Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Launches HuntFishPA: New Mobile-Friendly, Outdoor Recreational Licensing Platform
HARRISBURG, Pa. (January 27) — The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) are excited to announce the launch of HuntFishPA, the new user-friendly licensing platform for hunters, anglers, and boaters.
Visitors to www.HuntFish.pa.gov will discover convenient features like personalized dashboards, autorenewal for fishing licenses, and the ability to report game and furbearer harvests as required. Users who visit the agencies' websites – www.pgc.pa.gov and www.fishandboat.com – for their licensing and other needs will be seamlessly directed to the new system. HuntFishPA replaces the previous Pennsylvania Automatic Licensing System (PALS) platform known as The Outdoor Shop.
HuntFishPA provides outdoor enthusiasts with a modern and streamlined platform to purchase hunting and fishing licenses, launch permits, boat registration renewals, lotteries, draws, and permits – on any device, at any time. The platform also offers Harvest Reporting, 24/7 call center support, and a seamless transition for license holders who previously used the PALS system. Prior users will simply need to log in as they've done in the past with existing credentials. All profile, license, and past purchase information has been transferred to HuntFishPA.
"During a time when so many Pennsylvanians are enjoying the great outdoors, the launch of this new and improved system ensures that getting your required licenses is as simple and convenient as possible," said Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. "We think users will appreciate the modern look and features we have included to make the purchase of your licenses fast and easy, so you can spend more time out on the water or in the woods."
Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans echoed those comments.
"Today's hunters, trappers, and anglers look for convenience in securing the licenses they need, and they want that process to be as easy and hassle-free as possible," Burhans said. "HuntFishPA was developed to help meet those demands, helping ensure your next license purchase will be the best you ever experienced."
The PGC and PFBC partnered with digital government solutions firm NIC Inc., to develop and manage HuntFishPA's licensing platform and secure payment system. NIC has 20 years of experience in outdoor licensing solutions across 11 states, including Wisconsin, Mississippi, Alabama, Maine, and South Carolina, in addition to extensive expertise in managing digital government services and secure payment processing solutions.
For customers who prefer to purchase hunting and fishing licenses in person, the HuntFishPA platform is available at 750 issuing agent locations, including bait shops, convenience stores, sporting goods retailers, county treasurers and Walmart. Retail customers can buy their licenses the same way as they have in the past and have licenses printed at the time of purchase. Customers will notice that their new fishing and hunting licenses purchased in a store will be printed on durable green paper, replacing the yellow license color that was used previously.
HuntFishPA's New Features and Enhanced Functionality
- Enhanced user experience with a clean, modern design
- Streamlined content and screen flow to enable fast, easy-to-process transactions
- Customer account and dashboard displays specific information for each customer, including past license purchases and items eligible for purchase
- "Quick Order" option displays past license purchases for a quick and easy sale, so customers don't have to remember what they previously purchased or search for items
- The system will automatically recommend related add-on items as a customer makes a purchase
- Username and password setup for customers to quickly access their accounts
- Guest checkout feature allows customers to purchase vouchers and magazine subscriptions without an account or being logged into the system
- Merchandise sales are made through the system
- Harvest reporting is completed through the system
- 24/7 phone customer service support is available for users
- Agent locator is featured to identify nearby walk-in retail locations
Additional New Feature for Fishing and Boating Licensees and Permits
- Auto-renewal option for customers to automatically purchase next year's licenses and permits
Additional New Feature for Game Licensees
- Provides CWD results on reported harvests
Instructional videos are available to guide users through their purchases using HuntFishPA:
About NIC Inc.
NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV) is a leading digital government solutions and payments company, serving more than 7,000 federal, state and local government agencies across the nation. With headquarters in Olathe, Kan., NIC partners with the majority of U.S. states, including South Carolina, to deliver user-friendly digital services that make it easier and more efficient to interact with government – providing valuable conveniences like applying for unemployment insurance, submitting business filings, renewing licenses, accessing information and making secure payments without visiting a government office. In the COVID-19 era and beyond, NIC helps government agencies rapidly deliver digital solutions to provide essential services to citizens and businesses alike. Having served the public sector for nearly 30 years, NIC continues to evolve with its federal, state and local government partners to deliver innovative and cost-effective digital government to constituents. Learn more at www.egov.com.
##
Media Contacts:
Travis Lau
Pennsylvania Game Commission
(717)705-6541
trlau@pa.gov
Mike Parker
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
(717)585-3076
michparker@pa.gov