License Center

The License Center has the responsibility for issuing licenses and recreational vehicle registrations and titles to both residents of Minnesota and non-residents directly from the central office of the DNR in St. Paul, through ELS point of sale equipment throughout the state, and over the telephone (1-888-665-4236) and Internet (Buy a license) .

Steve Michaels, Program Director
(651) 297-1230; (651) 355-0150

• License Counter
  The DNR maintains a license and registration counter in the St. Paul central office. Customers may purchase all game and fish licenses and register boats, ATVs etc., at the counter. Hours of operation are 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday.
• Shipping/Mail Room
  This section provides incoming and outgoing US Mail and interoffice mail service for the DNR's central office in St. Paul. The section also has the responsibility for receiving and preparing outgoing shipments for the central office using outside vendors (i.e., UPS, Speedy, Fed Ex, etc.), and provides central office security duties for central office dock and back entrance.
• Accounts Payable/Receivable
  The responsibility of this section is to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the management of approximately $63 million in revenue collected by the Bureau annually.

Steve Michaels, Program Manager ELS
(651) 297-1230; (651) 355-0150

• Licensing Section
  Licenses are required for harvesting wild rice, hunting, fishing, and trapping. The licensing section oversees the statewide sale of hunting and fishing licenses through its electronic licensing system (ELS). Licenses are issued immediately when evidence of eligibility are provided. The section also manages commercial licensing, hunting lotteries and the lifetime license programs.
• Registration and Titling Section
  This section supervises agent activity in watercraft titling and recreational vehicle registration and provides information to agents and the general public regarding titling and registration laws, regulations, requirements and procedures. Registering and licensing boats, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs), and off-road vehicles (ORVs) are provided in this section. The department requires licenses for the use of boats, snowmobiles, ATVs, OHMs, and ORVs within the state.
• Agent Management
  Duties of the section include the responsibility for the selection, training, and management of 1,800+ ELS agents statewide and provide help desk support for those agents.
• Electronic License System (ELS)
  This section is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the ELS for game and fish licensing, registration and titling of recreational vehicles, and other privileges requested by other divisions of the department. Includes the IT function of the Bureau, which maintains the connectivity with the ELS vendor and performs liaison IT management between the ELS vendor, ELS agents, and the department.