Last updated Aug 10, 2022

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Licensing After Opening Days

After the opening days, licensing for all counties will occur by appointment only. Customers may begin making appointments through the department’s website on August 10 for virtual meetings that will begin August 17. On August 10, the link for appointments will go live between 8am and 9am. New appointments will be added on a regular basis through the end of the regular duck season (January 31). In addition, canceled appointments will be added as they become available. Customers who schedule an appointment will receive an email that includes a link to communicate with a DNR staff person at the appropriate date and time through Microsoft Teams. Hunters must be Maryland residents and must have purchased either a 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 Maryland hunting license prior to their appointment to license sites. Riparian landowners wishing to license their own property are exempt from the requirement to possess a current or past-year hunting license.

Virtual Meeting

Those who make an appointment will be emailed an invitation to a virtual meeting with a DNR staff person. The email will be from an address that is formatted as OBSL.MD1@maryland.gov. Please keep your eyes open for this invitation in both in-boxes and spam/junk folders. The invitation will be for a specific date and time and may not be changed.

The invitation email will contain a web link to a virtual meeting that will be conducted through the Microsoft Teams online platform. Although downloading the Microsoft Teams program onto your computer will be an option, it is not necessary. We strongly recommend using the web-based version of MS Teams rather than downloading the program. On the day of their scheduled meeting, the customer will enter the meeting by clicking on the “join the meeting” link, prior to their appointed time, and wait to be connected with a MD DNR representative who will assist them with selecting up to two waterfowl blind sites.

We recommend joining Microsoft Teams 5 -10 minutes prior to the scheduled meeting, especially if you are unfamiliar with Microsoft Teams. Customers should review Microsoft Teams prior to the meeting to familiarize themselves with its functions. For best results, we recommend using a newer computer with Windows 10 and Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. We also recommend a minimum internet connection speed of around 6 - 8 Mgps (download) for optimal results. Speeds less than this may work, but the video quality may begin to degrade as speeds decrease. You can test the strength of your connection by typing “Internet Speed Test” into your browser for a quick online test. For maximum speed, be sure to close all other programs that may be running and sit close to your Wifi router.

The Microsoft Teams meeting can also be joined from a smartphone or tablet through the Microsoft Teams App. Customers who wish to use their smartphone or tablet must first download the Microsoft Team App well before the meeting. Brief instructions for downloading the App are available HERE. We recommend that the user familiarizes themselves with the functions of this app, and find a place that has a strong, reliable cellular signal (of at least three out of four bars) or a solid WIFI connection for optimal use during the meeting.

During this virtual meeting, the customer and DNR representative must be able to see and speak to each other. If the customer has a computer with a monitor and built-in microphone, they should be able to see and speak via the Microsoft Teams video-conferencing platform. Customers are not required to have a computer with a built-in camera in order for the process to work. However, if a customer has a computer that does not have a built-in microphone they will need to have a cell phone or landline where they can call into the virtual meeting (phone number will be provided with the invitation). In this case, the customer will be watching the process on their monitor and listening and talking through their phone. If the customer is running the Microsoft Teams app on their smartphone, they should be able to both see the process and speak via the app, rather than needing to call in.

As part of this process, the customer will be able to view a map of their selected county and work with DNR staff to pick blind sites from eligible locations. Offshore waterfowl blind site placement specifications remain the same as in past years and can be viewed by clicking HERE.

The DNR representative will review the customer’s Compass account to make sure they are eligible to participate in the blind site licensing process. The customer may be required to present information, such as a driver’s license, to verify that they are the person scheduled for that appointment. The person who made the appointment must be present in the virtual meeting for blind sites to be reserved. Only one connection with the DNR representative is allowed during the meeting. The meeting will end if the DNR representative cannot verify the identity of the customer or determines that they are ineligible to participate.

The DNR representative will then share their screen allowing the customer to view an electronic map showing the tidal waterways, the shoreline mapping layer, and riparian properties that have been licensed by previously. The DNR representative will be able to move the map around the screen and designate each blind site by clicking on the location indicated by the customer.

After the blind sites are selected the DNR representative will verify the customer’s contact information, provide them with their license number(s), and review payment instructions with the customer before ending the meeting.

Payment Process

After selecting up to two blind sites, the customer will have to submit electronic payment ($20 per site) through their COMPASS account. Further instructions will be provided at the conclusion of the virtual meeting.