catching, possessing, injuring, killing, selling, or exporting indigenous wildlife except as permitted.[6] A falconry permit would never appear on that exception list because Hawaii does not issue one. HRS 195D-4 is the state endangered species machinery. Take of listed species is barred unless you hold the exact state authorization for that act.[12]
Io is Buteo solitarius. Federal ESA listing ended with the January 31, 2020 delisting rule. The Service was plain that Migratory Bird Treaty Act protection and state protection remain.[8][9] Delisting is not a hunting opener. It is not a falconry opener.
Pueo (Asio flammeus sandwichensis) is a short-eared owl subspecies. On Oahu it is state listed. Status can differ by island and by update cycle. Confirm the current list with DLNR instead of a social post. Owls make a terrible first bird in states that allow falconry anyway. Here they are simply off the table.
Trapping an io on Hawaii Island because you saw one on a fence post is a fast way to collect state and federal counts in one afternoon. Don't.
Is a pet hawk or a hotel bird show a legal workaround?
No. "Pet" is not a permit class for a migratory raptor. 16 U.S.C. 703 still bans take and possession except as regulations allow.[9] A parrot shop license, if someone even has one, does not cover a red-tailed hawk.
Education and exhibition live under separate federal special purpose permits and separate state wildlife permits. Those papers, when issued, come with caging rules, live-prey limits, and a ban on hunting. They are for programs that can survive an inspection. They are not a back door for slipping a falcon out on the weekend.
Hotel bird shows in Hawaii, where they exist, are usually parrots and farm birds, not falconry species. I will not invent a property list. If you are a contractor who wants to fly a hawk at a luau, you need current answers from USFWS migratory bird permits, DLNR, and HDOA. Expect no. Plan for no.
Wildlife rehab is the other mix-up. Rehabbers hold birds to release them. Hunting a rehab hawk is illegal almost everywhere, including in states with full falconry programs. Hawaii rehab authority does not graduate you to apprentice class.
What should you do if you live in Hawaii and still want falconry?
Move, or wait until you would have moved anyway. That is the blunt path. I would not build a mews on leased Oahu land. I would not put a deposit on a captive-bred hawk. I would pick the state I am willing to live in, then read that state's actual start guide.
If the next duty station or job lands in California, start with how to start falconry in California. If it is Arizona, use that paper path. Colorado and Alabama publish real apprentice steps too. Those states will want an exam, a sponsor, and a facilities check. Your Hawaii years of reading do not replace the 2 year apprentice term.[1]
Study materials are cheap next to a seized bird. FalconryPath sells a $149 one-time State Exam + Sponsor + Mews Kit at /start for people entering a state that actually tests. Use it only after you know which board will examine you. The kit does not create a Hawaii permit.
While you are still on island, watch wild io from a distance. That is legal wildlife watching. Join a mainland club as a non-flying member if they allow it. Visit a licensed falconer when you travel. Do not keep a quiet kestrel in a garage. Quiet birds still molt. Neighbors still call.
If your plan is retirement on Hawaii Island plus falconry, pick one. The paper does not let you stack them.
How does the Hawaii paper path compare to states that license falconry?
It does not compare as a slower version of the same path. It compares as a closed window versus an open counter.
| Step | Hawaii | State with a 50 CFR 21.82 program |
|---|---|---|
| Sit a state falconry exam | No exam is offered | Required, 80 percent to pass |
| Find a sponsor | No local permit holders to sponsor you | Required for apprentice class |
| Pass a mews inspection | No permit and no inspection program | Required before you possess a bird |
| Take or buy a raptor | Import and possession blocked | Allowed inside class limits |
| Hunt game with the bird | Not a lawful method | Allowed with the state's hunting license |
Those 80 percent and sponsor rules come from the federal floor, not a brochure.[1][2] California, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, and Alabama all run some version of that machine. Hawaii does not.
Game take is a separate layer. HRS 183D-21 still requires a hunting license to take game birds or mammals.[7] In a licensing state you stack that hunting license on the falconry permit. In Hawaii you hunt by the methods DOFAW actually opens, with the license they actually sell. Raptors are not on that tools list.
If tables help because you are deciding where to live, decide on jobs and family first. Then read that state's guide. Do not move for falconry and only then learn the county will not zone a mews. That failure mode is common on the mainland too.
Who do you contact to confirm the rules before you spend money?
Write DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and ask, directly, whether Hawaii issues a falconry permit in the current year. Ask HDOA Plant Quarantine whether any falcon, hawk, or owl is eligible for import as a hunting bird. Ask the USFWS Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office how they treat raptor possession in Hawaii under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Get answers on agency letterhead or email. Forum screenshots age badly. Rules change. This page is a map of the public statutes, not a permit.
I have not seen a current Hawaii bill that creates a falconry license. If someone forwards you a rumor, search the capitol bill system yourself. A draft that never leaves committee does not start your 2 year clock.
FalconryPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. We do not file your forms and we cannot approve a mews. If you are leaving Hawaii for a state that tests, the $149 State Exam + Sponsor + Mews Kit is at /start. If you are staying, spend the money on a hiking backpack instead.
Confirm every fee, list, and form with the board that issues it. Nobody here can promise a processing time or a yes.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for falconry in Hawaii?
Yes. Federal rule 50 CFR 21.82 recognizes falconry only under a qualifying state, tribal, or territorial permit. Hawaii does not issue that permit. A regular hunting license under HRS 183D-21 does not authorize raptor possession. Confirm with DLNR DOFAW if you want it in writing before you spend money.
How much does falconry cost in Hawaii?
There is no published Hawaii falconry fee because there is no license to buy. I will not invent a dollar amount. Money spent on a bird, a mews, or shipping is wasted and can add seizure risk under HRS 150A. If you move, price the new state's exam and hunting license on that state's own fee page.
How long does falconry take in Hawaii?
It does not start, so it does not take a set number of months. The federal apprentice term is at least 2 years, but only inside a recognized program. Hawaii has no apprentice class, so no time accrues. After a move, ask the new state for current exam dates and inspection lead time. Do not treat any site's guess as a guarantee.
Is falconry illegal in Hawaii?
You cannot lawfully practice it. There is no state falconry permit, and possession of a migratory raptor still needs authorization under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Importing the bird also hits HRS 150A. Calling it a hobby does not open a third path. Confirm current practice with DOFAW and USFWS if someone tells you otherwise.
Can I bring my licensed hawk from California to Hawaii on vacation?
No. A California permit is not an import permit. HRS 150A-5 and 150A-6 put incoming animals under agriculture inspection and a closed-door rule with listed exceptions. Guest falconry under 50 CFR 21.82 only works where the receiving jurisdiction allows it. Hawaii does not host that use. Leave the bird on the mainland.
Can I trap a Hawaiian hawk for falconry?
No. Io is indigenous wildlife under HAR 13-124 and remains protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act after the 2020 ESA delisting. Pueo is a state-listed bird on Oahu. There is no Hawaii falconry take season. Trapping native raptors is how you collect state and federal charges on the same day.
Does DLNR or the University of Hawaii offer a falconry class?
I have not found a DOFAW apprentice course or a UH extension falconry license track. Classes that teach bird identification or conservation are not a falconry permit. If a continuing-ed listing uses the word falconry, read the fine print and then email DOFAW. A certificate of attendance does not authorize possession.
What if I keep a raptor as a pet, not for hunting?
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act still bans possession except as regulations allow. There is no pet hawk exception in 16 U.S.C. 703. Hawaii agriculture rules still apply if the bird enters the state. Hunting is not required for the possession count to land. Do not keep a kestrel in a garage and hope nobody molts.
Can I get a federal falconry permit instead of a Hawaii one?
No. The 2008 USFWS falconry rule stopped new federal falconry permits as of January 1, 2014. Practice now runs through certified state, tribal, or territorial programs under 50 CFR 21.82. Hawaii does not run one. A federal rehab or education permit, if you ever qualified, is a different paper and is not falconry.
Are there falconry clubs in Honolulu?
A social club cannot issue a permit the state does not sell. If a meetup exists, treat it as talk, not a sponsor list. Sponsors in other states have to hold a valid general or master permit in a recognized program. You cannot log apprentice hours in Honolulu because you cannot legally hold the bird.
If I move from Hawaii to Arizona, do I start as an apprentice?
Yes, unless you already hold a class from a recognized jurisdiction. Time spent reading in Hawaii does not count as the federal 2 year apprentice term. Arizona will want its exam, a sponsor, and a facilities inspection. Confirm current class rules with Arizona Game and Fish. Do not ship a bird ahead of the inspection.
Is a hybrid falcon or captive-bred bird treated differently at the airport?
Not in a way that helps you. Captive-bred and hybrid raptors are still animals entering Hawaii under HRS 150A, and they are still migratory birds under federal law. A breeder's band and a 3-186A form from another state do not rewrite agriculture inspection. Plant Quarantine can refuse the bird. Do not test this with a crate at HNL.
Who do I email to confirm there is still no program?
Email DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife about permits. Email HDOA Plant Quarantine about import lists. Email the USFWS Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office about migratory raptor possession. Ask for a dated reply. FalconryPath is an independent publisher and cannot confirm a quota, fee, or approval time for any board.
Sources
- eCFR, 50 CFR 21.82 Falconry standards and falconry permitting: Federal falconry practice requires a permit from a state, tribal, or territorial program that meets federal standards, including exam, sponsor, facilities, and class rules.
- Federal Register, 2008 Migratory Bird Permits falconry rule (E8-23759): USFWS stopped issuing federal falconry permits as of January 1, 2014, and set the modern state-program standards (including the 80 percent exam floor and apprentice structure).
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §150A-6, importation prohibited except as provided: Hawaii law prohibits importing or bringing animals into the state except as chapter 150A and the adopted agriculture rules allow.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §150A-14, penalties: Violations of chapter 150A carry criminal penalties, including misdemeanor counts and, for some import offenses, class C felony counts.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §150A-5, inspection of imported articles: Imported animals and other regulated items are subject to departmental notice and inspection on arrival in Hawaii.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §183D-21, hunting license required: No person may hunt, pursue, kill, or possess game birds or mammals without first procuring a hunting license under chapter 183D.
- Federal Register, 2020 Hawaiian hawk delisting rule (2020-01120): The Hawaiian hawk was removed from the federal endangered list in 2020 and remains protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and by the State of Hawaii.
- U.S. Code, 16 U.S.C. §703 Migratory Bird Treaty Act: Unless permitted by regulation, it is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, or kill migratory birds.
- U.S. Code, 16 U.S.C. §707 MBTA penalties: MBTA misdemeanor penalties include a fine of up to $15,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.
- U.S. Code, 16 U.S.C. §3372 Lacey Act prohibited acts: The Lacey Act prohibits importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of state law.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §195D-4, endangered species listing and take: Hawaii law lists endangered and threatened species and restricts take except as specifically authorized.