I get this Q & A from Fish & Game. Sometimes it is so complex it's mystifying.
Check this out:
California Outdoors Q & A: Answers to DFG’s New Computer License
Questions
Question: For generations, our family has bought annual hunting and
fishing licenses and then proudly saved each license over the years as
collectable pieces of our family history. Why after so many years have
you chosen to discontinue these traditional style licenses in favor of
just computer printouts?
Answer: While many may miss the traditional style licenses, this new
computer system enables the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to
maintain an accurate and complete customer license database. It ensures
everyone is licensed correctly, customers can quickly retrieve their
license information to replace lost licenses and annual renewals will be
much easier.
It also reduces fraud and the official license sent from DFG is
actually much less destructible than the more ornate licenses of the
past.
Best of all, for most anglers (and soon hunters) using this new
computer system, they can purchase annual and short-term licenses,
privileges and harvest/report cards online from their home computers.
Only the licenses and privileges can be printed and used immediately
though. They have to wait to receive the actual tags and harvest/report
cards in the mail before engaging in the activity.
Question: I just purchased my annual sport fishing license and the
salmon and sturgeon report cards, and received almost 10 feet of
documents! Why so long and how useable are all of these documents?
Answer: California fishing and hunting license sales are now processed
through DFG's new Automated License Data System (ALDS). Anglers and
hunters can expect their annual fishing and hunting licenses to now be
approximately six inches long. The new harvest/report cards run between
28 and 47 inches each in length. When a license with multiple
harvest/report cards are purchased and printed together, the resulting
document can extend over 10 feet.
In most cases, the new design is longer simply because the same
instructions and regulations previously printed on the front and back of
the old cards are now printed only on the front of the new ALDS
harvest/report cards. The unavoidable result is the documents running
longer. To reduce the length, trim off the instructions portion to store
elsewhere.
Although additional harvest/report cards will make the printed document
longer, please keep in mind:
- Each document is unique and can be separated from each other. Thus,
bring only the cards you intend to use during your activity.
- The instructions and regulations portion of the harvest report card
can be separated from the actual tag or report cards. For example, if
you remove the instructions and regulations of an abalone card, it will
reduce the length by 40 percent. (Anglers and hunters are still required
to follow the instructions and rules whether separated from the tag or
report card or not.)
- The licenses and harvest report cards fold up to a very usable size -
even the longest items will easily fold to wallet size.
- In many cases, the folded ALDS license item is smaller than its
previous counterpart issued under the manual paper license system. If
you have an old license holder around, try folding and inserting your
license and harvest/report cards into it, and you'll likely find your
new documents to be small in size and the license holder will protect
your documents and keep them handy.
Just got this!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anglers should review their report cards carefully and fill out the forms as accurately as possible. Further information about report cards can be found at
www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/fishdescrip.html.
This year, steelhead anglers are encouraged to use the new online reporting system, which will be available through Jan. 31. The angler will receive a receipt of compliance via email and save postage costs. Online reporting also saves DFG time and costs related to data entry, which in turn increases funds available for steelhead projects. To use the online option, anglers should go to
www.dfg.ca.gov/steelheadcard, click on "Online Reporting" and follow the instructions listed under Requirements.
Steelhead anglers who cannot or choose not to report online can still opt to mail in their report cards to the Department of Fish and Game, Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card, P.O. Box 94244, Sacramento, CA 94244. (Mailing the card is not necessary if the information has been submitted online).
Other report cards must be mailed to the following addresses:
Abalone Report Cards:
Department of Fish and Game, Abalone Report Card
32330 N. Harbor Dr.
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Spiny Lobster Report Cards:
Department of Fish and Game, Lobster Report Card
4949 Viewridge Ave.
San Diego, CA 92123
North Coast Salmon Report Cards:
Department of Fish and Game, Klamath River Project
5341 Ericson Way
Arcata, CA 95521
Sturgeon Report Cards:
Department of Fish and Game, Sturgeon Report Card
P.O. Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244
