Kentucky does not issue this credential. The license is federal, evaluated by the USCG National Maritime Center, and examined through a Regional Examination Center or approved course.
Quick read
Use this page to check 25 ton captain license requirements in Kentucky: sea time, tonnage evidence, exam modules, TWIC, medical, and REC Memphis, TN planning. In Kentucky, candidates commonly operate around Kentucky Lake, Lake Cumberland, Ohio River. The nearest REC is Memphis, TN.
Credential requirements last verified .
Use the Kentucky overview to choose between OUPV, Master 25, Master 50, and Master 100 before narrowing this credential checklist. Because the credential is federal, the national Master 25 ton guide carries the full requirement detail — Kentucky only changes your nearest REC and local operating context.
Document the sea service required for Master 25 GT, usually 360 days depending on route and tonnage.
Complete the CG-719K physical, drug test, TWIC, CPR, and First Aid requirements.
Study Rules of the Road, Deck General, Deck Safety, and Navigation General. Master candidates also need Plotting and the broader General module.
Schedule the exam at REC Memphis, TN, or use an approved school that administers the USCG exam.
Kentucky Master 25 GT candidates are usually planning small inspected passenger-vessel work. The sea-service package still has to support a Master endorsement, but the tonnage history can be lighter than a 50 or 100 GT application.
For Kentucky candidates, Master 25 GT is usually the result when the route service is valid but the vessel-size history does not support a 50 or 100 GRT limit. The application has to show both the route baseline and the tonnage evidence the NMC uses under 46 CFR 11.422.
Kentucky reservoir and Ohio River guides pursue OUPV Inland. The Ohio is a Western River subject to its own pilot rules. For exam prep, the federal question set does not change by state, but your likely route matters: inland candidates lean harder on Inland Rules and aids to navigation, while near-coastal candidates need COLREGs, navigation, weather, and chart-work discipline.
A Master 25 GT in Kentucky is a federal Merchant Mariner Credential endorsement, so the steps after your sea time are the same in every state. First comes the written test — the USCG exam format and module breakdown shows exactly which subjects your route is tested on and the 90% Rules-of-the-Road and Chart-Plot pass marks before you book a Regional Examination Center seat.
Exam code ONC06
Q100 Rules of the Road: International and Inland
Same module an OUPV candidate sits
Q160 Deck General
Q161 Deck Safety
Q162 Navigation General: Near Coastal
Q163 Chart Plot
The NMC publishes the Master LT 100 GRT module list but not per-module question counts, so none are shown here.
Once issued, the credential runs on a five-year cycle under 46 CFR 10.227. When it comes due, the USCG license renewal process — forms, cost, and the medical certificate is identical in Kentucky as it is nationwide. For the full original-application checklist, start with how to get a captain’s license.
The license is federal. State location affects your nearest REC and operating context, but the sea-time, exam, medical, drug-test, TWIC, and application requirements come from the Coast Guard.
Yes. The Coast Guard uses qualifying vessel tonnage to decide whether the endorsement is issued at the 25, 50, 100, or 200 GRT level.
Master is broader because it can cover inspected passenger vessels. OUPV is still enough for many six-passenger uninspected charters, so the right credential depends on the vessel and passenger count.
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Primary sources for Master 25 GT requirements
The written test is the same federal exam nationwide. One citation-backed question — no sign-up.
Your prep matches what the USCG actually tests. See where you stand right now.
