New Outdoors Card Requirement for Non-Resident Hunters

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is working on a project to improve its fishing and hunting licensing system. Once these improvements are completed, non-resident hunters will be able to purchase Ontario hunting licences from home, using the Internet or the automated 1-800 phone system. As part of this project, MNR will also be developing an automated licensing system for its 1,800 licence issuers to improve service to all anglers and hunters.

The automated system will require all anglers and hunters to have a unique identification number. For this reason, MNR has extended the requirement to have an Outdoors Card to non-resident anglers and hunters, effective January 1, 2009. The Outdoors Card is required to purchase an Ontario fishing or hunting licence (with the exception of a one-day fishing licence).

In 2009, non-resident anglers and hunters will be able to purchase their initial Outdoors Card by filling out an application at any ServiceOntario counter or Ontario fishing and hunting licence issuer. The paper application will serve as a temporary Outdoors Card until the permanent plastic card is received in the mail. The new Hunting/Fishing Outdoors Card will also serve as proof of hunting accreditation, so non-resident hunters will only have to present proof of hunting accreditation initially to obtain the card.  In subsequent years they will need only the Outdoors Card to prove their eligibility to purchase licences.

For more information you may call the Outdoors Card Centre (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday) toll free from anywhere in North America at:  1-800-387-7011