Beginning July 8, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will no longer provide hunting and fishing licenses or other license products on waterproof, tear-resistant license paper and is encouraging the use of mobile licensing. New mobile licensing features are now available through the agency’s new MyWDFW mobile application, which launched in December 2025, or the updated Fish Washington® app.
Hunters and anglers can still choose whether to use mobile or paper licenses, catch cards, and tags. The type of paper license product available depends on when you make your purchase:
- Through July 7, customers can buy licenses on waterproof, tear-resistant license paper.
- Starting July 8, customers who want to remain paper license holders can print their license at home on standard 8.5 inch by 11-inch copy paper. You can place your paper license in a waterproof license holder, plastic sandwich bag, etc., as needed to provide added durability.
- License dealer locations and WDFW offices will continue to offer printed license products on standard copy paper.
National trends
Nationwide, there’s a growing demand for state fish and wildlife agencies to offer mobile licensing options. As mobile licensing becomes more popular, the technology that supports traditional paper licenses grows obsolete and increasingly expensive to maintain. This transition is part of WDFW’s broader modernization effort to streamline operations and improve service delivery.
The new MyWDFW app
WDFW recently introduced the MyWDFW app, a comprehensive mobile licensing tool for both hunters and anglers. It supports license purchases, displays active license privileges, and enables electronic tagging for a wide range of game species including deer, elk, turkey, and bear, with most features available offline.
Users can also report migratory bird harvests and submit end-of-season harvest reports. Like Fish Washington®, it includes catch record cards for select fish species and an Enforcement View for WDFW officers, along with access to your licensing (WILD) profile.
Customers may switch from paper to mobile at any time between now and the start of the 2026 license year. If a customer selects mobile licensing, they will remain a mobile licensing customer for the entire season and cannot switch back to paper licenses until the following license year.
To enroll as a mobile license holder:
- Log in to fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.
- Verify your WILD licensing account.
- Select “Mobile License Holder” for the 2026-2027 license year. If you select this option, you will use mobile licenses only for the 2026-27 license year.
- Download the MyWDFW app from the Google Play or Apple app stores.
- Log in to the MyWDFW app using your WILD username and password.
App users who opt to become a mobile license customer will have valid mobile license products beginning at the start of the new license year on April 1, 2026.
For more information about the MyWDFW mobile app, including frequently asked questions and how-to videos, visit WDFW’s website. WDFW is available for app support via email or by phone at 360-902-2464, Option 1.
