Why don’t licenses run annually from date of purchase?

Question: Why do fishing licenses run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 every year rather than from the date of purchase?

For example, a person buys his/her license Dec. 1 only to find it expires the end of the month. Then by Jan. 1, they must purchase a new license for the full price.

Why not let it go for one full year from the date of purchase?

Hunting licenses too run from July 1 through June 30 of the next year. I think license sales would greatly improve if they were changed from date of purchase to the next year.

Can someone give a rational answer, please? (Alan E., Los Angeles)

Answer: California has considered changing from a calendar-based sport fishing license to a license that is valid for one year from the date of purchase.

But while this seems beneficial, when we looked at the issue thoroughly, we realized that changing to a license that is valid for one year from the date of purchase would significantly reduce funding for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

According to CDFW License Program Analyst Glenn Underwood, several other states have made the change to a license that is valid for one year from the date of purchase, and so we contacted these other states to learn from their experiences.

We found states that changed from a calendar year license to a license that is valid for one year from the date of purchase experienced a reduction in license sales from 10 to 30 percent in the three years following implementation.

Experts from these states explained license purchasing patterns changed when the license system changed to one year from the date of purchase licenses.

Customers tended to wait until the last minute to purchase a license, as they knew it would be valid for one year from that date.

Then when their licenses expired, customers again waited to renew until they fished again, creating a gap in licensure.

After a few years the sum of the gaps was often greater than a year and a complete license sale was lost. 

Changing to a license that is valid for one year from the date of purchase would also reduce federal grant funding.

Each state in the country receives federal grant money from the Sport Fish Restoration Act (SFRA) which is funding generated from federal excise tax on sales of sport fishing tackle and motorboat fuels.

This program funds critical fish habitat restoration projects throughout the state, providing increased fishing opportunities for California anglers.

A tiered system is used to allocate grants to the states. In 2014, California received the maximum grant of $16,287,011, which is 5 percent of the total available to all the states.

Federal SFRA grant amounts are based partially on the number of licenses issued in each state. If California license sales declined by as little as 3 percent, California’s grant would be reduced to a lower tier and the grant amount would be reduced by approximately $2.7 million to $4.5 million, further reducing CDFW’s ability to manage and protect California’s fisheries.

So, while we realize your license restructuring suggestion is popular, it would create a significant reduction in license revenue and sport fish grant funding for CDFW.

The resulting reduction in revenue and grant funding would reduce the CDFW’s ability to manage and protect California’s fisheries; and it would reduce the number of fish CDFW could plant for California anglers.

Live turkey decoys?

Question: Is it legal to use a live turkey as a decoy? I can't find any regulations on live turkey decoys (Todd W.)

Answer: No. The use of live decoys is prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 311(l)).

What’s acceptable abalone diving gear?

Question: Regarding equipment that is permissible for abalone harvesting, is a buoyancy compensator (BC) with integrated weight system OK to use for diving for abalone as long as there is NO air tank attached? (John D.)

Answer: Yes, a BC is for your safety and is OK to use as long as no scuba or air supply of any kind is incorporated.

Free diving for sea urchins?

Question: As a free diver, am I legally allowed to harvest sea urchins? If so, do I need a permit? Also, where in San Diego County can I legally dive from shore for sea urchins? (Derek G.)

Answer: Sea urchins are legal to take in California with a sport fishing license. The season is open year-round for all species of urchin and the limit is 35 urchins (CCR Title 14, section 29.05).

These regulations can be found in the Ocean Sport Fishing regulation booklet, along with coordinates and regulation summaries for marine protected areas in Southern California that are closed to the take of sea urchins.

Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .