How to Get a Falconry License in Illinois
Requirements, fees, exam, and resources for getting into falconry in Illinois
Falconry in Illinois is regulated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, specifically the Office of Resource Conservation. To practice falconry legally in IL, 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.
Illinois 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 $200. Illinois 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 Illinois.
The midwestern United States is a heartland for falconry, offering expansive agricultural landscapes, prairie grasslands, and river corridors that support thriving populations of small game. Midwestern falconers benefit from excellent access to public and private hunting land, and the region's mix of open fields and shelterbelts creates ideal habitat for both longwing and broadwing falconry. Red-tailed Hawks are the iconic midwestern falconry bird, perfectly adapted to hunting cottontails along fencerows and farm edges.
More on falconry across the Midwest, including trapping seasons, terrain and the regional community.
Start here
The Great Lakes Falconers' 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 Great Lakes Falconers' Association. Of everything on this page, this is the link worth following first.
🏛️ Wildlife Agency
All falconry licensing in Illinois is handled through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Contact them directly with questions about exam scheduling, license applications, and facility inspections.
📝 Exam Requirements
The Illinois falconry exam covers raptor biology, training, housing, health care, and both state and federal regulation. You need at least 80% to pass. Illinois does not publish the number of questions on its falconry exam. Confirm the format with Illinois Department of Natural Resources when you book it. Contact IDNR to schedule exam at regional office
- •Federal falconry regulations
- •17 Ill. Admin. Code 1590
Need help preparing? See our falconry exam preparation guide for study strategies and practice questions.
💰 Fees
A new apprentice in Illinois pays $200 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 Illinois issues a licence. Illinois 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. Your facilities must pass a wildlife officer inspection before you can be licensed. Federal minimum standards - indoor mews with outdoor weathering area
For detailed construction guidance, see our mews construction guide and facility requirements overview.
🔗 Resources
📋 Falconry specifics in Illinois
- Carry the permit whenever the bird is out
- Illinois requires the permit, or a legible copy, to be in your immediate possession any time you are away from your facilities and trapping, transporting, working with or flying a falconry raptor.
- Nothing listed may be taken from the wild here
- No permittee may possess a federally or state listed endangered or threatened raptor taken from the wild in Illinois. A bird taken legally in another state or country is treated separately.
- Permission is required on private and public land alike
- You may not capture or release raptors, or practise falconry, on private land without the landowner's or tenant's permission — nor on public land without authorisation.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-04.
🤝 Finding a Mentor in Illinois
Every apprentice needs a sponsor holding a general or master permit, and in Illinois 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 Illinois
Want to get into falconry in Illinois? 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 Illinois Department of Natural Resources on (217) 782-6302. Last checked 2026-08-21.