USCG captain's license requirements at a glance#
OUPV (six-pack) — minimum age 18 and 360 days operating vessels. A Near-Coastal endorsement needs at least 90 of those days on ocean, near-coastal, or Great Lakes waters; Great Lakes needs 90 days on the Great Lakes; Inland needs 360 days and excludes Great Lakes authority. Master 25/50/100 — minimum age 19. Near Coastal requires 720 deck-service days, while Great Lakes and Inland require 360; vessel-size history then determines whether NMC assigns 25, 50, or 100 GRT. Use the OUPV vs Master decision matrix before you collect the wrong route evidence.
The same application-readiness checks sit beside the sea-time total on the current NMC checklists: a complete CG-719B, citizenship and safety/suitability screening, a valid or approved medical certificate, drug-testing compliance within 6 months, paid fees, First Aid completed within 1 year, a currently valid CPR credential, and either the Coast Guard exam or an approved-course certificate. Sea-service recency is a separate clock: at least 90 qualifying days must fall within the 7 years before application under Policy Letter 02-25. This proof-and-freshness checklist is what determines whether the package is ready for evaluation — not the sea-day count by itself.
Although a Certificate of Documentation remains valid, the owner MUST apply for exchange when ______.
Step 1: Pick the credential#
OUPV Inland for inside-the-lines six-pack work. OUPV Near-Coastal for offshore six-pack. Master 25/50/100 if you'll operate inspected vessels with more than 6 passengers. The minimum age is 18 for OUPV and 19 for Master 25–200 GRT on near-coastal, Great Lakes, inland, or river routes. If you are still asking whether a private boat, yacht, or bareboat charter needs a license at all, start with do I need a captain's license for my yacht. Otherwise, use the OUPV vs Master decision matrix, then compare Master 100 captain's license requirements if inspected passenger work is the target. For a quick tonnage-and-route read on which credential fits, run the USCG license finder.
Step 2: Document sea time#
Fill out CG-719S for every vessel and time period. Get owner/operator signatures. The current NMC checklists apply a recency requirement of 90 days in the past seven years under Policy Letter 02-25. The total is credential- and route-specific: OUPV requires 360 days; Master less than 100 GRT requires 360 days on Great Lakes/Inland routes or 720 days on Near-Coastal waters, and the vessel tonnage in that record determines the 25/50/100 GRT limit. See the USCG sea time requirements guide for what counts as a day and how to document it.
Step 3: Physical, drug, TWIC#
CG-719K physical, CG-719P drug test, TWIC enrollment, current CPR/First Aid card. Stack these in parallel, but track the proof windows the NMC checklist applies: drug-testing compliance must be within 6 months, First Aid must have been completed within 1 year for an original credential, CPR must still be valid, and the medical certificate must be valid or approved.
Step 4: Application package#
CG-719B application + CG-719K medical form + 719P + sea-service letters + TWIC status + CPR/First Aid + payment receipt. For an original lower-level officer endorsement such as OUPV or Master less than 100 GRT, the evaluation fee is $100; if you test at a REC, the $95 examination fee is due before testing.
Step 5: Pass the exam#
After NMC issues an Approval to Test letter, schedule at a USCG Regional Examination Center or take a USCG-approved captain's license course. The nearest exam center depends on where you live — the state-by-state captain's license guides list the closest REC for each state. Standard OUPV routes include a separate Chart Plot module, so use the captain license exam format guide to confirm the route-specific module split, pass marks, and retest rules before you pick a test date. CaptainsGround's free plan lets you drill citation-backed questions until you're consistently scoring 80%+ on practice mocks.
Step 6: Issuance#
Pay the $45 issuance fee before the NMC prints and mails the Merchant Mariner Credential. Credential mailing commonly follows after the exam pass, medical review, safety/security screening, and TWIC verification are all clear.