New Fishing License: Heads Up

We went to get our 2023 fishing license today. Husband/wife combo with Trout endorsement for each of us. No big deal, right?

Well we went to the Deputy Registrar #161 in Inver Grove Heights. Big mistake. Three people hovering around the computer screens, they voided the transaction at least three times do to screwups, no lady not the Walleye endorsement for the third time it’s the Trout endorsement, etc. we finally ended up with two pieces of paper, one was the fishing license and the other was the Trout endorsement. Why it wasn’t all on one piece of paper is a mystery to me. 45 minutes later we were finally out of there. 45 minutes.

When I got home I called the DNR and spoke to a helpful lady named Crystal that helped me verify that the license I was holding actually matched what the DNR had in their computer. She told me she could see the multiple time the transaction was voided and other errors they made. She also mentioned they had on record multiple problems with that licensing location.

I’d try someplace else.

SR

You know Steve, someone’s going to say it…

Buy Online

If anyone is going to screw up my license it’s going to be me…LOL!

It really shouldn’t be as hard as it is, online or in person.

There are plenty of other places to go. These people simply are incompetent. But the main point of the story was that the person at the DNR knew exactly what to do, what numbers to verify, etc. And she told me over the phone she could see all the mistakes I reported plus plenty of other problems at that site. I was impressed at how well she did.

SR

I prefer in person etc. (Scheels) cuz then I can get the shiny ‘water proof’ copy of the license. And, well, it is a fishing license so mine has gotten wet in the past from the sheepshead slime etc.

But online is very slick/easy too.

Pro tip: Take a picture of your license and have it on your phone. Just in case.

I didn’t know you could buy a license at a deputy register place. I’m guessing they don’t sell a ton there which is probably why the person you bought it from didn’t know what to do.

It’s hard to beat the ease of online license buying. Two big benefits;

1) not having to go somewhere in person and deal with what Mr. Root had to deal with, and
2) you can save your license as a PDF and print out a bunch of copies. Since my sportsman license is used nearly year-round, I’d always end up losing it by leaving it in some jacket pocket or something. Now when I renew my license each year, I print off several copies and save a PDF of it on my phone. I put a copy in my summer tackle box, one in my bwca pack, one in my truck, one in my SXS glovebox, one in my ice fishing jacket, one in my upland hunting vest, etc.

I used to always buy in person, too, but with COVID, I just bought online, and it is so much easier. So now, I just do it online. I totally agree with both of Gitchi Gummi’s points.

Holiday gas station took 4 minutes top and the clerk lady was cute and smiley.

In the past for a couples license you both had to be at the counter and show both drivers license to get the fishing license. How do you do that on line now?

bigcrappie wrote:

In the past for a couples license you both had to be at the counter and show both drivers license to get the fishing license. How do you do that on line now?

Your screwed either way Brian with all that un paid child support you have

I started buying my fishing licenses online since they required both spouses to be present to be able to buy in person.

MN DNR should go the way WI did with the card. All licenses loaded on one card that can be used year after year.

bigcrappie wrote:

In the past for a couples license you both had to be at the counter and show both drivers license to get the fishing license. How do you do that on line now?

By DNR logic if you do it online with your spouses info that is acceptable, if you attempt to do it in person you are likely attempting some sort of fraud. Or something. Still don’t really understand this one, so haven’t bought a couples license since, simply out of protest. My wife doesn’t fish anyway just always bought it just in case, so saves me a few bucks now.

i ALWAYS buy mine in person. i went with my wife once. after that i have no issues with getting my licenses at the Kiess shell station in cold spring. they train there people good!!!!!!

with that being said….i’d rather give the issuing fee to a local business then some place in Tennessee!!!!1

Brittman wrote:

MN DNR should go the way WI did with the card. All licenses loaded on one card that can be used year after year.

Are you referring to the Go Wild card? I never got it, and when I have been checked, I just give the warden my drivers license and have had no problems. Not sure if that would work for an out of state person in WI though?

North Dakota Game and Fish just launched an app. The home page gives some weather, including wind and sunrise/sunset times. I can show my licenses, permits, boat registrations…etc… to the game warden right from the app. I could add a spouse or kids on there also. I can buy licenses, sign up for lotteries, and register harvest there also. There are links to maps, regs, and links to their social media on there. MN has a lot of catching up to do.

And people were complaining about employees at BPS.

Ace hardware no issue in IGH. Go there for all my tags.

This is what happens these days with employees.
It’s not gonna get better. There is absolutely NO REASON our online system should be at all complicated.
I got my ND hunting license in less than 2 minutes online. If the screens changed faster it would have been quicker.
Bought my license at a local bait shop and have a wonderful conversation with the employee while there. I would have been out the door if we hadn’t talked about fishing in Northern MN – we had a lot in common.
I frequent those businesses whenever possible – hate to lose that service.
We have some WONDERFUL attributes in this state. What we have in abundance of those natural attributes is overshadowed AT TIMES by how we provide access to them or create systems to utilize them.
Trying to step delicately here for fear of offending some.

Hoyt4 wrote:

Ace hardware no issue in IGH. Go there for all my tags.

Generally buy mine in person at a Fleet Farm or Cabela’s or Scheels in the spring when I go buy some various tackle/fishing line for the upcoming season. Angling and spring turkey licenses at the same time. I’ve never encountered an issue. Same in the fall before hunting season.

I’m guessing that its a problem based on the physical location.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bigcrappie wrote:</div>
In the past for a couples license you both had to be at the counter and show both drivers license to get the fishing license. How do you do that on line now?

Your screwed either way Brian with all that un paid child support you have

I print off at least 4 for the FW and FD. They NEVER have them along! Heck the first year they could be bought on line I left the daughters on the table. Told her to remember to bring it along when she met me at the dock.
CO’s where checking boats on the river and I pointed that out to her and that’s when she told me she forgot it.

Figured they wouldn’t come out of their way to check us UNTIL…she hooked into a good size crappie and with all the hooting, screaming an hollering, there wasn’t any way they were not coming over.

Once they arrived I started off telling them she needed to be cuffed and taken away for forgetting her license on the table. I pleaded with them! Hell, they didn’t want her either!

On top of that, they never heard that we could buy them online!

That’s when I told them make sure she can’t make bail, she’s a flight risk. After explaining all of that, I said I could either have my wife bring it to the dock or read the number to me over the phone. They did the latter.

Then in the most official, threatening voice, the CO told her that she needed to have her license on her in the future….then he WINKED at her!!

PS most all of the child support is up to date and they are now over 18.

Thanks for the reminder. Got mine after work yesterday. headed out in the morning. I probably would have forgot all about it. My buddy was out on Wed. ( The 1st ) I asked him if he had remembered the new license. His Answer was OH Sh_t !!!! He has one now.

Sorry for the mix up bk the unpaid child support comment was directed at me big crappie Brian.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Sorry for the mix up bk the unpaid child support comment was directed at me big <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>crappie Brian.

Whew, I feel better now!

I think MN is redesigning the electronic license system now. There were surveys and stuff about modernization last year.

Remember when the state upgraded the computer system for the DMV? I hope this goes better.

SR

Random comments…

MN Tonight
Young lady at Mills … with a lot of help … got all the licenses purchased. Then after all that the WIA was printed out on a separate page tonight. Oh well.

MN In General
I purchased a one-day NR license for my son’s girlfriend and it was an electronic (text) license.

MN needs to get with it … WI license card and/or follow ND digital image rule …

WI
I am a nonresident in WI. The Go Wild Card holds everything … licenses, turkey licenses … Other states are following this trend. You only have to buy the card one time … and not each year.

If you don’t want the card. WI also lets you print out any license at home on paper. One copy, two… never a problem.

ND
Checked about once every 10 years in ND … ND lets you show your license (photo) on your phone. They just punch in a number anyway and everything pops up on their computer screen.

NDG&F:

The fishing license must be in the possession of the licensee at all times while fishing. A digital image of a fishing license stored on a mobile device is accepted as a license in possession.

What I dont understand is why we cant buy a dang license that is good for three states at once.
Lets say, Iowa, Wis, and MN? I would buy one in a heartbeat even if it was 200 bucks.
Let the states battle it out as to who gets what portion, Iowa is the leader in stinkology as far as a fishing destination and last year I had to buy one to fish the Mississippi, first Iowa license for me in years.

I bought my license online and printed a few copies to keep in various places for upcoming seasons. Through blurred eyes I bought my usual license – the individual sports license. I still don’t know if I’ll be ready to hunt again this fall after losing my husband and hunting buddy, but I just can’t bring myself to NOT by a hunting license. Though I haven’t hunted since Billy passed away, I feel like I still carry with me the heart of a hunter. It’s been one of the biggest struggles of accepting this loss. I hadn’t hunted before I met Billy and he showed me the joys of hunting and shared his love for it with me, something that at the time, I didn’t quite realize how special that was.

A fishing license is worth .50 cents to a deputy registrar office. Go to a bait shop or tackle store. I’m surprised they even sold them to you.