Critiques of Michigan's Electronic License System

I know government is not to be looked to in terms of a shining beacon of efficiency and customer service. But given we are decades into the Internet era, I feel that Michigan has some issues with its electronic licensing system. Two critiques: 1. "Sportcard" You have buy a $1.00 Sportcard before you can buy a license. It's only $1.00 (at the moment), so you don't think much of it. But you better hang on to that card, because if you try to purchase a license the next year, you will be asked to enter the sportcard number in. If you're a resident and no longer have the sport card? No problem, just look it up by your driver's license. But if you are a nonresident and you can't find your sport card, you have to repurchase a brand new sport card, even though you have a valid one on file. No way to look up your info based on SS number or anything like that. What's up with that? 2. Reprinting of Licenses. Something happen to cause you to lose your license? Maybe your tackle box got stolen. Maybe you had a fire. Or, maybe you just lost or misplaced it without a good excuse. Well no sweat, you can log in and reprint your license...but, here's the catch.... only if you log in and enter every detail about your license, including the Sportcard number (see above) and also the exact date you purchased it. Just follow these 21 easy steps (no joke) and we'll allow you to print the license that you already paid for: https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/Help/index.html?displayavailableitems.htm Oh, and has it been 96 hours or more since you purchased that original you lost? Sorry, we can't help. Go buy your annual out of state license with a trout stamp all over again. Now, I'm lucky because I always print extra copies. But do we really have to make it this difficult for everyone? Shouldn't there be some sense of thinking, "Hey, Michigan has some great fishing that could bring people here to spend their hard-earned tourism dollars. Let's make it very easy for someone to purchase a license"....am I a crazy man for thinking like this?

I have not had any problems, besides I get the same license out of state as I pay for in state in Wisconsin. It is a bargain to fish in MI.

Lakeshiner- I know that's how it's supposed to work, but it doesn't for some reason. I'm one of the few non-residents on this site and I think that has something to do with it. It's really not an issue to me, but I just thought I would throw it in there to support my argument. Thanks for the advice though, I'm going to check it out online.

Mr. Bass - If you give them your DNR Customer number off an old license, your info is already there and they can just select the license you want and print it off. You can update your info online if you need to, instead of having the person do it. I admit I don't buy MI licenses (just was interested in the topic) but it sounds similar to this sport card number. They shouldn't have to re-enter all your info for a WI license.

After buying licenses in or living in most of the 50 states, I have to say that MIDNR is probably in the top-10 of ease, cost, and support. Granted, I have bought probably a dozen or so sportcards over the last 30 years, but once I started saving copies online in my hotmail account and downloading all my licenses/boat registration info, etc. onto thumb drives and printing exztra copies of stuff and stashing them in my boat, truck, cabin, toolbag, tackle box, things are pretty easy. Bottom line, compared to most other states, the MIDNR license process is simple, and I don't begrudge the extra dollar for another sportcard every so often because the facilities that I use while fishing in the UP are well kept, the outhouses are about as clean as you can expect, and the boat ramps are in pretty good shape- although, I have never seen a MDNR officer that isn't asleep in his truck at the launch with a box of donuts or pasties on his lap, but thats the life for them I guess.

While I know that this is a critique of Michigan's online system I still feel the need to chime in. You should always print out more then one copy for anything important. Thats the biggest problem here. Michigan is the only state I know of that has impressed me with the way they handle their fishing licenses. I still haven't purchased my license for this year so I don't know this years price, but they have remained the same comparatively affordable price of $34 since I started purchasing a license 12 years ago. Unless I have to wait in line for other customers the sportscard saves me about 5 minutes of waiting time for the person to type in my information. It usually takes about 30 seconds from the time I hand my sportscard over until the time my license is printed. Where as every single time I go into buy my Wisconsin hunting license I have to hand over my hunters saftey card and wait while the person enters everything in for the 18th year in a row. Every boat launch I have used in the state has an outhouse and a garbage can and none of them have ever charged to use the launch. Michigan does a good job in my opinion.

The sportcard is a small PIA but it has been $1 for close to two decades. The number is printed on your license so you just need last years fishing/hunting license to get it. Save a copy on your hard drive and then when you order on line it will be right there. Before the online purchasing was launched I always just figured it was a buck more each year as I never kept track of the hard copy. I print out and laminate about 5-6 copies of each license I buy for the UP and keep one in my tackle box, truck, boat dashboard, hunting vest, hunting pants etc. I find their system to be failry easy.