Why regulation and process reform should precede technology modernization

Efforts to modernize licensing systems for hunting and fishing often focus first on technology. While modern platforms can deliver meaningful improvements in customer experience, agency efficiency, and long-term adaptability, their success is often limited — or even derailed — by the complex regulations and administrative processes they are designed to support.

Vague and confusing rules and processes are hindering participation growth  

Research points to complexity as a barrier to participation; in fact, in a special report by the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, close to 30% of hunters said that complex regulations made hunting difficult. Overly complicated hunting and fishing regulations, along with burdensome license acquisition processes, are discouraging potential new participants (and might even give experienced hunters and anglers pause). Simplifying regulations is one of the top priorities identified by R3 practitioners for improving recruitment and retention outcomes.

Expecting consumers (who expect simplicity and immediacy) to review pages of complex regulatory language or navigate a cumbersome multi-step licensing process is a recipe for disengagement. This is especially true for those who are unfamiliar with the traditions and technicalities of hunting and fishing. When systems are hard to navigate, these potential new participants are often the first to opt out. 

Although these complex regulations were created with good intentions (to protect resources or enable enforcement), over time, they’ve created an ecosystem that is now difficult to navigate. From a technology standpoint, this complexity carries hidden costs. Systems built to accommodate intricate and often outdated regulatory frameworks require significant customization — complex logic, branching rules, and numerous exceptions that quickly drive up implementation costs and increase long-term maintenance burdens. These bespoke solutions may meet today’s needs but create significant technical debt and lock agencies into rigid architectures that are costly to update and slow to adapt as needs and customer expectations evolve.

The RFP process might be reinforcing complexity  

When requirements are written to mirror current processes and regulations rather than reimagine them, agencies end up soliciting systems that enshrine existing complexity rather than solve for it. In these cases, technology modernization efforts may deliver a new system interface but fail to achieve the transformational agility and customer-centric design that modern digital government aspires to. And the opportunity cost is significant: Every year spent maintaining or replicating legacy processes is a year lost to more adaptable, user-friendly approaches that could help reverse declining participation trends.

A smarter approach? Align modernization efforts with regulatory and process simplification 

States that thoughtfully review their licensing regulations, eliminate unnecessary steps, and simplify license structures are not only creating a better customer experience but also clearing the path for modern technology solutions that are more scalable, sustainable, and future-ready.

By modernizing regulations and streamlining processes first, agencies position themselves to adopt modern platforms that can evolve with them, reduce long-term costs, and invite more people into the outdoors.