To the best of my recollection, this is how it has been for a long while. As it is now, the Inyo wants to tell you all the rules and regs when you pick up your permit, which isn't a bad thing for the newbs. However, I have seen this movie about as many times as I have seen Casablanca.
I did this twice last year. They instruct you over the phone, put your papers in a box 200 feet from the visitor center, and tell you the combination on the lock.
