I know that Fish & Game can be extremely strict about raptor feathers, although I donβt know where all the boundaries lie. But I do remember being told that only people of Native American descent can legally have an eagle feather. Iβm not saying anyone here canβt have one that they happen to find!
And for all I know, local laws may differ from area to area. Fish & Game is undoubtedly just trying to prevent the development of a market in raptor feathers: itβd be so hard to tell which ones had been molted and which came from birds that had been shot. 