Arizona Game & Fish Hobby License Information

Licensing is required to raise different types of game birds depending on where you live. This page is dedicated to the State of Arizona licensing information as that is the home state of the Game Bird Fowl Farm. We always recommend that you double check with your state Game and Fish department to determine if any kind of licensing is required for the state that you live in.

Arizona Game and Fish offers a Hobby License for those individuals that want to raise quail native to Arizona. These birds include: Gambels, California Valley Quail, Blue Scaled Quail, Mearns, Elegant and Black Masked Bobwhite. A license is not needed for any other breeds of quail or any breed of pheasant as there are no native pheasants to the united states. All pheasants where imported starting with the Ring Neck Pheasant in the late 1800s.

How to secure a Hobby License

Here are the steps you need to take in the state of Arizona to secure a Hobby License with the AZ Game and Fish.

**Key point: When submitting your application, for your reason for securing your license, make sure to put you have a desire to raise these birds for meat and eggs. Do not put the reason as liking the birds and you want to raise them as pets as your application could be denied.**

  1. License application must be filled out: Form 2714A
  2. Detailed description including diagram and photos of your facility
    1. Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a map of your back yard showing where your cage(s) are at.
    2. Take pictures of your cages to email with your application
    3. Take pictures of your feeders and waterers
    4. The Game and Fish is looking to make sure that the cages your birds will go in are clean, well kept, give the birds plenty of shade and clean food and water.
  3. You will need to write a document outlining how you will comply with the captivity standards listed in R12-4-428 of the Game Farm License Requirements.
  4. Proof of annual veterinary inspection
    1. You won't have to do this until your license is approved. It is a simple vet checkup where a vet will come out to your place and make sure your birds are healthy and have proper living conditions. This will be at your cost and direction on who you hire.
  5. Annual Report
    1. If it is your first year with birds, there is no annual report because you are just getting started. Every year upon renewal of your license in January, you will send in an excel sheet showing the birds you have. Break this down as follows:
      1. Birds under your current license from the previous year
      2. New birds you acquired during the calendar year.
      3. Bird you gave away
        1. As a reminder with the Hobby License you can not sell birds under your license. But you can give them to others, but they must secure their own Hobby License.
  6. Health Certificate
    1. This is what the vet should give you. My vet types up a general overview of my property, cages and condition of animals on his letterhead and then signs it at the bottom. It is a one page document. Quick and easy.
  7. Fees:
    1. Fee: Initial fee $80, renewal fee $40.
    2. License valid: The license is valid until the third December from the date of issuance

Other important information:

  1. If you give away any birds under your license, you will need to document the name, address and phone number of the person you gave them to on your annual report for your renewal.
  2. The Hobby License is only required for Native Quail Species. This quick list again is: Gambels, California Valley, Blue Scaled Quail, Mearns, Elegant or Benson and Black Masked Bobwhite.
  3. Arizona Game and Fish Hobby License Site