E fishing License available soon

[geebee]

i print two copies on hunter blaze orange paper and pin it in a water proof sleeve on my ball cap.

it saves digging under my wading jacket for it mid river - our local DCW guy Ed carries binoculars so he can read them from the bank.

i keep and collect mine. i have about 30 from various years, states and countries. when i have about 50 i am going to epoxy them into my fly tying desk.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

A micro chip license, have yours inserted today only $99.99. GG

 

[afishinado]

I went back and found the proposal to change the display requirement for a PA fishing license. I'm not 100% sure of the status of this change in regulation. If it were approved, I believe it has to appear in the PA Bulletin, which I cannot find.

CHAPTER 63. GENERAL FISHING REGULATIONS
§ 63.2. [Display] Possession of fishing license and verification of license purchase.
* * *
[Display on an outer garment] Possession of fishing license. It is unlawful for a person required by Chapter 27 of the code (relating to fishing licenses) to purchase a fishing license to fish in the waters of this Commonwealth or in boundary waters or land unless the person has a valid fishing license certificate and associated permits on his person and shows them upon the request of an officer. A license may be stored on a mobile device and displayed upon the request of an officer. A person may elect to [displays the] display a license certificate, a license button or other device approved by the Executive Director on a hat or outer garment while fishing. If a license button or other device is displayed, the person shall carry the license on his person. [A warning will be issued for a first violation of this section if the person has a valid fishing license in his possession and about his person and shows it upon request.] An institutional license issued under section 2708 of the code (relating to institutional licenses) may be [displayed] possessed or maintained by the person fishing or by the person attending the person who is fishing. [If a license button or other device is displayed instead of the license certificate, the person shall carry the license certificate about his person.]

Link to source: https://www.fishandboat.com/Regulations/Documents/rulemakingsDocs/276nprp.pdf

My guess is, since the display requirement no longer appears in the summary book (at least I can't find it), the new law was voted in and will be in force shortly.

In the mean time I still have my license pinned on my fishing pack and will continue to do so. I recommend everyone do the same, at least until the PFBC clarifies the regulation.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I will continue to display. WCO look for licenses with binoculars and having it displayed will prevent them from having to call you out of the water. He asked that I pull it out a mesh pocket because he could not see it clearly. He said he didn't want to call me out of the stream- he saw I was working a pod of fish feeding on olives.
He apologized for the hassle, but I told him I'm glad he's out checking especially at a time when PFBC can't increase license license fees to match inflation. Every WCO I've come in contact with has been very nice, professional and willing to chat with me. Shooting the bull and listening to my opinions.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

AFISHN wrote:
Off topic,but I feel like venting,because I'm dieting and feeling grouchy
I was once hunting geese in South Jersey in the late 90s from a lay out blind.It stated to rain real hard and I slipped on my rain jacket.
The game warden was at my side in 10 minutes and ticketed me for "not displaying my license",even after I explained what I just obviously had done ,without realizing I was covering up my license.
I showed him the license and he just kept on writing and handed me a citation.

That's because you look shady, Tom! I got cited twice in my 20's for not displaying, once when our canoe was tied to a bridge abutment while we fished a deep pocket behind it from the cement, my license in the canoe pinned to my tackle bag.

The other time, dude had his hand on his gun, his holster unsnapped, as he walked us to our car to show him the license in the trunk. Granted this was at the old dam in West Conshy and we were catfishing in cut offs (and probably looked shady). Gun though? And West Conshy police called in for backup...

I display mine since then....

 

[RLeep2]

Depending on the individual, WCO's can be a real trip. The vast majority have always been really decent when I ran into them, but every once in a while (just as with regular cops) you run into the hard--s type. This is understandable and OK to me given that (if I remember PA law correctly) they are full fledged LEO's with all the authority the title brings. In that sense, a WCO technically could pull you over for speeding and a state trooper could cite you for creeling an undersize brook trout. The powers of enforcement are reciprocal.

Many years ago, we had a tough guy type WCO that covered inland Erie County. Even in the pre-dawn cain't see, he always had his sunglasses on and would sit in a boat scoping out anglers on my local glacial pothole lake. We knew him well enough to rib him some now and then. My brother dated his daughter. When we'd see him sitting there, we'd ask him how the hell he was going to catch any violators while he was wearing sunglasses at 4:45AM. At that hour, he could barely see well enough to light a cigarette let alone be able to tell if somebody was displaying their license. He'd sneer and growl and tell us to never mind that, he knew what he was doing.. But usually, he couldn't keep a straight face long enough to keep up the ruse.

He was a trip...

 

[turkey]

nymphingmaniac wrote:
Every WCO I've come in contact with has been very nice, professional and willing to chat with me. Shooting the bull and listening to my opinions.

My experience as well.

 

[MKern]

I was just showing someone the outdoor store to purchase hers and is still says that it must be displayed.

 

[houncer]

I've also lost a few licenses when they were in a visible location. Then I have to pay $6.50 for a new copy. I'd rather risk a WCO scolding.

 

[MKern]

Buy online, save as a PDF and print multiple copies.

 

[CLSports]

Nashville-based Sovereign Sportsman Solutions was awarded the 10-year contract after providing a demonstration of the system to the board of Fish and Boat commissioners. The commission expects the transition to the new system to take about a year to implement.

What? What kind of amazing space age e-technology are they proposing? Sounds like a colossal waste of money to me!

Purchase the license on your phone and save to a pdf. Done.

I just saved the commission 2.8 million.

 

[silverfox]

I wish the PA F&BC would adopt a system like Maryland uses. Their Compass system is awesome. You log in and it tells you all the licenses you've ever bought and which ones are active. They're based on a 365 system too, so it's just 365 days from date of purchase for a 1 year license. I hunt there too, so when I print out my license, it has all the permits and license that I have in my name on one sheet of paper that you simply have to have on your person.

I get an email reminder when a license is about to expire. Super, super easy to use and understand. Kind of off topic, but I love how maryland's trout "season" works too. They only have closures on some streams/stream sections and it's only for a few days in March in most cases. I think it prevents the mad dash of freezer fillers on a specific week of the year. They stock pretty frequently too. In general, I find much better quality fish south of the border.

Meanwhile, I bought a new license in Pa, forgot to print the actual license thinking I would get it in the mail and had to pay an additional $12 just to be able to print a new one. I actually had to call for help too, because every time I logged into the outdoor shop, it wouldn't even let me buy a reprint. The girl on the phone sounded clueless and told me to wait 24 hours and try again. Which did miraculously work.

None of this is surprising. PA is horrible about updating laws. From buying alcohol on Sundays to having antiquated outdoor regulations. It seems to take decades longer than every other state to make common sense changes to laws and regulations.

 

[salmonoid]

CLSports wrote:

Nashville-based Sovereign Sportsman Solutions was awarded the 10-year contract after providing a demonstration of the system to the board of Fish and Boat commissioners. The commission expects the transition to the new system to take about a year to implement.

What? What kind of amazing space age e-technology are they proposing? Sounds like a colossal waste of money to me!

Purchase the license on your phone and save to a pdf. Done.

I just saved the commission 2.8 million.

And with Adobe Acrobat, get a friend's PDF and edit it to your heart's content. A system needs to exist to verify the authenticity of the electronic license. What you are describing for a saving of 2.8 million dollars works fine for an end-user, but not so well for valid license enforcement.

 

[timbow]

[/quote]

And with Adobe Acrobat, get a friend's PDF and edit it to your heart's content. A system needs to exist to verify the authenticity of the electronic license. What you are describing for a saving of 2.8 million dollars works fine for an end-user, but not so well for valid license enforcement.[/quote]

Forgive my ignorance, but how is that any different than the current process of buying online and printing?????

Hell, WCO's are so rare I'm pretty sure I could have my 10yr old draw a picture of a fishing license, stick it in a plastic holder and pin it to my hat and fish every day of 2019 and not get caught

 

[fishbaithohaha]

Like the suggestion printing licence on earth toned paper. Second printing multiple copies, keeping additional copies in glove box, gadget bag, .....

If you need a copy after the date of purchase, many states charge a fee for downloading additional copies. Before printing save copy as a pdf file.

Display licence in self water tight baggy and safety pin.

 

[Maurice]

salmonoid wrote:

CLSports wrote:

Nashville-based Sovereign Sportsman Solutions was awarded the 10-year contract after providing a demonstration of the system to the board of Fish and Boat commissioners. The commission expects the transition to the new system to take about a year to implement.

What? What kind of amazing space age e-technology are they proposing? Sounds like a colossal waste of money to me!

Purchase the license on your phone and save to a pdf. Done.

I just saved the commission 2.8 million.

And with Adobe Acrobat, get a friend's PDF and edit it to your heart's content. A system needs to exist to verify the authenticity of the electronic license. What you are describing for a saving of 2.8 million dollars works fine for an end-user, but not so well for valid license enforcement.

I don’t have mine with me but I believe there is a bar code on it. In fact when I was laminating mine with packing tape. (Life hack), I picked up to reposition and blurred the code and giggled.

 

[afishinado]

The new system will be user friendly for the angler / customer and also provide "data" on the buyer to allow the PFBC to better understand and "market" to the buyer (sell info to advertisers??). The way of the world in this millennium. See article >

Pennsylvania anglers will be able to buy their fishing licenses on their smartphones through a new vendor contract signed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. They'll be able to retain the license images on their devices as proof of purchase.

The new contract also will give the commission access to information about license buyers that it does not have under the contract with its current contract.

"We collect a lot of customer data that we'd love to use in our marketing efforts, but haven't had the capabilities until now," said commission Executive Director John Arway. "The new licensing service will provide a host of visual analytical tools, allowing us to see in real time key metrics like buying patterns or sales by age group and gender. We can then use the information to tailor specific messages to these customer groups and improve our sales."

Nashville-based Sovereign Sportsman Solutions was awarded the 10-year contract after providing a demonstration of the system to the board of Fish and Boat commissioners.

The commission expects the transition to the new system to take about a year to implement.

Link to source > https://www.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2018/02/smartphone_option_coming_for_p.html

 

[tomgamber]

The last time I visited Idaho they had what this sounds like. It basically looks like a high end cash register receipt. But you just stick it in your wallet.

 

[MBWCC]

afishinado wrote:
I went back and found the proposal to change the display requirement for a PA fishing license. I'm not 100% sure of the status of this change in regulation. If it were approved, I believe it has to appear in the PA Bulletin, which I cannot find.

CHAPTER 63. GENERAL FISHING REGULATIONS
§ 63.2. [Display] Possession of fishing license and verification of license purchase.
* * *
[Display on an outer garment] Possession of fishing license. It is unlawful for a person required by Chapter 27 of the code (relating to fishing licenses) to purchase a fishing license to fish in the waters of this Commonwealth or in boundary waters or land unless the person has a valid fishing license certificate and associated permits on his person and shows them upon the request of an officer. A license may be stored on a mobile device and displayed upon the request of an officer. A person may elect to [displays the] display a license certificate, a license button or other device approved by the Executive Director on a hat or outer garment while fishing. If a license button or other device is displayed, the person shall carry the license on his person. [A warning will be issued for a first violation of this section if the person has a valid fishing license in his possession and about his person and shows it upon request.] An institutional license issued under section 2708 of the code (relating to institutional licenses) may be [displayed] possessed or maintained by the person fishing or by the person attending the person who is fishing. [If a license button or other device is displayed instead of the license certificate, the person shall carry the license certificate about his person.]

Link to source: https://www.fishandboat.com/Regulations/Documents/rulemakingsDocs/276nprp.pdf

My guess is, since the display requirement no longer appears in the summary book (at least I can't find it), the new law was voted in and will be in force shortly.

In the mean time I still have my license pinned on my fishing pack and will continue to do so. I recommend everyone do the same, at least until the PFBC clarifies the regulation.

Yes, the requirement appears to be missing in the 2019 fishing digest. No, the law did not go away. The link and comments regarded a proposal from several(?) years ago which was subsequently abandoned by PFBC. License display is still the law in PA and is still required.

 

[Bamboozle]

Sorry, but I will never understand why an agency that is cash & manpower strapped would entertain a proposal that makes it harder to enforce the license requirement, which represents almost the entirety of their funding.

WITH compliance of the display requirement, presently a WCO can quickly identify license holders from near or afar without stopping to ask every angler along a body of water. Checking coolers and terminal tackle is enough without that hassle. It would be a colossal waste of time.

Not to mention how less likely buying a license would become for the less law abiding out there if they knew no one could tell at a glance if they had a current license.

It would be as stupid from a manpower allocation standpoint as elimination the license plate on a motor vehicle. Even the recent elimination the license plate renewal sticker had a replacement for law enforcement with license plate readers.

Until the PFBC replaces paper licenses with license transponders that a WCO can read from as far away as they can see a license with binoculars, I’m agin’ it!

If they let you have your paper license on your phone, fine but you still should have to display a license button or an equivalent.

IMHO, WCO’s have better things to do than waste time checking smartphones for valid licenses because so many seem to want every aspect of their life to be in their phone.