Alabama hunting license purchase changes coming this fall

With dove season opening Sept. 5, and deer bow season opening Oct. 15, hunters need to know about some changes to the way they purchase hunting licenses online. 

Alabama’s hunters and anglers are stepping into a new era this season, as the state overhauled the online license purchasing system and added a slate of changes stretching from deer season to spring turkey hunts. The transformation, which was years in the making, is designed to simplify how residents buy licenses and to remove barriers for veterans and disabled hunters.

The shift comes as the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources replaces a licensing platform that had been in use for two decades. Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division Director Chris Lewis said the upgrade was overdue.

“We’ve changed our vendor. Our partner updated the system, so it’s a complete revamp of the old one,” Lewis said. “We’d been using that one for about 20 years, which is a long time for a technology system.”

The new system, built by Recreational Licensing, is already used in other states. It lives inside the familiar www.MyOutdoorAlabama.com portal, but returning customers will need to claim their accounts the first time they log in. A conservation ID or driver’s license number will pull up past records, including harvest history and previous license purchases.

Once inside, users can update addresses, phone numbers and emergency contacts. Lewis said the department merged all historical data into the new platform so hunters would not lose any records.

One noticeable change is the temporary end of automatic renewal. The old system stored payment information, which could not be transferred. “If anybody wants auto renew in the future, they’ll just buy their annual license like normal this year and then re-sign up for auto renew in the new system,” Lewis said.

The upgrade is expected to have its biggest impact on disabled residents and veterans. Previously, those customers had to visit a courthouse or district office each year to present documentation. Now, they can upload the required paperwork directly from home.

“There’s a form you fill out and a button to attach your documentation,” Lewis said. “Our staff will review it and approve it, and then that item will be available for purchase in your catalog.” 

He said approvals can often be completed the same day if customers call the Montgomery office after submitting their documents.

As hunters prepare for fall, deer season will look familiar with one exception. Fluorescent pink is now approved as an alternative to hunter orange during gun deer season. Chronic wasting disease management zones remain unchanged.

Turkey hunters will see more adjustments next spring. The season will open five days earlier, and the ban on turkey decoys at the start of the season has been removed. Public land hunters will also begin on the same opening day as private land hunters, eliminating last year’s delayed start.

Dove season arrives first, with the north zone opening Sept. 5 and the south zone following a week later. Lewis said the department’s annual hunting and fishing digest is already available at license vendors statewide. 

“It has all the information we talked about and a whole bunch of new changes for the upcoming year,” he said. This year’s digest also includes a history of whitetail deer management in Alabama. All information on seasons, bag limits and zones is also at www.outdooralabama.com. 

Alligator season wrapped up recently, and Lewis said early reports point to a strong year. 

“We saw a lot of really big gators being taken,” he said. Weather cooperated across all zones, and final tag totals will be available in the coming weeks once harvest records are completed.

Lewis said the department is eager for the season ahead. “We’re excited,” he said. “We’re looking forward to dove season, then small game, and gun deer season will be here before we know it.”