How to Get a Falconry License in Alabama
Requirements, fees, exam, and resources for getting into falconry in Alabama
Falconry in Alabama is regulated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, specifically the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. To practice falconry legally in AL, you need a state falconry permit. A separate federal falconry permit is no longer issued to individual falconers — the state permit is the one that matters. The process involves passing a written exam, having your facilities inspected, and finding a licensed sponsor if you are applying as an apprentice.
Alabama does not publish how many questions its falconry exam has. You need 80% or higher to pass it. Up-front fees for an apprentice come to $50. Alabama does not publish a minimum mews size, so build to the federal standard and confirm before your inspection. Below is what you need to get started with falconry in Alabama.
The southern United States provides year-round falconry opportunities thanks to mild winters and abundant small game populations. Southern falconers enjoy long hunting seasons and diverse quarry including cottontails, squirrels, and various game birds. The region's mix of open farmland, pine forests, and brushy fencerows creates excellent hawking habitat, particularly for Red-tailed Hawks and Harris's Hawks that thrive in the warmer climate.
More on falconry across the South, including trapping seasons, terrain and the regional community.
Start here
The Alabama Hawking Association
You cannot be licensed as an apprentice without a sponsor, and almost everyone finds theirs through the state club. Meets, field days and introductions to general and master falconers all run through Alabama Hawking Association. Of everything on this page, this is the link worth following first.
🏛️ Wildlife Agency
All falconry licensing in Alabama is handled through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Contact them directly with questions about exam scheduling, license applications, and facility inspections.
📝 Exam Requirements
The Alabama falconry exam covers raptor biology, training, housing, health care, and both state and federal regulation. You need at least 80% to pass. Alabama does not publish the number of questions on its falconry exam. Confirm the format with Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries when you book it. Contact Montgomery Office at (334) 242-3465 to schedule exam.
- •California Hawking Club Apprentice Study Guide
Need help preparing? See our falconry exam preparation guide for study strategies and practice questions.
💰 Fees
A new apprentice in Alabama pays $50 up front, covering the permit. Terms vary by state — some annual, some three or five years — so confirm yours with the agency. This is separate from the state hunting licence you will also need.
Source: agency documentChecked September 13, 2026.
🏠 Facility Requirements
Your facilities must pass inspection before Alabama issues a licence. Alabama sets no minimum mews floor area in its regulations. The federal standards under 50 CFR 21.82 apply: the enclosure must protect the bird from predators and weather and let it fully extend its wings. A separate weathering area is required where your bird can sun and bathe outdoors. Your facilities must pass a wildlife officer inspection before you can be licensed. Facility inspection required.
For detailed construction guidance, see our mews construction guide and facility requirements overview.
🔗 Resources
📋 Falconry specifics in Alabama
- Apprentices fly a red-tail or a red-shoulder, and catch it themselves
- Alabama allows an apprentice only a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) or a red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) — not the American kestrel the federal floor permits — under a year old but not a nestling, and the rule requires the bird to be taken from the wild by the apprentice rather than passed on by another falconer.
- The sponsor stays two years regardless of age
- A sponsor holding a General or Master permit is required for the first two years an apprentice permit is held, whatever the permittee's age. Apprentices start at 12, with a parent or guardian signing and carrying legal responsibility for anyone under 18.
- Raptors are listed as legal hunting equipment
- Alabama's tables of lawful arms and equipment name "raptors by properly permitted falconers" as a legal means of take, appearing alongside firearms and bows across the game categories — bullfrog and pig frog included.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-04.
🤝 Finding a Mentor in Alabama
Every apprentice needs a sponsor holding a general or master permit, and in Alabama the state club is where those introductions happen. Sponsors tend to say yes to people who have already started studying and who turn up more than once.
The ask itself is covered in our guide to finding a falconry sponsor.
How to Become a Falconer in Alabama
Want to get into falconry in Alabama? Here is the recommended path to your license:
- 1Study for the exam — Use our exam prep guide and the study materials listed above.
- 2Find a sponsor — Connect with local falconers — see our guide to finding a sponsor.
- 3Build your facilities — Review mews construction requirements before starting.
- 4Serve your apprenticeship — Plan on at least two years flying one bird under your sponsor — our falconry apprenticeship guide covers what those years involve.
- 5Follow the complete path — See our step-by-step path to becoming a falconer for the full timeline.
- 6Know the license classes — Understand the three license classes and how you will progress from apprentice to general to master.
- 7Budget for equipment — Beyond the mews, work through the falconry equipment list, which prices each item you will need for your first season.
- 8Know the federal rules — Every state’s rules sit on the same federal framework — our guide to federal falconry regulations covers license classes, reporting and moving between states.
This page is a summary for general information, not legal advice. Falconry regulations change, and the authoritative source is always the state agency. Confirm anything you plan to act on with Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries on (334) 242-3465. Last checked 2026-08-21.