Not sure if anyone else who has bought a fishing license from someone with a DNR Fishing License machine (or anyone who sells that way) has had problems but...

The new method for a Husband/Wife license has lots of changes in the system and we have kept getting problems for the "spouse" as: wrong spelling of name, wrong birthday, or some other goofy thing. And the change went into effect without any training sent our way ahead of time.

Then other types of licenses are causing problems too, machines says wrong name, birth date does not match, SS# is wrong, all sorts of things.

We could get them fixed at least some but for those kind of problems the "regular" help desk number people can't do "legal" stat changes.

The DNR has to "fix" those kinds. And the DNR offices are only open from 8 am to 4:30 pm and only Monday to Friday.

Meaning if you have one of those problems and it is the weekend or not during the open hours of the DNR, we can't get you a fishing license.

Minnesota licenses are usually okay because their driver's license has to be scanned and all the info comes from that. But it is not okay all the time.

Just venting and letting people know about possible problems this season.

Yeah that was a weird surprise to me. My wife was not with me so I bought both and got a voucher for her that she has to bring in to exchange for her license... She hasn't done it yet but I think its going to go smooth... hopefully. It is a weird change though.

My dad had an issue with getting a license issued last month as well. The machine kept giving a cryptic error message. The worker was very frustrated and they eventually gave up after about 10 minutes of futzing around.

Found out later that he doesn't need a license - he turned 90 recently.

My son is old enough now where he has to have a fishing license. I tried to order online but the system could nor verify who he was so I went to the bait shop. Same info...no problem.

so I should go in the morning so if there is a problem I'd have all day to fix it?
and it's me that has to fix it with the DNR, not the issuing station?

Mocha: "so I should go in the morning so if there is a problem I'd have all day to fix it?
and it's me that has to fix it with the DNR, not the issuing station?"

First thing I would do is try to buy one online. You're already here on the internet - a few more clicks and you have a license (if there are no problems).

I also noticed that this year, the husband/wife fishing license no longer prints both husband and wife's names on each copy of the license. I used to take just one copy of the license when my wife and I went fishing because both our names were listed on one license. Now it seems that I have to have both copies available.

Also changed this year was that both husband and wife both need to scan their ID to get issued a combination license. The data used to be saved from year to year so that one spouse could purchase the combo license. That change is causing a lot of extra hassle.

The manager at Holiday gas station was just irate about some of the changes that the DNR made for this year to the process. He said it has been a nightmare.

I went on our annual family's fishing trip to lake near Hackensack 2 weeks ago. Normally we just walk into the same large bait shop with our old license from last year (non-res annual) and scan code or whatever and bang here's your new one.

We walked in this year and right away (we knew the cashier) he goes....sorry old licenses aren't any good this time. I need your DL....ok go back to the truck for that. I got the family one....but he can't print the spouse one since she's not here. I can try and get you a voucher. What a joke. He acted like it's been a royal pain all spring....and now I can see why. Way to break a good system MN

I just went to Fleet Farm, and took my wife’s drivers license too. They printed out two licenses and I was out the door in two minutes. Easy peasy.

I bought my licensee online with my Apple tablet. Went to print the license. It says to click on the ‘print button’ but there was no print button on their screen. I ended up saving it as a PDF and forwarded it to my Windoze machine. I don’t know what the heck but I ended up getting a printed copy.

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Had a few glitches in being able to enter people already today. Luckily it was before 4:30 pm and the DNR was still answering phones.

They are closed now & won't be open again until Monday at 8 am.>

Thanks for posting. I tried to get the couples license online and it kept saying (paraphrasing) my wife didn’t exist even though we have done the couples license for 10 years in a row. I could get a voucher, but I didn’t want to mess with it.

Now I can tell my wife she exists.

T

Live by the computer die by the computer.

I worked for a state agency. They told us to throw all are paper forms away.

Every thing was suppose to be electronic.

My computer went down and wouldn't accept data.

Call the head computer guy.

His answer was. I don't have time right now just use the old paper forms and enter the data later.

I told him I threw out all my paper forms as per your memo.

I told him you want us to live by the computer.

I am dead in water now.

He found time.

I purchased a non-resident/individual on the 20th of May. Online transaction & printed with no problems.
Perhaps it's a seasonal increase in demand that the state's system can't handle. ??? Buy early!

I probably see more because we do about 30 - 80 licenses a day.

Just this morning we had another problem. Luckily someone at the License help desk (not DNR) was able to see that the guys name Joseph had previously been typed in with a "zero" instead of an " o " !

He was able to fix it & the guy got the license.

Save your blue Minnesota licenses for next year! Then we can scan them and they will turn up with all the info and save tons of time & grief!

VoyageurNorth: "I probably see more because we do about 30 - 80 licenses a day.


Just this morning we had another problem. Luckily someone at the License help desk (not DNR) was able to see that the guys name Joseph had previously been typed in with a "zero" instead of an " o " !


He was able to fix it & the guy got the license.


Save your blue Minnesota licenses for next year! Then we can scan them and they will turn up with all the info and save tons of time & grief!


"

But saving any years prior to this one are no good......what a great system (sarcasm)