OUPV Inland (Six-Pack) Requirements in North Carolina

What to prepare for

1. 1.

   Document 360 days of sea service, with 90 qualifying days within the last 7 years.

2. 2.

   Complete the CG-719K physical, drug test, TWIC, CPR, and First Aid requirements.

3. 3.

   Study Rules of the Road, Deck General, Deck Safety, and Navigation General.

4. 4.

   Schedule the exam at REC Charleston, SC, or use an approved school that administers the USCG exam.

How OUPV Inland sea service is evaluated in North Carolina

Under 46 CFR 11.467, an OUPV Inland applicant needs 12 months (about 360 days) of vessel-operation experience. Current USCG Policy Letter 02-25 applies a 90-day recency test within the 7 years before application. The inland endorsement covers North Carolina six-passenger charters on inland waters inside the COLREGs demarcation lines and excludes the Great Lakes and waters more than the near-coastal limit offshore.

Total service

360 days (12 months)

Recency

90 days within 7 years

Route limit

Inside demarcation lines

How a day and route credit are counted

Under 46 CFR 10.232(h), a sea-service day is generally 8 hours of watchstanding or day-working. On a vessel under 100 GRT, the Coast Guard may accept a shorter operating day when the vessel's schedule makes 8 hours inappropriate, but never less than 4 hours. For an oceans or near-coastal endorsement, 46 CFR 11.211(b) credits Great Lakes service day-for-day for up to 100% of the requirement and other U.S. inland service day-for-day for up to 50%. The two-days-experience-for-one-day rules in 46 CFR 11.211(d)-(e) apply only to specified ATB, ITB, or towing-vessel service toward the large-vessel service required for an unlimited officer endorsement; they do not double OUPV sea time.

Recency rule

Although 46 CFR 11.201(c) still prints a 3-year window for most non-uniformed-service applicants, current USCG Policy Letter 02-25 directs the NMC to treat 90 qualifying days within the 7 years before application as meeting the recent-service requirement.

After you qualify: the federal exam and renewal

A OUPV Inland (Six-Pack) in North Carolina 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.

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 North Carolina as it is nationwide. For the full original-application checklist, start with how to get a captain’s license.