EPIMS Questions and Answers

1. Verify there are no extra spaces at the end of the Username or Password.
2. If no password/username reset email is received check SPAM folder.
3. If still unable to access account, contact the EPIMS Help Desk for further help.

Call 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 have a registered EPIMS user account. Once the new person has an EPIMS account you must contact the EPIMS Help Desk and provide the name of the organization and the name of person that needs to be added. The EPIMS Help Desk will link the new person to your organization.

A third-party (i.e., a consultant) can only view/edit the applications to which they are specifically chosen as an additional permittee contact by the applicant.

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. If the organization has not already been entered into our system, we will reach out to ask for more details to create it.  

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 sure that the contact information for the organization matches what is already in our system.  

A designated representative is an individual authorized by an applicant to act on their behalf regarding a specific application/permit.

Anyone with a registered EPIMS user account can be chosen by the applicant as the designated representative on a specific application/permit.

The Applicant is always the “Applicant Proposing Project”. This person is held legally responsible for the project activities in the notification. If you are a consultant, lawyer, engineer, etc., you should be listed as the Additional Contact, not the Applicant.

Yes, however the applicant is still legally responsible for adhering to the terms provided in the final agreement/permit. A designated representative can only sign for the applicant/permittee if they have been marked as such in the application General Information form.

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.

If the LSA fees have been paid through CDFW’s Online License Sales and Service internet page, an email will be sent with a receipt. This receipt contains the Document ID [D-XXXXXXXXXX-X] on the second page. This number will need to be entered into the “Fee Schedule” form before the form can be marked as complete.

On the Fee Schedule 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 site. CDFW recommends that registering for an Online License Sales account. Find the section under the Menu that’s titled “2024 - 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 the fees have been paid, a receipt will be emailed including a Document ID that is needed in EPIMS to continue.

We strongly discourage 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.

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.

Follow the directions provided in the EPIMS email on how to edit the incomplete application. There may have been a step missed in 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 an “Edit” button. If the “Edit” or “Add” buttons are still not visible, this might be an internal error; please call or email the EPIMS Helpline 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 particular 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.

For projects that have not been finalized, you can locate your application 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 which you can save, or select a printer to print a paper copy.

For projects that have been finalized (and any documents associated with it), you can locate them 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 which you can 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. 

If you know the name of the scientist who has been assigned to your project, call them directly. If the project has not been assigned or the scientist is unknown, call or email the EPIMS Help Desk.

The application was never submitted and is still in Editing mode. To officially submit, make sure all application forms have been filled out and have all been “Marked as Complete.” Once this is done, click the “Submit” button and start the review process. An email from EPIMS will be sent once an application has been officially submitted.