LDWF Changing How Hunting/Fishing Licenses are Printed

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Not sure if you saw the article I wrote a few months back regarding having to get the HIP Certification from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries online or in Baton Rouge, but it was something that kind of upset me. To get the FREE Hip Certification, we would have to pay the online "convenience fee" of $2...for something that was free?  Thank goodness they figured out how many were upset about that and they fixed it.

For the last several years, I've made sure to go to a retailer to get my licenses, after a one-time mistake made me rethink my decision to purchase online.  For deer hunters, the tags you get at a retailer are really nice. Some kind of plastic that made them almost water proof and they are somewhat perforated for easy removal.  Only once did I purchase online because I discovered how much trouble it was to print my tags on regular printer paper and then have to cut them apart.  Then I discovered they would essentially disintegrate if they got slightly damp.

Well, it looks like that's the way it will be even at retailers now.  The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is changing how hunting and fishing licenses are printed. Beginning March 15, 2021, licenses and tags will no longer be printed on durable stock paper. Instead, they will be printed on regular, 8.5 x 11 (letter-size) paper.

The LDWF is making the switch to eliminate aging hardware requirements associated with the traditional printed system.  Customers may also choose to have a digital copy of their license emailed to them. Just make sure the license vendor has your email address recorded accurately on file, and the electronic license will be sent immediately after the purchase is complete. This can be saved on your smart device and used as proof of a valid license in the field.

So, good luck if you're trying to tag your deer or turkey in a rain. It's about as easy as putting a turtleneck on a porcupine.