That may only apply to the one you buy "One year from date of purchase" license.

I can see the confusion if you don't know about the "one year from date of purchase" licenses. Apparently, there are a lot of folks who do not know you can buy a fishing license and it NOT expire on the 31st of August. I have been doing it a while now.

No one has ever asked me if I have a valid fishing license when I am purchasing one.
Not being able to sell you a fishing license when yours is still valid can not be true because of all the stores which have long lines selling licenses the couple of weeks before they expire.

That is true if renewing your license starting August 15 because the license is valid from date of purchase in August (August 15 and later) through August 31 of the following year. A couple of years ago after purchasing a new fishing license in August the stores printer malfunctioned and did not print a license. The store could not print me another license because the TPWD system said I already had a valid license and would only allow another license to be printed if I paid the $10 to get a lost license reissued. The store contacted TPWD and was able to have them override their system and print out the license I had already paid for.

Apparently if you purchase a Year-from-Purchase All-Water Package the TPWD system will not allow you to renew until after that license expires.

I sold fishing licenses at BPS for several years.
The $40 Annual All Water expires 8/31 every year. To allieviate the high demand on their licensing system, TPWD starts selling them on 8/15 every year. They are valid from date of purchase to 8/31 of the specified license year.
The $47 Annual All Water Year-to-Date is from date of purchase to the end of the purchase month of the following year. TPWD does not have a system in place to renew that license before it expires.

I've had licenses misprint before. We would eat the $10 reprint charge from TPWD, keep the misprinted license and send it back to TPWD as proof of a misprint. They would then credit the $10 back to the store's account.

I buy mine early at the TPWD in Waco and they said the new one override the old.

Summary- What we have learned.

If you have a traditional all water license ($40) which expires on the 31st of August, you can renew it starting on Aug. 15th.

If you pay for the year to date ($47), you cant renew it until it expires, but you do get an extra month added every year for the expiration.

I have a Lifetime Combo, My license never expires.

Interesting info. Thanks for sharing!

TPWD will take your money...

https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/licenses/online_sales/