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License Refunds, Reissues, Reversals and Exchanges
License Refunds, Reissues, Reversals and Exchanges

ATTENTION HUNTERS!


Update 8/5/2020: Under the Director’s Disaster Relief authority, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will allow big-game license holders requesting a COVID-19 related refund to receive both a monetary refund and preference point restoration (to the pre-drawing level) if the request is received as postmarked at least 15 days before the start of the respective season. Please also note the reason and circumstances surrounding your request on this PDF application form.

We are not applying this policy retroactively to refunds that have already been processed. The $15 processing fee will also still apply and will be deducted from the refund amount. Qualifying licenses and application fees continue to be non-refundable. No additional points for this year will be added at this time.

Beginning in 2020, any hunter that is submitting after the 30 day refund deadline claiming an extreme medical circumstance MUST have their physician fill out the Extreme Medical Circumstance Request form (coming soon).

​YOU MUST INCLUDE THE LICENSE AND CARCASS TAG TO APPLY FOR A BIG GAME REFUND OR PREFERENCE POINT RESTORATION. Refund requests received without a license will automatically be denied. If you have any refund/preference point restoration questions, see below for detailed instructions or contact CPW more than 30 days prior to the start of your season. 

Reissued Big Game Licenses may be available starting August 11 at 9am. See below for more information on the reissue process. 


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Refund, Reissue, Reversal, and Exchange Info


To apply for a refund or point restoration, please download and fill out the License Refund / Preference Point Restoration Application​. ​

Note: if you are seeking an exemption to the 30-day rule due to an extreme medical circumstance, you must include the License Refund - Extreme Medical Exemption Form.pdf with your refund / preference point restoration application. 

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​​​​Refund and Preference Point Restoration Process

Note, anyone may request and be given a refund or preference point restoration for a license no later than 30 days prior to the start of the season (14 days for turkey licenses) for which the license is valid. Also, most refunds are subject to a $15.00 processing fee.

  • To be eligible for a refund or restoration of preference points, a license must be turned into a CPW location or postmarked at least 30 days prior to the start of the season (14 days for turkey licenses)​ for which the license is valid. 

  • No refunds or preference point restorations will be given on exchanged licenses or licenses that cost less than $15.​​​​ This does not apply to youth licenses.

  • A $15 processing fee will be deducted from most refunds to help recover internal costs of processing that request. The $15 processing fee will not be charged for restoration of preference point requests, refunds to youth licenses, extreme medical circumstances, death of the license holder or license holder’s immediate family member, military deployment, jury duty, or CPW error.  

  • Any request of refund or preference point restoration after the 30 day deadline will be limited to extreme medical circumstances, death of the license holder or license holder’s immediate family member, military deployment, jury duty.

  • NEW IN 2020: The Extreme Medical Exemption Request form must be filled out and signed by a physician for anyone requesting an exception to the submission due date rule to an extreme medical circumstance. Other medical documentation will not be accepted. If a request is submitted without this form, it will be denied.

  • Once a refund or preference point request form, and license, has been mailed or submitted to a CPW location, there is no way to recover that license. 

  • Individuals must still choose between a refund or restoration of preference points; both will not be awarded.

  • Refunds will not be given on annual licenses, to include all qualifying licenses. Refunds are also not granted for mountain lion licenses, application fees, habitat stamps, waterfowl stamps, and Federal duck stamps.

  • Refunds OR restoration of preference points will still be given for any reason prior to 30 days before the start of the season, if submitted or postmarked appropriately.

  • In cases of extreme medical circumstances, death of the license holder or license holder’s immediate family member, or jury duty, applications will be accepted no more than 30 days after the start of the season for which the license is valid, with the exception of military deployment. ​

  • If a request is submitted after a season has started, it must include proof the licensee was not in the field during the season on their license.

How will I receive my refund?

​Product purchased online or with the Aspira call center:

  • Refunds will be returned to the card used to purchase it (e.g. credit card, debit card, gift card, etc.) if possible. 

    • If you use a gift card (e.g. VISA) to apply for the draw/purchase a license and need a refund later, the money will be returned to that card so we recommend you keep track of it. 

  • If the refund cannot be issued to a card, Aspira will issue a check directly.

  • Credits will show on statements 3-5 business days after being processed by the Refund Office.

  • We cannot accommodate requests for a refund to be issued by a paper check rather than a credit to the card.

  • Once money has been returned to a card, the action is final and cannot be changed. 

​Products purchased at a CPW office, park or external agent:

  • Refunds will be issued as paper checks.

  • May take up to 90 days to process.


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​​Reissue of Limited Licenses

MOST limited licenses returned for refund or preference point restoration will now be reissued, pursuant to Colorado Wildlife Regulation Chapter 16, Article​​ IV, #1670. 

ALL reissued licenses are still subject to annual bag limits and refund/preference point restoration regulations. 

Sheep, goat, moose, and public Ranching for Wildlife male and either-sex licenses continue to be reissued to the next person in the draw order as in years past. 

Note: Due to contractual obligations, Public Ranching for Wildlife licenses can no longer be reissued less than 30 days prior to the start of the season for which the hunt code is valid. 

5 or More Preference​ Points

Returned deer, elk, pronghorn and bear hunt codes that took 5 or more resident preference points to draw, in the current years draw, will be reissued to the next person in the draw order.​

  • ​These reissued licenses will require the use of preference points as per regulation if accepted.

  • If one of the first 5 customers contacted, per returned license, do not accept it, the license will then be reissued utilizing the current leftover lists.

4 or Less Preference Points

All other returned limited licenses, excluding public Ranching for Wildlife, will be available to any of the public who meet licensing and education requirements. 

  • These returned limited licenses reissued utilizing the current leftover list will NOT require the use of preference points.

  • Limited licenses will continue to be reissued as long as a sufficient number of licenses are returned or unsold.

The Reissue Process

Reissued licenses will be available on the leftover list. Leftover licenses go on sale starting Aug. 4. All additional reissued hunt codes that are not on the initial leftover list will be added starting Aug. 11.​

  1. ​Hunt codes will randomly be placed on the current leftover list Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM MST.​

  2. All returned licenses that take 4 or less Preference Points in the current years draw will be available for purchase the week after processing is complete. 



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​​Reversals

If a customer makes a purchase in error, a reversal may be available. A customer may call 303-297-1192 M-F 8am-5pm MST within 24 hours of a purchase and we may reverse the purchase if it has not yet been printed. This does not apply to same day 1 day licenses OR annual licenses as these are valid immediately upon purchase.


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Exchanges​

  • ALL license exchanges will be charged 50% of the cost of the original license, not to exceed $25.

  • There are no refunds or preference point restorations available on exchanged licenses.

  • Exchanges can be completed at a CPW office or park up until the day before the season starts on the original license. Once a season starts, an exchange is no longer available.

  • The exchange fee applies if a hunter is changing a license between float groups.

  • Licenses may only be exchanged for a hunt code for the same species as the current license.

  • Hunters can exchange from an OTC license to a limited license of the same species and vice versa, given there is quota available and is before the season start of their current license.

  • Exchanges cannot be completed until leftover licenses and OTC licenses go on sale. Leftover licenses go on sale August 4th, 2020 at 9am and OTC license sales start August 6th, 2020 at 9am.​

Non-resident hunters who need to exchange a license while out of state may mail exchange requests to the Refund Office. Requests must be postmarked no later than the day before the start of the season of the original license. It must include a check for the exchange fee of $25 plus any difference in license fee (if applicable) and clearly specify what hunt code you’d like to exchange to. If the requested hunt code is not available at the time of processing, the original license and payment will be returned to the hunter. ​​​

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