JACKSON — Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks managed to bring in more license sales revenue in FY2024 than the previous fiscal year. Director of Administrative Services Jason Thompson gave his monthly report on license sales Thursday morning in a commission meeting. 

MDWFP’s Fiscal Year runs from July 1 to June 30. Thompson said license sales brought in $20,751,000 in revenue, $453,378 more than the revenue collected in FY2023. The increase in revenue was not due to increased license sales but increased license fees instead including a new freshwater fishing guide permit. License revenue helps fund the work MDWFP carries out. 

Thompson explained to the MDWFP commission that they needed to approve an increase in administrative fees. MDWFP awarded a new contract for license sales to PayIt in November 2023. 

PayIt is tentatively scheduled to start serving MDWFP on February 18, 2025, Thompson said. 

“Our current administrative fees have been the same rate for 19 years. A fee increase will cover the functionality of the system,” Thompson said. “Procurement of the new vendor was done through ITs but MDWFP Commission would have to approve the changes to administrative fees.”

Residents will pay $2.49 in administrative fees, an increase from $1.29 while non-residents will pay $4.42 in administrative fees, an increase from $3.65. Commissioners approved the increase.