# Electronic License On Phone??



## Slikster (Jul 14, 2005)

I've joined the 21st Century and finally gotten a "Smart Phone." I bought my Fishing License online and was just wondering if those with experience could tell me if this is a valid way to display it? I enlarged the license portion and cropped out the rest, then saved the picture to my home screen. Is this OK? 



click image upload


I'm not sure if just having the pic of the license on my phone to display is correct, or if there's something else I need to display. I'll probably end up getting a copy printed, but will have to find a printer cuz mine is broke. 

Thanks for the help.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

I have been informed that It has to be signed to be valid, it even says that it must be below the signature area to be valid. I print mine out, sign it and then take a snapshot of it bearing my signature and keep that on my phone.


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## CrappieCowboy15 (Apr 13, 2011)

x2


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## Slikster (Jul 14, 2005)

Well that negates the convenience of getting the dang license online in the first place then, doesn't it?


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

Not really, it's the convenience of not driving around to find a place that sells lisence versus doing from your home and printing it off. this really applies if you are buying an out of state tag, you can do it before you head out of state and perhaps have to wait for a place to open so you can purchase one. This way you are ready to fish right away and not wait around!


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## coopason (Oct 31, 2007)

flyman01 said:


> Not really, it's the convenience of not driving around to find a place that sells lisence versus doing from your home and printing it off. this really applies if you are buying an out of state tag, you can do it before you head out of state and perhaps have to wait for a place to open so you can purchase one. This way you are ready to fish right away and not wait around!


That's How I do it. Online then print 4 copies, laminate them. 1 in boat glove box,one in Tackle bag, wallet and leave one in truck. Of course all are signed.

As far as the phone and online, not sure how you sign it if your using your phone for purchase.

Coop


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## Ftw112 (Apr 6, 2013)

You don't even need a screen shot of it, just the e-mail confirmation they send you. Honestly, I don't think you even need that. Any ODNR or watercraft officer can run your name/DOB/SSN through their system and will know right away if your valid. I was stopped a few years back with a buddy of mine while kayaking. My buddy did not have his license with him, but watercraft ran his name, verified we were both legal, and sent us on our way.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Ftw112 said:


> You don't even need a screen shot of it, just the e-mail confirmation they send you. Honestly, I don't think you even need that. Any ODNR or watercraft officer can run your name/DOB/SSN through their system and will know right away if your valid. I was stopped a few years back with a buddy of mine while kayaking. My buddy did not have his license with him, but watercraft ran his name, verified we were both legal, and sent us on our way.


Yup, was at Buckeye last summer and was checked by ODNR. Didnt have my license but he ran my Drivers license and everything fine.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

I have had it both ways so I guess it also comes down to the officer who is checking your license and perhaps the state that you are fishing. Five years ago, I purchased my Tennessee license on line, printed it off and had it with me when I went down there and on the river. As I was exiting, I was approached by the DNRO who asked me for my license which I quickly produced it from my wallet. He looked at it and said it was not signed and then asked to see my drivers license to confirm if was my tag; he then handed me a pen and asked me to sign it in his presence. Two years later, my friend and I went back to Tennessee and purchased our license on my Iphone while at our cabin. I had no means to print or sign it back then so I copied the transaction numbers. Well that happened to be the first weekend in March right after license expired and of course we were approached. I informed the officer that we did not have a printed copy under the circumstances, but we had the transaction number which i presented to him and we promptly called them in on his radio. He asked to see my drivers license to verify identity and after producing it, all was good. They now text you the information as well, just in case you cannot print it so it makes it easy. I guess after my experiences the bottom line is this, if you have the license printed, sign it to validate it. Otherwise, make sure you can verify that you do have a license and at that point, they have no other choice than to call and validate your claim.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

I displayed my license to a wildlife officer during last years Ice season he accepted it with my id but I had to have id with it. I got checked in Lorain and was fishing on a friends boat my license was in my boat he ran my license and said no problem.


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## Slikster (Jul 14, 2005)

I emailed ODNR earlier when I got home and asked for confirmation. I'll have to find some place to go print it. 

I was under the impression that "An Electronic Copy Of Your License Cab Be Displayed" meant that what they sent me in PDF form would have been fine. Not that it had to be printed out anyways, signed, then a picture taken of the signed license. 

Would have been less hassle and confusion just driving to Dicks.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

K gonefishin said:


> I displayed my license to a wildlife officer during last years Ice season he accepted it with my id but I had to have id with it. I got checked in Lorain and was fishing on a friends boat my license was in my boat he ran my license and said no problem.


If you look closely at the hunting regs, and probably the fishing regs, in Ohio, it says that you must have your license on you, and you must also have your personal ID, that is, your driver's license. This is so they can tell that the license holder and the person they're looking at are one and the same. This is so licenses can't be "loaned out". 

Believe me, it happens. The policy at my fish & game club is members only, no guests at all! This seemed a little extreme to me, so I asked a board member about it. Seems that before I was a member it was common practice for members to loan their card and key to non members. This escalated to the point where non members were bringing in gangs of their friends to fish, hunt, swim, camp, whatever! Give some people an inch, they'll take a mile! So, the board decided they had to clamp down. Frankly, I'm glad they did!


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## MDBuckeye (Sep 29, 2009)

I think legally you are supposed to have both your ID and signed license on your person but it is often officer dependent on whether or not they require you to show both.


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## Stratos274 (Mar 9, 2016)

Slikster said:


> I've joined the 21st Century and finally gotten a "Smart Phone." I bought my Fishing License online and was just wondering if those with experience could tell me if this is a valid way to display it? I enlarged the license portion and cropped out the rest, then saved the picture to my home screen. Is this OK?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Send yourself a text of your customer ID number if you are asked if you have a valid license give that number and it will come back, at that point you would have already been run for wants and warrants so it's just a formality.


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## All Thumbs (Apr 11, 2004)

my buddy just bought his fishing license and in the email confirmation it said that the "electronic" copy was a valid means of displaying the fishing license upon request. i was totally surprised. i told him to keep the email as well just in case.


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## Dana.Birrell (Apr 23, 2012)

During checkout it specifically states that you can present your license electronically this year.


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## BlueMax (Dec 3, 2006)

My son bought last years electronically and said that he can legally display it on his phone if asked by an officer.
I would think the signature thing is from the days when instant verification was not available in the field. Back then it prevented a license from being borrowed. Today they simply run the ID number on the license and compare to your state ID.to make sure you are who you say you are.


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## meyers9163 (Apr 1, 2010)

That is perfectly ACCEPTABLE! Unsure what everyone else is talking about.... Letter of the law says your boat must have its Ohio Sticker 6" back..... Guess how many have that incorrect and that's specifically spelled out... My point is I know for a fact what you have is ok. Been asked and discussed before. After all really all that matters is that you have PAID.... That at the end of the date is all Ohio or any state cares about.... Electronics proof has been acceptable for years now... Nothing new there. Have done this the past couple myself..... Much easier to do.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

My confirmation/receipt implied that the Customer ID number is the most important part of the license and that it can be used for numerous things available from the State. Anymore, it's all I use when buying licenses/various tags online. I do think the signature on whatever copy you produce. I'd find a way to print a copy, sign it, then photograph it and keep that on your phone if you prefer not to keep a copy for whatever reason.


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## Spike Dog (Mar 13, 2015)

You need a paper copy of you deer license.

You are allowed to to produce an electronic copy of your fishing license (ie on your cell phone).


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

[QUOTE=" I do think the signature on whatever copy you produce. I'd find a way to print a copy, sign it, then photograph it and keep that on your phone if you prefer not to keep a copy for whatever reason.[/QUOTE]

As I stated earlier in the post, I do exactly this and have produced it on several requests from a DNRO when asked to see my license and there has not been one issue. I do not know how tech savvy the OP is, but the past two times I have purchased a license while in TN, I did this via my Iphone while at my cabin. We do not have internet there so the only way to go about it was via an Iphone and once purchased, they send a PDF of your license to your e-mail so that you can print a copy. I do not have a means to print a copy at the cabin, but I have an app on my Iphone called USB disk. I can open and save the PDF on this app and then transfer the PDF to my laptop (which I always take with me) via the USB power cord. On my laptop, I am able to electronically sign the document using Adobe Reader and then transfer back to my Iphone where I take a screen shot of the license and save it as a photo for reference and to show it when approached. while the process may sound cumbersome, it is actually a relatively easy process and takes little time.


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## Slikster (Jul 14, 2005)

Recieved this email this afternoon... So I'm taking that as what I have on my phone will work. Still plan to get a copy printed up soon though, just to avoid any confusion or hassle if a Ranger or DNRO is having a bad day. 



From: *[email protected]*

*Thank you for the email. In Ohio you can have a digital copy of your fishing license on your cell phone. However, all permits (deer, turkey, etc…) must be in a hard copy on your person while performing that activity.


Thanks,

Jason*


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## chasmo (Jun 17, 2012)

I keep my Ohio and W Virginia license with my Pennsylvania license that must be displayed at all times. I also have electronic copies of all 3 on my smart phone and laminated copies in my go bag. Plus I keep an old photo ID.


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