Who needs an OUPV#
If you carry up to six passengers — at least one of them paying, and the rest counting toward the six whether they pay or not — on a boat under 100 gross tons that is not inspected by the USCG (i.e. not certificated as a Subchapter T passenger vessel), you need OUPV. Charter fishing, family sportfishing trips, eco-tour skiffs, and dive-charter operators are the typical candidates. If you are still deciding whether a private trip, yacht outing, or bareboat arrangement counts as passenger-for-hire, start with the do I need a captain's license decision guide before choosing OUPV. Not sure whether OUPV or a Master is the right target? Run your vessel and route through the USCG license finder. The OUPV is a single federal credential valid in every state — for local charter hubs and your nearest USCG Regional Examination Center (REC), see the state captain's license guides.
46 USC 2101 is where the count comes from: an uninspected passenger vessel of less than 100 gross tons is one carrying not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger for hire, and the same section defines a "passenger" as everyone carried aboard EXCEPT the owner or the owner's representative, the charterer, the master, and crew engaged in the business of the vessel who have not paid for their carriage. So the six is a headcount of guests, not a count of tickets sold.
Six passengers, not six people
Where an OUPV can operate#
Two different lines get called "the demarcation line," and only one of them sets what your credential authorizes.
The line that limits the license is the Boundary Line in 46 CFR Part 7. Under 46 CFR 10.107, "inland waters" means the navigable waters of the United States shoreward of the Boundary Lines as described in part 7, excluding the Great Lakes — and "oceans" means the waters seaward of those same lines. 46 CFR 11.467(b) then sets the route scope: an OUPV endorsement issued for inland waters covers all inland waters except the Great Lakes, while a near-coastal OUPV endorsement covers near-coastal waters not more than 100 miles offshore, the Great Lakes, and all inland waters.
The line that decides which Rules of the Road you steer by is the demarcation line in 33 CFR Part 80. Per 33 CFR 80.01, waters inside those lines are Inland Rules waters and waters outside them are COLREGS waters — that is a navigation-rules boundary, and 46 CFR Part 7 says nothing about it.
The two lines are not drawn in the same place, and on the Gulf the gap is large. 46 CFR 7.105 runs the Boundary Line for the entire Gulf Coast — Marquesas Keys, Florida to Rio Grande, Texas — along the 12-mile line marking the seaward limit of the territorial sea. The Part 80 demarcation lines on the same coast sit at the beach: 33 CFR 80.845 draws Galveston's across the harbor entrance, jetty light to jetty light. So off Galveston you can be well outside the COLREGS demarcation line — steering by the International Rules — and still be shoreward of the Boundary Line that 10.107 uses to define inland waters. "Past the demarcation line" and "past your OUPV Inland route limit" are not the same event there.
That is the regulatory text, not route advice for a particular trip: the authority printed on your MMC is what governs, Boundary Lines are location-specific across 46 CFR Part 7, and the National Maritime Center or the local OCMI is the authority on any specific water. When the answer matters commercially, apply for the route that covers the farthest water you actually run. Near-Coastal also requires the ocean/near-coastal service in 46 CFR 11.467(c) and the COLREGs / International Rules variant of the Rules-of-the-Road exam module. See near-coastal vs inland for the route-by-route comparison.
Two different lines get called the demarcation line
Sea-service requirements#
360 days of total sea service (a standard day is 8 hours, and on vessels under 100 GRT the NMC may credit a full day for 4 or more hours when the operating schedule warrants it; you cannot count more than one day in a 24-hour period). The current NMC OUPV checklist applies a recency requirement of 90 days in the past seven years under Policy Letter 02-25. Near-Coastal candidates need 90 of the 360 days on ocean, near-coastal, or Great Lakes waters. Add up what you already have in the sea time calculator, then see our sea-time-requirements guide for documentation specifics.
- Total sea service
- 360 days
- Recent service
- 90 days within the past 7 years
- Near Coastal split
- 90 of the 360 days on ocean, near-coastal or Great Lakes waters
- What counts as a day
- 8 hours; 4+ hours underway may be credited under 100 GRT
- Documentation
- CG-719S small vessel sea service form
Medical, TWIC and drug testing#
Medical clearance via the CG-719K physical (signed by a licensed medical practitioner). Pre-employment drug test via the CG-719P. TWIC card application (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) — fingerprints submitted at a TSA enrollment center. CPR and First Aid certification from a USCG-recognized provider.
- USCG medical certificate — form CG-719K, signed by a licensed medical practitioner
- TWIC card — fingerprints submitted at a TSA enrollment center
- DOT drug test — form CG-719P, within six months of applying
- CPR and First Aid — certification from a USCG-recognized provider
The exam#
The module set depends on route. OUPV Near Coastal uses four modules: Q100 Rules of the Road, Q170 Deck General-Safety, Q171 Navigation General, and Q172 Chart Plot. Great Lakes/Inland OUPV uses its own route-specific set and also includes chart plotting. Rules of the Road and Chart Plot each carry a 90% pass mark; the other standard OUPV modules require 70%. Near-Coastal candidates should be able to decode COLREGs Rule 34 maneuvering and warning signals. Use the USCG exam prep guides hub to work through the module pages in order before switching to timed practice.
STCW basic training for ratings must be renewed every ______.
Cost and timeline#
Current USCG lower-level officer fees total $240 for an original OUPV if you test at a USCG Regional Examination Center (REC): $100 evaluation, $95 examination, and $45 issuance. Add the CG-719K physical (~$80–200), drug test (~$60), TWIC card ($124 new or in-person renewal), and CPR/First Aid ($60–100). USCG-approved captain's license courses charge their own tuition and exam-administration fees, so compare the bundled course price against the REC fee path.
Use the captain license cost breakdown for the full out-of-pocket model, and compare Master 100 captain's license requirements if inspected passenger work is the business goal. If you already hold the credential, use the captain's license renewal forms and cost guide instead of the original-issue fee table.
- USCG fees, original OUPV
- $240 — $100 evaluation, $95 exam, $45 issuance
- CG-719K physical
- $80–$200
- Drug test (CG-719P)
- about $60
- TWIC card
- $124 new or in-person renewal
- CPR / First Aid
- $60–$100
- Typical timeline
- Set by the NMC queue when you apply — it publishes current processing times