EPIMS Questions and Answers

1. Verify there are no extra spaces at the end of the Username or Password.
2. Check SPAM folder.
3. Contact the EPIMS Help Desk for further help.

Contact the EPIMS Help Desk to update contact information/recover your current username/password for your account.

The person must be a registered EPIMS user and associated to the same organization as the applicant.

1. The applicant will start the application, selecting the permit opportunity, then entering the "Project Name" and selecting the organization for which both users are associated.
2. After clicking "Save" at the top of the 'General Information' form, the option to include 'Additional Contacts' will appear.
3. The applicant should click "Edit" in the toolbar.
   • Any EPIMS User associated to the same organization will appear in the “Additional Contacts” box. This is a multi-select box (hold the Ctrl button on your keyboard), select all additional contacts.
4. After click "Save" in the toolbar, those listed as additional contacts will be able to access the application under their personal EPIMS account.

Adding a new person (like a consultant) to your organization requires the new person to first register an EPIMS user account. To ensure account security, a registered user already associated with the organization must contact the EPIMS Help Desk and provide the name of the organization and the name of person that needs to be added.

If you already have an account, you will need to email your request to the EPIMS Help Desk. Please include your contact information as well as the Organization’s contact information. CDFW will reach out for more details if the organization is not already in EPIMS.

If you do not already have an account, you will have the option to add the organization to your registration form. When registering, please make surethat the contact information for the organization matches what is already in EPIMS.

The Applicant is always the “Applicant Proposing Project”. The Applicant is legally responsible for the project activities in the notification. List consultants, lawyers, engineers, etc., as Additional Contacts, not the Applicant.

A Designated Representative is an individual authorized by the Applicant to act on their behalf regarding a specific application/permit. The Applicant can select anyone with a registered EPIMS user account as the Designated Representative on a specific application/permit.

Yes, however the Applicant is still legally responsible for adhering to all terms provided in the final agreement/permit. The Applicant must include the Designated Representative in the General Information form of the application to sign for the Applicant/permittee.

A third-party (i.e., a consultant) can only view/edit the applications where the Applicant listed them as an Additional Contact.

To ensure account security, if a registered user wants to remove a third-party from their account or permit the registered user/Applicant must contact EPIMS Help Desk.

CDFW automatically sends an email with a receipt when LSA fees are paid through CDFW’s Online License Sales and Service internet page. The receipt contains the Document ID [D-XXXXXXXXXX-X] on the second page. Enter the Document ID into the “Fee Schedule” form.

On the Fee Schedule (PDF) form in EPIMS, there is an option to pay by a check/money order or debit/credit card. If paying online with a debit/credit card, go to CDFW’s Online License Sales and Service website. CDFW recommends registering for an Online License Sales account. Find the section under the Menu that’s titled “2025 - Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA).” In this section, choose the fees that coincide with the listed project(s). Please note fees listed on this website include a service fee. Once paid, CDFW sends an email with a receipt that includes a Document ID.

CDFW strongly discourages sending fees for your notifications in advance. Please complete the Check or Money Order form (PDF), and mail the form along with the payment to your Regional office a couple of days before you submit your notification for a timely submission of both.

Follow the directions provided in the EPIMS email on how to edit the incomplete application. A step may have been missed when making the edits. If no steps were missed and the “Edit” button is still unavailable, verify the correct form has been selected within EPIMS.

The “Edit” button should only be visible on the top right-hand corner of the form requiring additional information. If asked to add an attachment of any kind, use the “Add” button on the “Documents and Maps” section of the application instead of the “Edit” button. If the “Edit” or “Add” buttons are still not visible, this might be an internal error; please email the EPIMS Help Desk with the applicant name, application number, and a brief description of the issue and CDFW will review the application.

If the form won’t allow basic functions like saving, marking as complete, and/or is giving an error message, verify that you are using a compatible internet browser. EPIMS isn’t fully compatible with Internet Explorer or Safari; switch to either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox or try closing and reopening the current browser.

Applicants can save their work in an EPIMS application at any time by clicking the ‘Save’ button at the top of the form. However, applicants must complete any required questions that appear in that form before saving.

There is a separate form on the application specifically for attaching documents. It can be found under “Documents and Maps.” This is where documents/maps/attachments can be added by using the “Add” button at the top of the page. Only one document can be added at a time, but applicants can add as many as needed. There is no file size limit.

Locate unfinalized projects applications in the My Permit Applications tab. Once in My Permit Applications select the Project Name you wish to print; this will open a printable version of the application in a popup window. From here, you can right click and select Print (or Ctrl + P). Select “Save as PDF” as the print destination. This will generate a PDF file for you to save or select a printer to print a paper copy.

Locate finalized projects (and any documents associated with it), in Permit Tracking. Once in Permit Tracking, click the name of your project, and click on “Application” from the list of Permit Components. Then click the Print button in the upper right to open a printable version. From here, you can right click and select Print (or Ctrl + P). Select “Save as PDF” as the print destination; this will generate a PDF file for you to save or select a printer to print a paper copy.

If you are unable to edit your notification, first look for an Edit button at the top of the page within the form you are trying to make changes to. If there is a blue Edit button on the page, you will need to click this before you are able to move forward. If you have already clicked the Edit button and are still unable to make changes, try changing your browser. EPIMS works best when using Google Chrome. If you are still experiencing issues after trying both of these steps, please contact the EPIMS Help Desk. 

Contact the CDFW scientist who has been assigned to your project. If the project has not been assigned or the scientist is unknown, contact the EPIMS Help Desk.

The application was never submitted and is still in Editing mode. To officially submit, fill all application forms and select “Marked as Complete.” Then, click the “Submit” button and start the review process. EPIMS sends an email once an application is officially submitted.

CDFW cannot transfer applications in EPIMS between regions. Applicants must complete a new application and submit it to the correct region. The first application will still be accessible, to assist in data transfer to a new application.

If any part of the project is located outside, then it is automatically ineligible for Self-Certification. This Application is meant for cultivation projects that are completely indoors (defined by permanent walls, permanent roof, and impermeable floor) only. Applicants need to fill out either the General Agreement Application or the Standard Agreement Application. If CDFW determines that the project, in fact, does not impact a river, stream, or lake, CDFW will issue a refund.