Calif Fish Licence change

New licence validity

June 1, 2017 (Sacramento, CA): Last night, the California State Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 187, authored by Senator Tom Berryhill, state legislation that will transition California’s calendar-based fishing license to one that is valid a full 12-months from the date of purchase. In 2015, similar legislation failed to reach the Senate floor.

But what will I get for xmas now.....

Just give me a photo ID like my DL, tired of this printed paper crap

Just give me a photo ID like my DL, tired of this printed paper crap

Brilliant! I agree!!! With all the chip readers and bar codes, why can't we get something that actually fits in our wallet? All the wardens have smartphones, why can't they make some kind of reader that reads your fishing licence like your drivers licence?

such a good change. Thanks for the post 

How bout a microchip in the neck? My dog loves it.

Seems like a solution looking for a problem.

Buy your license in early January. Fish for a year. Repeat.

i agree.. they should just stick with 1 format. jan-dec..
bad idea.

Seems like a solution looking for a problem.

Buy your license in early January. Fish for a year. Repeat.

Fold up license and put in slot in wallet. Forget about for year unless asked for it. Also simple

States that have gone to 12 month licenses have seen double digit percentage increases in annual license sales and annual revenue. It works for a couple reasons. First is that there is currently a progressive financial disincentive to purchase an annual license for each day after January 1. Think of how gyms or landlords or anyone else handles the problem - they prorate the partial month. DFG/DFW never did that. Second is the optimism, real or imagined, that comes with the idea that you are getting a full 12 months to use your license and you will take advantage of that by using it in the future during that time period in some as of yet unplanned outing.

Remember that we are mostly talking about casual anglers. Those of us that fish at least once a week are not the people that DFW is worried about and not the ones that have been dropping out of the fishing scene.

The next thing DFW needs to do is create a youth license. In Oregon the age for a license is 12. It costs $10 for a combined youth fishing and hunting license and includes endorsements. California already does this for youth hunters and there is no reason to not include fishing privileges with that license. Make it good through age 19 and grow the sport's next generation. Making a 16 year old pay full freight for fishing licenses is dumb, short sighted, and only hurts the future.

The 12 month license is a good start but we need to go the extra step. Hopefully this passes the assembly and is signed by the governor. It will work, they will see that it works, and maybe they will take the next step.

Seems like a solution looking for a problem.

Buy your license in early January. Fish for a year. Repeat.

Fold up license and put in slot in wallet. Forget about for year unless asked for it. Also simple

You must not fish for sturgeon. 

I like this.

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The 12 month license is a good start but we need to go the extra step. Hopefully this passes the assembly and is signed by the governor. It will work, they will see that it works, and maybe they will take the next step.

Totally agree with all of this analysis.

Sounds like a great idea if you're not tasked with enforcing the regs.

Sounds like a great idea if you're not tasked with enforcing the regs.

Convenience of enforcement is the laziest, most authoritarian, fingernails to a chalkboard anti-democratic reason for arguing against something.  Ever. 

Sounds like a great idea if you're not tasked with enforcing the regs.

Really?  Why?  Instead of looking at just a year on the license, you need to look at month/day/year.  Nothing hard about that, is there?

-Allen

I think it's a bad solution.  You will have to keep track of a date that no one else cares about so you are legal. If they want to create fairness, they could solve the problem with their computers of just pro- rating the amount charged based on the date of purchase.  Imagine how they will have to deal with punchcards and such that now will be multi-year, not to mention year end reporting of say and abalone tag when the quantity allowed changes from year to year.
They could also have to print monthly reg books so when you buy your license you have a current set.
OR.........................................
     They could just fulfill their original mission of safeguarding and enhancing the resource by not letting their funds be stolen by the general fund,
hiring enough competent staff including good biologists, dedicated wardens, and ensuring that the outdoor fishing, hunting, and diving resource is so fine like it used to be in California that people will gladly rush to purchase licenses to be able to partake of it.
     I have a elderly neighbor who used to dive, and his whole back yard is ringed edge to edge with the shells from abalone he dove for.  Not one is less than 10".