Notification of Data Security Incident

On May 13, 2026, Texas Cyber Command detected a cybersecurity incident involving the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) license system vendor that handles the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.  

The investigation indicates that an unauthorized actor may have obtained driver license information, passport numbers (if provided), email addresses, phone numbers and residential addresses for more than 3 million Texas hunting and fishing license customers. Social Security numbers, dates of birth and financial information, including credit card details were not obtained from this incident. There is no evidence that customers under the age of 18 were involved or that any specific group was targeted.

We recognize the seriousness of this issue, and since the incident have identified and implemented additional security options to better protect customer information. Many of our staff are hunters and anglers and were affected by this incident. We are committed to continuing to work with the license system vendor to implement increased safeguards to prevent future incidents.

What TPWD is Doing:

TPWD is working closely with the license system vendor to implement new safeguards and enhanced monitoring services. Immediate steps were taken to strengthen access controls for customer profile data, and additional security features will be added in the future.

License sales continued on schedule for the 2026-27 license year. 

What You Can Do:

• Actively monitor for the possibility of fraud and identity theft by reviewing your credit report and financial statements for any unauthorized activity. If you notice any unauthorized activity, you should immediately notify the relevant financial institution or credit bureau reporting the activity.
• Check, freeze and monitor your credit. Contact the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) to freeze your credit. It is free to freeze your credit, and it makes it difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.  You can also place a free, one-year fraud alert by contacting any of the three credit bureaus.
• Scammers may use personal information to impersonate companies or officials. Avoid clicking links or sharing personal details unless you are certain the request is legitimate.

If you have any additional questions, please call (512)-389-4820 for more information.