Connecticut Captain's License Requirements (2026)

What a “Connecticut captain's license” actually means#

It isn't a state license — it's the same federal USCG Merchant Mariner Credential with an OUPV or Master endorsement, used nationwide.

Credential issuer

USCG National Maritime Center.

Nearest exam route

REC Boston, MA / New York, NY.

Local route clue

Offshore or coastal charters around Long Island Sound usually start with OUPV Near-Coastal, then compare Master 50/100 for inspected boats.

Which Rules of the Road apply on Connecticut water#

Connecticut has an unusual answer: effectively all of it is Inland Rules water. The 33 CFR 80.155 lines close Long Island Sound at its eastern end — Watch Hill to Fishers Island, and the Race Rock / Little Gull / Plum Gut chain across to Orient Point — and everything shoreward of them is inland water under 80.01(b). A Mystic, Stonington, New London or Niantic Bay charter that stays in the Sound therefore never leaves the Inland Rules, however open the water looks. Crossing the Race eastbound for Block Island is the moment the International Rules take over, and it is also the moment the route question changes, so log those trips separately from Sound work.

No Part 80 section is titled for Connecticut. The state's water is enclosed from the east by 33 CFR 80.155, whose lines run Watch Hill Light to Fishers Island, Race Point to Race Rock Light to Little Gull Island Light to Plum Island, and across Plum Gut to Orient Point.

COLREGS Demarcation Lines covering Connecticut — 33 CFR Part 80

• 33 CFR 80.155Watch Hill, RI to Montauk Point, NYline drawn — Inland water inside

This decides which rulebook you steer by, not where your credential may operate: the route limit is the 46 CFR Part 7 Boundary Line, and the two lines are not drawn in the same place. How the two lines differ · International Rules · Inland Rules

33 CFR Part 80 and the Part 83 definitions above read from eCFR on 12 Aug 2026. Any specific water is a determination for the cognizant Coast Guard Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection.

Which credential do Connecticut charter captains need?#

Not sure the trip needs a credential at all? The captain's-license trigger guide.

Credentials charter captains pursue in Connecticut

• OUPV Inland (Six-Pack) — operates uninspected <=6-passenger charter boats on inland waters other than the Great Lakes — bays, sounds, inland lakes, and rivers.
• OUPV Near-Coastal (Six-Pack) — extends OUPV to 100 nautical miles offshore — the credential for offshore canyon and bluewater six-pack operators.
• Master 50 GT — mid-tier inspected-vessel master — typical for charter sport-fish operations under 50 gross tons.