Can I Use My California Fishing License on My Phone in 2024?

In 2024, California anglers will have the option to display their fishing licenses electronically on their smartphones, thanks to a new app launched by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The CDFW License App allows residents and nonresidents to show their California sportfishing licenses and validations on their phones instead of using a physical license.

The CDFW License App: A New Option for Anglers

The CDFW License App was created by a state bill that allowed the agency to give anglers the option to display their fishing licenses, validations, report cards, or other sportfishing entitlements on a mobile device. Authored by Assemblymember Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021.

The app allows users to electronically display their fishing licenses and sportfishing validations, download and read the state wildlife agency’s published regulation booklets, and access its websites, like the fish planting schedule and online license sales and services pages.

Benefits of the Digital Fishing License

The digital fishing license offers several benefits for California anglers:

• Convenience: Anglers can easily access their fishing licenses on their smartphones, eliminating the need to carry a physical license.
• Reduced Costs: The bill also made one-year fishing licenses valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, beginning in 2024. Previously, licenses expired at the end of the calendar year, regardless of purchase date, resulting in fewer license sales.
• Accessibility: The app provides anglers with easy access to important information, such as regulation booklets and fish planting schedules.

Using the CDFW License App

To use the CDFW License App, anglers must create a mobile user account within the app, which is separate from the customer record used to access the CDFW online license sales and services website. The app is available for download on the Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices.

When using the app, anglers do not need to carry their physical license, but it is recommended to keep the paper license as a backup until they are comfortable using the app. Only the license displayed within the app is valid, and screenshots or photos are not acceptable substitutes.

If anglers are using the app to show their license and their phone battery dies or they experience technical issues, they must have their physical license as a backup. If they do not have the physical license and cannot display it via the app, they will be in violation of state laws if they engage in an activity that requires a license.

Future Developments

The CDFW plans to add hunting licenses and other related hunting validations to the app “as early as mid-2024.” The agency will also assess the feasibility of making additional license items available via the app on an ongoing basis.

While the option to display an electronic version of a California sport fishing license via a mobile device is projected to be available in 2024, anglers are still required to have their actual sport fishing license with them until they are comfortable using the app.