You cannot legally own an owl as a pet in the United States. Every owl species native to North America is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and possessing one requires a federal permit issued only for falconry, wildlife rehabilitation, scientific research, raptor propagation, or educational display. None of those permits exist to let someone keep an owl as a companion animal, and non-native species are blocked by a separate set of import laws.
Why Owls Are Off-Limits as Pets
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 prohibits possessing, buying, selling, or transporting any native migratory bird without authorization. That protection extends to feathers, nests, and eggs, and it covers all 19 owl species native to North America.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 703 – Taking, Killing, or Possessing Migratory Birds Unlawful There are no exceptions for hand-raised birds, birds found injured, or birds bought from someone who claims to have bred them.
Some species carry an additional layer of protection. The northern spotted owl and the Mexican spotted owl are both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, which tightens federal oversight and raises the stakes on any unauthorized possession.2U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Species Profile for Northern Spotted Owl3U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Species Profile for Mexican Spotted Owl The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also proposed endangered or threatened listings for two distinct population segments of the California spotted owl. For ESA-listed owls, permits are either unavailable or so restricted that private possession is effectively impossible.
Permits That Do Allow Owl Possession
Federal permits authorizing possession of native owls do exist. None of them is a pet permit. Each serves a defined purpose, and each imposes qualification requirements that take real time and effort to meet.
- Falconry permits authorize possession for the purpose of hunting with the bird. This is the only route reasonably available to a private individual, and it still takes years.
- Wildlife rehabilitation permits allow temporary possession of injured or orphaned owls. Applicants need at least 100 hours of hands-on raptor experience over at least a full year. The bird is not yours; it is a patient.4eCFR. 50 CFR Part 21 – Migratory Bird Permits
- Scientific collecting permits are limited to researchers with legitimate scientific or educational purposes.4eCFR. 50 CFR Part 21 – Migratory Bird Permits
- Raptor propagation permits require at least two years of hands-on raptor experience plus a federal propagation permit before any bird can be possessed for breeding.4eCFR. 50 CFR Part 21 – Migratory Bird Permits
- Educational display permits allow permitted individuals and organizations to hold non-releasable owls (typically birds with permanent injuries) for use in public education programs, not for private enjoyment.
Every federal permit above also requires a matching state license. State wildlife agencies set their own criteria and inspection standards, and some go beyond the federal minimums. Annual or multi-year state fees typically run from nothing up to around $140, depending on the state and the permit.
The Falconry Route
Falconry is the realistic private path to legally possessing an owl, but it is not a workaround. It is a licensing scheme for hunting with raptors, and the federal regulations explicitly cover all owls (order Strigiformes), so birds like the great horned owl or red-phase screech owl are available to qualified falconers.5eCFR. 50 CFR 21.82 – Falconry Standards and Falconry Permitting You cannot obtain a falconry permit simply to keep an owl in your backyard.
Starting as an Apprentice
You start at the apprentice level. Requirements include being at least 12 years old (with a parent or guardian’s signature if under 18), passing a written exam with a score of at least 80 percent on raptor care, training, and wildlife laws, and securing a sponsor who is a General or Master Falconer with at least two years at the General level. Your housing facilities must pass a state inspection before the permit is issued.5eCFR. 50 CFR 21.82 – Falconry Standards and Falconry Permitting Apprentices can possess most owl species, but cannot take flammulated owls, elf owls, or short-eared owls from the wild, and any ESA-listed species is off limits.
Moving Up to General and Master
After at least two years as an apprentice, you can apply for a General Falconer permit, which expands the species you may take from the wild. After five more years at the General level, you qualify for Master Falconer status.5eCFR. 50 CFR 21.82 – Falconry Standards and Falconry Permitting The minimum time from apprentice to master is seven years, and only if you never take a break.
What About a Non-Native Owl?
People often ask about importing a species not covered by the MBTA, such as a Eurasian eagle-owl. The MBTA does apply only to native species, but two other federal laws close that gap.
The Wild Bird Conservation Act generally prohibits importing exotic bird species, with narrow exceptions for scientific research, zoo breeding, cooperative conservation breeding, and personal pets returning with owners who have lived abroad for more than a year.6eCFR. 50 CFR Part 15 – Wild Bird Conservation Act The Act maintains an approved list of species allowed for import, and no owl species appears on it.7eCFR. 50 CFR Part 15 Subpart D – Approved List of Species
Virtually every owl species worldwide is also listed under CITES, which requires an export permit from the country of origin and a U.S. import permit. Species on CITES Appendix I, the most restricted tier, require you to show that the bird will not be used for primarily commercial purposes, that the import will not harm the species’ survival, and that you have suitable housing.8eCFR. 50 CFR 23.35 – Requirements for an Import Permit Many states then add their own restrictions or outright bans on non-native owl possession, often only permitting them for education or exhibition.
Penalties for Keeping an Owl Illegally
A standard MBTA violation is a federal misdemeanor carrying up to $15,000 in fines and six months in jail. Knowingly selling or offering to sell a protected bird is a felony carrying up to two years of imprisonment.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 707 – Violations and Penalties
The Lacey Act can stack charges on top. Transporting an illegally obtained owl across state lines, or buying one taken in violation of any wildlife law, is a separate federal felony carrying up to $20,000 in fines and five years in prison. Even negligent violations can trigger civil penalties of up to $10,000. Wildlife agents do pursue cases involving raptors.
If You Find an Injured Owl
Finding a hurt owl on your property does not give you the right to keep it. You can contain the bird briefly to prevent further injury, but you need to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or your state wildlife agency as soon as possible. Holding a wild owl beyond a short emergency period without a rehabilitation permit violates the MBTA regardless of your intentions.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 703 – Taking, Killing, or Possessing Migratory Birds Unlawful If the rehabilitator determines the bird cannot be released, it may be transferred to a permitted educational facility. It will not come home with you.
Why Owls Don’t Work as Pets Anyway
Setting the law aside for a moment, the practical picture matters. Owls are strictly carnivorous and need whole prey (frozen mice, rats, day-old chicks) which they swallow whole and regurgitate as pellets. There is no substitute. Feeding a single great horned owl runs roughly $700 to $1,100 per year based on figures from raptor rehabilitation centers, and a barn owl runs around $1,000. You will be storing frozen rodents in quantity.
Owls need veterinarians experienced with raptors, and those specialists are not common. They are also skilled at hiding illness, so problems tend to be advanced by the time they show. A great horned owl averages about 20 years in captivity, with some reaching 35; smaller species live 10 to 15 years. The commitment is comparable to a dog’s lifespan, with none of the affection dogs offer.
Owls are not social. They do not bond with humans the way parrots or falcons sometimes do. They are nocturnal, loud, and destructive to furniture and carpeting, and they defecate prolifically and with impressive range. A captive owl that is stressed or bored will self-mutilate, refuse food, or become aggressive. The image of an owl perching calmly on your arm bears little resemblance to what actually living with one requires, which is one reason the law channels ownership through permits held by people who have spent years demonstrating they can handle the reality.