Ask Fish and Game: Printing Licenses

Q: If I purchase a fishing license online, do I have to wait for it to arrive in the mail before I can go fishing? A: No, you will print your license from the confirmation page at the end of the transaction on your home printer. Please note that you will not be able to print your license once you navigate away from the confirmation page. If purchasing your license online, please make sure your printer is on and working properly before completing the transaction. When you purchase a hunting or fishing license online and provide a valid e-mail address, you will receive an e-mail notification of your purchase which will include a confirmation number that can be used to hunt or fish as long as the hunting and/or fishing activity does not require a tag or permit to be notched, validated or attached to a harvested animal. If you are purchasing a permit that requires notching or validating (such as a big game tag or salmon/steelhead tag), you cannot use this method, and must wait for your tag to arrive in the mail, which generally takes seven to ten days.