The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will launch a new system later this month to sell fishing and hunting licenses and the Discover Pass.

“We are very excited to launch the new system,” said Peter Vernie, WDFW’s licensing division manager. “It will be more user-friendly than the current system and will provide a better experience for our customers and the many retailers who sell state recreation licenses.”

Each year, WDFW sells about 2.5 million hunting and fishing licenses and related recreational permits, generating about $55 million for fish, wildlife, habitat management and enforcement activities that directly support recreational opportunities. Licenses are sold online, by telephone, and through a network of 600 business vendors across the state.

Vernie said WDFW will shut down the current system on the evening of Dec. 17 and will resume sales on Dec. 19. Licenses will not be sold on Sunday, Dec. 18, during the transition to the new system.

Hunters and anglers should be sure to buy their licenses before 6 p.m. Dec. 17 if they plan to be on the water or in the field the next day, he said.

“We appreciate our customers’ and our retail partners’ patience as we make this change,” Vernie said. “We are doing everything we can to minimize inconvenience and to deliver a secure, functional system on December 19.”

Vernie said licenses will be available in mid-January for the 2017-18 hunting and fishing seasons that begin April 1.

Hunters are also reminded to report their harvest online at WDFW’s website or by calling 1-877-945-3492. The hunter reporting service will be unavailable during the transition, Vernie said.

WDFW’s licensing system is located at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov .