Who needs a TWIC and when
TWIC is mandatory for every USCG Merchant Mariner Credential — OUPV, Master less than 100 GRT, all upper-tier Master and Mate licenses, and any rating endorsement. You also need TWIC to board MTSA-regulated commercial vessels, oil and gas platforms, and most port facilities without a TSA-authorized escort. The NMC will not issue an original or raise-in-grade MMC until you present a valid TWIC, so candidates typically start the TWIC enrollment in parallel with the USCG application: TWIC sometimes takes longer than the medical certificate or the exam, and is the most common reason a complete-on-paper file stalls at credential issuance.
How to apply (the two-visit enrollment process)
Step 1 — pre-enroll online at the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA portal. The pre-enrollment form captures biographical data, work history, and the disclosure of any criminal, immigration, or mental capacity issues that fall under 49 CFR 1572. Step 2 — book an in-person appointment at an enrollment center (over 130 nationwide; the IDEMIA scheduler shows nearest sites by ZIP). At the appointment you submit your required documents, are fingerprinted on a livescan device, have a photo taken, and pay the fee on the spot.
Step 3 — wait for the TSA Security Threat Assessment. Most clean files clear in 5–10 business days; cards print and ship to the enrollment center afterward. Step 4 — return for a second appointment to pick up and activate the card; activation sets the PIN you use to enter a secure area. Some enrollment centers offer mail-to-home delivery in lieu of pickup, but pickup is the default. Plan on 6–10 weeks from pre-enrollment to activated card.
Current TWIC fees (2026)
TSA reduced the TWIC fee schedule effective January 1, 2025. The fees shown on the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA portal as of 2026 are: $124.00 for a new TWIC or an in-person renewal, $116.00 for an online renewal, $91.75 for an applicant who already holds a comparable Security Threat Assessment (a valid Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) or a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card both qualify), and $60.00 to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged card. Fees are non-refundable once paid and are billed at the enrollment appointment by IDEMIA. The reduced fee is keyed to the comparable-STA status TSA already has on file, so HME or FAST holders should select that option during pre-enrollment rather than starting the new-applicant flow; confirm the exact amount on the portal, as TSA adjusts the schedule periodically.
Required documents at enrollment
TSA requires both identity proofing and proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status. The cleanest single-document option is an unexpired U.S. passport (or passport card), which satisfies both. If you do not have a passport, you can combine a primary identity document (e.g., unexpired driver's license or state-issued non-driver ID) with a secondary citizenship document (e.g., certified U.S. birth certificate, certificate of naturalization N-550 or N-570, or certificate of citizenship N-560 or N-561).
Lawful permanent residents present an unexpired green card (I-551). Other lawful nonimmigrants must produce immigration documents supporting their status — e.g., I-94 with a TWIC-eligible visa class — and TSA's eligibility rules under 49 CFR 1572.105 control which nonimmigrant classifications can hold TWIC. Bring originals; copies and photographs are not accepted at the enrollment appointment.
Disqualifying offenses and the waiver path
TWIC eligibility hinges on 49 CFR 1572.103, which divides disqualifying criminal offenses into permanent and interim categories. Permanent disqualifications include espionage, sedition, treason, a federal crime of terrorism as defined in 18 U.S.C. 2332b(g), unlawful use or manufacture of an explosive device, murder, RICO conspiracy where the predicate involves terrorism, and any prior conviction for a transportation security incident under 46 U.S.C. 70101.
Interim disqualifying offenses under 49 CFR 1572.103(b) cover assault with intent to murder, kidnapping or hostage-taking, rape and aggravated sexual abuse, unlawful possession or distribution of a firearm in violation of certain federal statutes, extortion, dishonesty/fraud/misrepresentation involving a federally insured financial institution, bribery, smuggling, immigration violations, distribution/possession-with-intent of controlled substances, arson, armed robbery, and conspiracy or attempt to commit any of these. These trigger denial when the conviction occurred within seven years of the application date, or the applicant was released from incarceration within five years of the application date.
An applicant denied for an interim offense — or for an immigration or mental-capacity issue — may apply for a waiver under 49 CFR 1515.7. The waiver process requires evidence of rehabilitation (court records, employer references, completion of probation, etc.) and is decided by the TSA Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Permanent disqualifications under 49 CFR 1572.103(a)(1)–(a)(4) are not waivable.
Renewal: online vs in-person
Every TWIC card is valid five years from the issue date printed on the card. Most renewing cardholders are eligible for the online renewal at $116.00, which reuses the biometric data on file and ships a new card without a second appointment. Online renewal is typically available when the card has not yet expired, the name and address on file are current, and the threat assessment record is clean.
If the card has already expired, if your address or legal name has changed, or if your prior threat assessment requires re-adjudication (e.g., new criminal history record), TSA routes the renewal to in-person enrollment at $124.00. Start the renewal at least 60 days before the expiration on the card; processing times spike in the spring and around major port hiring cycles. Even if you renew online, you typically still need to pick up the new card in person at an enrollment center.
Lost, stolen, or damaged cards
Report a lost or stolen TWIC to TSA's TWIC Help Desk (1-855-347-8371) and order a replacement through the IDEMIA portal. The replacement fee is $60.00 and the new card is issued under the same expiration date as the original — replacement does not extend validity. Damaged cards must be surrendered when picking up the replacement. Until the replacement arrives you cannot use TWIC for unescorted secure-area access; vessels and facilities that grant escorted access do so at their own discretion under their Facility Security Plan.
TWIC and the USCG application timeline
The NMC checklist for an original Merchant Mariner Credential lists TWIC as one of the documents that must be on file before the credential is mailed. TSA shares TWIC enrollment status with the NMC, so candidates do not need to mail a copy of the card itself — but the application will sit in 'Awaiting Information' if the TWIC record is missing. The practical sequencing for OUPV and Master less than 100 GRT candidates is: start TWIC pre-enrollment first (longest tail), then schedule the CG-719K physical, then submit the MMC application package to the NMC. Exam scheduling can begin once the NMC issues the Approval to Test letter; TWIC need not be in hand to sit for the exam, but it must be in hand to receive the credential.