FWC SIMPLIFIES APPLICATION PROCESS FOR QUOTA AND SPECIAL-OPPORTUNITY HUNTS
February 21, 2005
Contact: Eddie White (850) 488-8573
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will begin accepting applications for quota hunt permits and special-opportunity hunt permits for next year’s hunting seasons through its Total Licensing System (TLS) this summer.
This means hunters will submit their applications at any one of the more than 600 license agents who sell hunting and fishing licenses, all county tax collectors’ offices or from FWC’s Web site, MyFWC.com. For the first time since 1975, hunters will not mail application forms to Tallahassee to apply for the quota hunt permits.
“Handling thousands of paper applications and dealing with numerous telephone complaints from hunters who missed random drawings because the postal service took longer than expected to deliver their applications was cumbersome and inefficient,” said Eddie White, FWC’s quota hunt coordinator. “We have been issuing licenses and permits through the TLS since 2003, and this is a planned progression to streamline the hunt permit application process.”
Hunters seeking special-opportunity hunt permits will be the first to use this new application process. Between May 1 and June 15, hunters will be able to submit as many $5 special-opportunity applications as they would like through license agents, county tax collectors’ offices or online at MyFWC.com. Application forms will be available at all FWC regional offices beginning April 20.
“Once the random drawing is completed, we will send invoices to successful applicants,” White said. “They then take the invoice to any license agent, pay a permit fee by the specified deadline and walk out with permit in hand. If one chooses to pay online, delivery of the permit will take seven to 10 days.”
Hunters seeking quota hunt permits can apply from June 1-11 at license vendors, county tax collectors’ offices or online at MyFWC.com. Application forms will be available at all tax collectors’ offices and FWC regional offices beginning May 15. These forms are still necessary to provide license agents with hunt choices, dates and personal information.
“During this period, you can submit applications online minutes before the deadline and know your application was accepted,” White said. “You will be able to walk away from a license agent with a receipt showing the type of quota application you submitted, which drawing you are in and what choices you made.”
Remaining un-issued quota permits will be made available directly from license agents, county tax collectors’ offices and online at MyFWC.com on a first-come, first-served basis once the random drawing has been completed.
The first change in the system hunters will notice is that stickers, tabs and photocopies of licenses are no longer required with the application. The TLS will verify that hunters have valid wildlife management area permits when they apply. If they do not have the proper license or permit, they may obtain one where they apply.
Another major change will be a closed period between the first and second phases of the program, from June 12 - July 31, during which no applications will be accepted. The TLS is expected to drastically reduce the time hunters have to wait for the results of the random drawings.
“During the next few months we will be providing more details about the new process,” White said. “We want hunters to be able to get as much information about the changes as possible.”
