The FishingBC App and the NRLS

The National Recreational Licensing System (NRLS) is the online system that allows recreational fishers to obtain a BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence and Salmon Conservation Stamp from any location with an Internet connection.

You may now voluntarily link your FishingBC App and NRLS accounts (using the instructions below). When linked, you can retrieve your fishing licence in the app, view your official Catch Records, and use the app to record mandatory catches, eliminating the need to keep a paper copy of your licence.

Linking your accounts

If you have already created an NRLS account and you are logged into your FishingBC App account, follow these steps to link your accounts:

1. Ensure that you have a network connection on your device, as linking to your NRLS account cannot be done while you are “offline”.
2. Look for the Link Your NRLS Account card on the FishingBC App's home screen or the main Profile screen, and expand it.
3. Click the Learn More button to go to the NRLS Account Link screen.
4. Click the Link My Accounts button to start the process.

5. Complete the NRLS account sign-in form that's loaded:

   

   Note:

   • Make sure you link to the correct NRLS account.
   • If you have dependents or multiple NRLS accounts with the same email address, confirm you are entering the correct password for the account you wish to link with.
   • Be sure to also complete the “consent” and “terms and conditions” checkboxes in order to proceed. (The checkboxes may appear to be faded out, and can be difficult to see.)
6. Click the form's Sign In button, and the process should complete shortly. If successful, content in the app's NRLS Account Link screen will be updated to confirm that your accounts are indeed linked.
7. If linking to your NRLS account doesn't work:
   • If you are presented with a message about an incorrect username or password, please contact DFO. You may also want to refer to their NRLS-related help information.
   • For any other issues, feel free to reach out to us by email, we're happy to help.

Retrieving your licence in the app

Once your FishingBC App and NRLS accounts have been linked, the app's Licences screen should automatically display your current licence (and any valid future licences).

If you don't see it, pull down on the top of that screen to reload the list of licences, or tap on the refresh icon in the Licence History card below (if it's available). You can also choose “Check for Updates” from the main menu.

If you bought your licence from an Independent Access Provider

If you purchased a fishing licence from an Independent Access Provider (IAP) and want to add it to the FishingBC App, please contact DFO and request that an NRLS account be created for you. Once that has been done, you can link your accounts as per the instructions above.

Note that if you previously obtained a licence through an IAP, an NRLS account may already have been created for you. To access that account, please follow DFO's instructions to Recover Your Account.

If you have dependents associated with your NRLS account

If you have dependents associated with your NRLS account, and want to link those dependents to the app, you will just need to create a separate FishingBC App account for each NRLS account dependent. (While the NRLS system allows accounts to share an email address, the app requires a unique email address / username for each separate account.)

If your accounts become un-linked

The link between your FishingBC App account and your NRLS account may sometimes be broken due to technical issues. If this happens, please re-link your accounts (following the steps above) as soon as possible to ensure your app's electronic licence and official Catch Records remain fully legally compliant.

Please note that your NRLS account will need to be re-linked at the start of each new fishing season.