All 600 fish and game license dealers in Washington will no longer sell waterproof, tear-resistant licensing paper as early as May 13, 2026.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washingtonians will no longer be able to buy certain licenses as soon as mid-May, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
The agency attributed the move to a “global shortage of petroleum-based materials.”
All 600 fish and game license dealers in Washington will no longer sell waterproof, tear-resistant licensing paper as early as May 13, 2026.
Customers will be able to print licenses on standard printer paper at home or at a license dealer location. Alternatively, customers can use WDFW’s mobile license app.
“We appreciate everyone’s understanding during these global supply chain challenges,” Jennine Griffo, WDFW Licensing Division manager said.
In a press release announcing the decision, the agency said Washington is among several states navigating a global shortage of petroleum-based paper.
The U.S. and Iran remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime.
Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets, pajamas, soft contact lenses, detergent, chewing gum, shoes, crayons, shaving cream, pillows, aspirin, dentures, tape, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings are just a few of them.
While 85% of global oil consumption is in the form of fuel, the rest goes into a wide range of consumer products, according to Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia University’s School of Business.
Crude oil is mostly a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which are compounds made of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Refineries and chemical plants separate and break them down to convert them into smaller chemical building blocks known as petrochemicals.
Six petrochemicals — ethylene, propylene, butylene, benzene, toluene and xylenes — are the major foundations of plastics and synthetic materials like nylon and polyesters, which manufacturers in turn use to design and deliver products.
The Associated Press’ Annie D’Innocenzio contributed to this report.
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