How to Get a Falconry License in Ohio
Requirements, fees, exam, and resources for getting into falconry in Ohio
Falconry in Ohio is regulated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife, specifically the Division of Wildlife. To practice falconry legally in OH, 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.
Ohio 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 $150. Ohio 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 Ohio.
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.
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The Ohio Falconry 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 Ohio Falconry Association. Of everything on this page, this is the link worth following first.
🏛️ Wildlife Agency
All falconry licensing in Ohio is handled through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife. Contact them directly with questions about exam scheduling, license applications, and facility inspections.
📝 Exam Requirements
The Ohio falconry exam covers raptor biology, training, housing, health care, and both state and federal regulation. You need at least 80% to pass. Ohio does not publish the number of questions on its falconry exam. Confirm the format with Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife when you book it. Contact Division of Wildlife to schedule exam
- •California Hawking Club Study Guide
- •The Apprentice Falconer's Handbook
Need help preparing? See our falconry exam preparation guide for study strategies and practice questions.
💰 Fees
A new apprentice in Ohio pays $150 up front, covering the exam and 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 Ohio issues a licence. Ohio 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. Follows federal minimum standards - 8x8ft mews with at least one window
For detailed construction guidance, see our mews construction guide and facility requirements overview.
🔗 Resources
📋 Falconry specifics in Ohio
- Replacement birds are capped per twelve months
- Ohio limits a falconer to no more than two raptors taken from the wild as replacement birds during any twelve-month period — a rolling window rather than a calendar year, so the clock runs from your last take.
- Apprentices are held to two species
- An Ohio apprentice may not take, transport or possess any raptor other than an American kestrel (Falco sparverius) or a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).
- An endangered species needs two written authorisations
- No falconer here may take, transport or possess a raptor listed as endangered under state or federal rules unless authorised in writing by the division of wildlife as well as federally — one signature is not enough.
🤝 Finding a Mentor in Ohio
Every apprentice needs a sponsor holding a general or master permit, and in Ohio 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 Ohio
Want to get into falconry in Ohio? 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 Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife on 1-800-945-3543 (1-800-WILDLIFE). Last checked 2026-08-21.