MERCHANT MARINE LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
Evaulation: Upper Level $70 Lower Level $65 Examination Upper Level $150 Lower Level $80 Issuance: Upper & Lower Level $35
CITIZENSHIP:
Applicants for all licenses must be U.S. citizens. With the exeption of the Operator of Uninspected
Passenger Vessel licenses (i.e. state numbered vessels), no license shall be issued to any person who is not
a citizen of the United States, either native born or fully naturalized. The Officer in Charge, Marine
Inspection, must be satisfied as to the authenticity of all evidence of citizenship presented, and may reject
any evidence that he has reason to believe is not authentic. Acceptable evidence of citizenship is described
below in the order of desireability: (If unable to provide any of the evidence listed below, contact the REC
for further information.)
1. Original or certified copy of a birth certificate or birth registration
2. Merchant Mariner's Document issued by the Coast Guard which shows that the holder is a citizen of the United States.
3. Certificate of naturalization.
4. U.S. State Department passport.
5. Baptismal certificate or parish record recorded within one year after birth.
SOCIAL SECURITY CARD:
You must provide your social Security Card. If you have lost your card, you may provide a receipt from
the social security Administration indicating you have applied for a duplicate card. If you provide a
receipt, make sure the social Security Administration writes your number on the receipt verifying the
number.
FIRST AID AND CPR CARDS:
Applicants for all licenses must provide valid First Aid and CPR course completion cards issued within the
last 12 months.
RADAR CERTIFICATE:
A radar observer certificate from a Coast Guard approved course (Unlimited or Rivers as appropriate) is
required for any Master or Mate license with a tonnage limit above 200 gross tons, or a license for 200
gross tons or less with an ocean route, or an Operator of Unninspected Towing Vessels. An applicant will
be allowed to test without the certificate, however a license will not be issued until the certificate is
presented.
FIREFIGHTING CERTIFICATES:
Applicants for licenses in the following categories must present a certificate of completion of both basic
and advanced firefighting from a Coast Guard approved course. The course must have been completed
within five years before the date of the license application. An applicant will be allowed to test without the
certificate, however a licese will not be issued until the certificate is presented.
1. Master's licenses for service on vessels of 200 gross tons or less with an ocean route.
2. Master's or Mate's licenses for vessels over 200 gross tons.
3. Operator of Uninspected Twoing Vessels, Oceans (domestic trade).
4. All licenses on Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs).
5. All Engineer's licenses.
1. Small Boat Experience Form (attached to CG-866). If you were the owner of the vessel on which you acquired your service, you may self-certify that experience by signing and dating the Small Boat service form and including proof of ownership of the vessel. If employed aboard someone else's vessel, the Small Boat Service from may be used supported by a letter from the vessel owner verifying the service days listed, OR
2. A letter from an employer verifying service which contains the following information: name, official number (or state number) and gross tonnage of vessel upon which experience was acquired; number of actual underway days; waters where vessel was operated; and capacity served on vessel, OR
3. Original or certified copies of Certificates of Discharge.
CHARACTER REFERENCES:
The basic requirement is 3 signatures from licensed officers of vessels on which you served
including 1 from a Master. All references must include daytime phone numbers and addresses. Please
note the follwing exeptions:
1. License as Engineer or Pilot, at least 1 signature must be from the Chief Engineer or licensed Pilot respectively of vessels on which served;
2. License of OUTV, 2 signatures may be from recent marine employers, and 1 must be from a Master or Operator of vessels on which served;
3. License as Master/Mate 25-200 gross tons, Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, Radio Officer, or Staff Officer, all 3 signatures must be from persons who have knowledge of applicant's sutability for license, including a short note regarding boat handling abilities for Master/Mate/Operator applicants if signatures are from individuals not holding Merchant Marine Licenses.
4. License restricted to Uninspected Fishing Industry Vesels where service is obtained on fishing industry vessels of not more that 200 gross tons, 2 signatures may be from employers, and 1 must be from a Master of vessels on which served:
5. When qulifying for license through a Coast Guard Approved School, 2 signatures must be from licensed officers of vessels on which served, and 1 must be from an official of that school.
CHARACTER ISSUES/FINGERPRINTS:
The question in Block 20 refers to convictions other than minor traffic violations. ("Minor" includes such
tings as parking or speeding tickets and vehicle equipment and expired license citations) All other
violations such as DUII', DWI's Controlled Substance violations, etc., are considered "major" for the
purposes of this application. These convictions must be noted in Block 20 and 22 of form CG-866, and
must be evaluated by the Coast Guard Regional Examination Center. Any evidence of
rehabilitation/reform should be submitted with the application.
Fingerprints are required and will be taken by this office. The prints will be forwarded to the FBI and a record of all arrests and convictions will be returned to this office for verification of the information in blocks 20, 21 and 22 of form CG-866. Derogatory information not listed when the application is submitted and subsequently revealed will constitute a fraudulent application. Any license issued will immediately become null and boid and you will be required to surrender it to the Coast Guard. If you already hold a license, you may be taken before an Administrative Law Judge, who may suspend or revoke your license an/or Merchant Mariner's Document. An applicant affected by such a decision will not be allowed to resubmit an application for a minimum of 12 months.
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:
An applicant for any license shall be required to pass a physical examination and present a certificate
properly executed on Coast Guard Form CG719K. This certificate shall attest to the applicant's acuity of
hearing, vision, color sense, and general physical condition. THIS ITEM MUST BE PRESENTED
WITH THE APPLICATION. AN EVALUATION WILL NOT BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT A
COMPLETED PHYSICAL.
1. DECK VISION STANDARDS: Uncorrected vision of at least 20/200 in each eye, correctable to at least 20/40 in each eye. Color vision must be normal by one of the tests listed on the back of the physical form CG719K.
2. ENGINEER VISION STANDARDS: Uncorrected vision of at least 20/200 in each eye, correctable to at least 20/50 in each eye. Applicants need only the ability to distinguish the colors red, green, blue and yellow.
3. PHYSICAL WAIVERS: When an applicant does not have the vision, hearing, or general physical condition necessary, the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, after consultation with the examining physician, may make recommendation to the Commandant for an exception to these requirements, if in his opinion extenuating circumstances warrant special consideration. Recommendations of owners or operators of small vessels, made on behalf of their employees, will be given full consideration in arriving at a decision concerning an exception.
ABLE SEAMAN QUALIFICATIONS:
In order to obtain a Master or Mate license whth a tonnage limit above 200 gross tons, or a license for 200
gross tons or less with an ocean route, the applicant must meet the qulifications (both sea service and
examinations) as an Able Seaman Unlimited or Able Seaman Limited. (Able Seaman special or Able
Seaman Offshore Supply Vessels satisfy the Able Seaman requirement for licenses permitting service on
vessels of 1600 gross tons or less). If you wish to be issued a Merchant Mariner Document endorsed with
Able Seaman, you must submit a separate application (Form 719B).
TONNAGE ENDORSEMENTS:
Tonnage endorsements apply to all Master and Mate licenses and are based on the applicant's experience.
Master and Mate licenses in the zero to 200 gross ton range will be issued in 50 ton increments. When the
qualifying service is obtained upon vessels of five gross tons or less, the license will be limited to vessels
of not more than 25 gross tons.
The tonnage limitation on a Master or Mate license may be raised upon completion of:
1. At least 45 days of additional service on deck on a vessel of a higher tonnage for a tonnage increase on a Mate's license; or
2. At least 90 days of additional service on deck on a vessel of a higher tonnage for a tonnage increase on a Master's license; or
3. Additional service, which, when combined with all previously accumulated service, will qualigy the applicant for a higher tonnage license under the basic formula; or
4. Six months of service on vessels within the highest tonnage increment on the license. In this case, the tonnage limitation may be raised one increment.
Specific experience requirements at various tonnages are outlined for all other Master and Mate licenses. Please refer to service requirements sheet attached.
HORSEPOWER LIMITATIONS:
Engineer licenses of all grades and types may be subject to horsepower limitations. Other than as provided
in paragraph 10.524 for the Designated Duty Engineer license, the horsepower limitation placed on a
license is based on the applicant's qualifying experience considering the total shaft horsepower of each
vessel on which the applicant has served.
When an applicant for an original or raise of grade of an engineer license, other than a Designated Duty Engineer license, has not obtained at least 50% of the required qualifying experience on vessels of 4,000 or more horsepower, a horsepower limitation is placed on the license based on the applicant's qualigying experience.
For all original and raise-of-grade engineer licenses, at least 1/3 of the minimum service requirements must have been obtained on the particular mode of propulsion for which applied.
If a licensed applicant desires to obtain an endodrsement on an engineer license in the other propulsion mode steam or motor), the following alternative methods are acceptable:
1. Four months of service as an observer in the same licensed capacity on vessels of the other propulsion mode;
2. Four months of service as a licensed officer at a lower license level on vessels of the other propulsion mode;
3. Six months of service as oiler, watertender, or junior engineer on vessels of the other propulsion mode; or
4. Completion of a Coast Guard approved training course for this endorsement.
EXAMINATION:
Examinations are multiple choice tests administered in this office during regular business hours, Monday
through Friday. For the applicant's convenience exams may also be taken the third Saturday of each
month. Examinees using calculators are reminded that only calculators that provide numerical functions,
logs, powers, trigonometry functions, k constants, etc., are acceptable during testing. Programmable, pre-
programmed navigation or engineering calculators, or constant memory calculators are not allowed in the
exam room.
SERVICE REQUIREMENTS:
Following are general service requirements. If you have specific questions regarding your sea service,
please call.
Master Near Coastal 100 Gross Tons: 720 days underway, at least 360 must be on near coastal waters.
Master Inland 200 Gross Tons: 360 days with 180 days while holding license.
Master Near Coastal 200 Gross Tons: 720 days underway with 360 while holding license OR 360 days as Operator of Uninspected Towing Vessels (OUTV).
Master Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels: 1440 days with 360 days as licensed master, as unlicensed master, or as licensed mate or equivalent while holding a license as master, mate, OUTV, or OUPV.
Master Inland 500 Gross Tons: 1080 days with 360 while holding license, OR 720 days while holding OUTV with 180 days as Operator.
Master Oceans/Near Coastal 500 Gross Tons: 1080 days with 720 days while holding license and 360 days as licensed master, mate or equivalent on vessels over 50 gross tons, OR 720 days while holding OUTV with 180 days as Operator on oceans or near coastal waters.
Master Oceans/Near Coastal 1600 Gross Tons: 1440 days with 720 days on vessels over 100 gross tons and 720 days as master, mate or equivalent while holding license with 360 days as licensed master, mate or equivalent on vessels over 100 gross tons; OR Chief Mate or 2nd Mate is qualified to take limited exam.
Mate Inland 200 Gross Tons: 180 days underway, OR OUPV is qualified to take limited exam.
Mate Near Coastal 200 Gross Tons: 360 days; OR 90 days while holding Master Inland 200 gross tons; OR OUPV near coastal with limited exam.
Mate Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels: 1080 days deck service.
Mate Inland/Near Coastal 500 Gross Tons: 720 days with 360 on vessels over 50 gross tons with 90 days while holding AB.
Mate Oceans 500 Gross Tons: 720 days with 360 days as master, mate or equivalent while holding a license, 180 of which must have been ov vessels over 50 gross tons.
Mate Inland 1600 Gross Tons: 720 days with 360 days over 100 gross tons of which 180 days while holding AB, OR 360 days as master of vessels over 50 gross tons while holding license; OR 180 days as 2nd Class OUTV on vessels over 100 gross tons.
Mate Near Coastal 1600 Gross Tons: 720 days with 360 on vessels over 100 gross tons of which 180 days while holding AB.
Mate Oceans 1600 Gross Tons: 1080 days with 360 days over 100 gross tons, and 360 days as master, mate or equivalent while holding a license, OR 1080 days on vessels over 200 gross tons with 180 days as AB.
OUTV Inland/Near Coastal/Oceans (Domestic Routes): 1080 days with 720 days on vessel over 26 feet, and 360 days on towing vessels with 180 days training or duty in the sheelhouse and 90 days in geographic area, OR 1080 days on towing vessels with 360 days on deck with 180 days duty or training in the wheelhouse and 90 days in geographic area.
2nd Class OUTV Inland/Near Coastal/Oceans (Domestic Routes): 540 days deck service with 360 days onvessels over 26 feet and 90 days training or duty in the wheelhouse and 90 days in the geographic area, OR 180 days on towing vessels while holding AB with 60 days duty or training in wheelhouse and 90 days in geographic area.
Currently, transactions that do not require physical examinations do not require drug tests. Examples are issuance of endorsements such as Assistance Towing, Auxiliary Sail, tonnage increase, horsepower increase, route increase or increasing current Able Seaman or Qualified Member of the Engine Department ratings.
2. A letter on company stationary signed by the company official that administers the drug testing program stating that the applicant passed a pre-employment or periodic test for dangerous drugs within the previous six months.
3. A letter on company stationary signed by the company official that administers the drug testing program stating that the applicant has been subject to random drug testing for at least 60 of the past 185 days, and has not failed or refused to participate in any require test.
4. For military members, active duty or reserve, a letter from the applicant's command stating that the applicant has passed a required chemical test for dangerous drugs within the previous six months.
5. For activie duty military members, a letter from the applicant's command stating that the applicant has been subject to random drug testing for at least 60 of the past 185 days and has not failed or refused to participate in any required test. Random testing letters are not accepted for reserve military members since they are only subject to testing during monthly drills.