Using Photo Copy of Fishing License

December 26, 2013

If license is forgotten, will a photo copy of license do?
Question: My son and I fish from our private boat almost exclusively and keep our sport fishing licenses aboard so they are always present. On rare occasions we will attempt to fish without the boat, and a few times have forgotten to bring our licenses. To prevent us from mistakenly being without our fishing licenses, can we show a photo copy of our licenses or can the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) issue more than one copy to a sport fisherman? (Murray C.)

Answer: Good questions, but the answers to both are no. You must have a valid fishing license in your possession when fishing or attempting to take fish, and you must present it to a game warden upon request. Additionally, only one license may be issued to a person per year.

I thought anyone could get a duplicate in the event your original was lost or destroyed. I was told when I got mine that it wasn't an issue. Just show picture ID.

Should be no issue with duplicated license.

Should be no issue with duplicated license.

Except you have to pay a "processing fee".  Which sucks when it was the damn ink that faded.

-Allen

For what we pay each year in fees you would think a copy would be free. It's all online, we should have access to a digital copy on our smartphones.....

For what we pay each year in fees you would think a copy would be free. It's all online, we should have access to a digital copy on our smartphones.....

100x this.

Obviously the DFW uses the DMV driver license records to create it's data base on the fishing licenses.  After all, I only need to go into WalMart and hand the sporting goods clerk my DL and he knows what I bought, when I bought it, when I need to renew, if I have a 2 rod stamp, etc.  So why can't the DFW warden do the same?  I'm sure a smart phone app could easily do it, or call in the DL # to the dispatcher and get back the info.  They call in the DL to get any other info like wants and warrants so why would this be any different? 

I can only wager a guess that they don't want to loose out on the profits associated with duplicate fees.     I just had to pay that price myself, as Sara bought our licenses this year and had them in her purse this weekend, in WA.  Oh well!