Statement from Representative Josh Heintzeman on OLA Report Regarding DNR Licensing System

St. Paul – A new report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor(OLA) has raised concerns about the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) upcoming launch of its new Electronic Licensing System (ELS), citing missed benchmarks that are critical for a successful launch, incomplete agreements, deviations from project management best practices that present ongoing risks, and further delays.

The ELS, which is used to sell hunting and fishing licenses, title and register watercraft and off-highway vehicles, and provide other permits for outdoor activities, was originally planned to launch in March 2025. As of today, no specific launch date has been set.

Representative Josh Heintzeman (R-Nisswa), GOP Chair of the House Environment Committee, had this to say:

“I’d like to say I’m surprised by this news, but I’m not. With well over a decade of DFL ‘leadership’ in this state, we’ve had failure after failure of critical IT systems, such as MNsure and MNLARS. And now this.”

“DNR and its vendor need to make this right, and the sooner the better. Finish the testing, get the agreements in place, and make sure the ELS actually works before it goes live.”

Heintzeman said he expects frequent updates from DNR and will work with colleagues to ensure the system is fully ready before any launch moves forward.