Is There An App For That?

     How many times have you heard that title question in your everyday life. Seems these days there is an App for just about everything we do from grocery shopping to social media, to navigating from point A to B or summoning a car to take us there. Just look at the home screen of your phone or tablet, and if you don’t have an App for it, a quick trip to the App store will provide you with one for just about anything. Well as of February 20th, 2024, if you are a fisherman or hunter, you can add the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) new licensing App. 

     ​Just search it out in your App Store and download it to your phone or device that you carry with you. Once you open the App you will have to register with basic information as well as confirm your email address. The process is much the same as when you purchase your license online, once registered your App with be populated with all your current licenses. The licenses appear much the same as if they were printed out with all the important information, including the Document and GO ID numbers.  Need to purchase or renew a license? That can be done in the App as well as dealing with things like harvest reporting, current regulations and links to articles of interest. I must admit that my reason for excitement about this new App is a selfish one. As a fishing guide, I can’t tell you how many times people have come onboard for a trip and realize they have forgotten their fishing license. That said, I bet in 20 + years I can count on one hand how many times someone has come onboard and forgotten their phone.   
     During the legislative session prior to the 2022 licensing year AB 817 was passed and signed into law. The new law provided among other things that electronic copies of CDFW licenses would be accepted along with the traditional “paper licenses”. The state, citing the need for “technological infrastructure upgrades” could not implement the new provisions until the launching of this new App. AB 817 is also the bill that provided for fishing licenses to be valid for the term of one year, (365 days) from the purchase date instead of only being valid until December 31st. It took them awhile, but electronic CDFW licenses are now up and running in California and yes there is an App for that!  

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