What's on the exam#
Vision (46 CFR 10.305): deck applicants need correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye and uncorrected vision of at least 20/200 in that same eye; engineering, radio, and tank-vessel applicants need 20/50 corrected. Color sense is checked without color-sensing lenses using pseudoisochromatic plates (e.g. Ishihara), a Farnsworth lantern, or a Titmus tester. Hearing (46 CFR 10.306): an unaided audiometric threshold of 30 dB or less in at least one ear, averaged over the four frequencies the rule names — 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 Hz — or functional speech discrimination of at least 90% for an original credential (80% on renewal or raise of grade) at 65 dB. The audiometer test is a referral, not a routine step: it is ordered when the practitioner doing the general exam has concerns that hearing may affect maritime safety. Blood pressure is recorded — sustained readings around 150/90–160/100 and above typically prompt further evaluation under USCG medical guidance. A cardiac / neuro / respiratory screen and a medication review round out the form.
Immediately after addressing resultant safety concerns following a reportable marine casualty on a small passenger vessel, the person in charge must notify which entity?
Who can sign#
Under 46 CFR 10.302(b), any required test, exam, or demonstration must be performed, witnessed, or reviewed by a licensed medical doctor (MD or DO), a licensed physician assistant, a licensed nurse practitioner, or a USCG-designated medical examiner. The provider does NOT need to be USCG-affiliated, but they must hold a current US license to practise.
How long it's valid#
The medical certificate's validity depends on the kind of service you do, not the credential you hold. Mariners serving on vessels subject to STCW get a certificate valid for 2 years (1 year if under 18). Every other mariner — which covers most OUPV/six-pack and Master less than 100 GRT operators on domestic, non-STCW routes — can be issued a certificate valid for a maximum period of 5 years (46 CFR 10.301(b) — not 10.302, which sets the exam standards and who may sign). Renew the certificate before it lapses; the NMC will not issue or renew a credential against an expired CG-719K.
What the medical certificate costs to renew#
The U.S. Coast Guard charges no fee to issue or renew a merchant mariner medical certificate. Under 46 CFR 10.219, Coast Guard credentialing fees apply only to the evaluation, examination, and issuance of a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) — the CG-719K medical certificate is not a line item on that fee schedule, so filing or renewing one on its own costs nothing at the National Maritime Center.
The only money the medical certificate costs is the physical itself. The licensed practitioner who examines you and signs the CG-719K sets that fee privately — it is paid to the provider, not to the Coast Guard, and it typically runs about the cost of a routine physical. When you renew the medical certificate as part of a full MMC renewal, the credential's own 46 CFR 10.219 evaluation and issuance fees still apply, but those are MMC fees, not a medical-certificate charge. Budget for the doctor's visit, not a government fee.
How to renew the medical certificate on its own#
You do not have to wait for a credential transaction to renew the medical certificate: a medical-certificate-only application goes straight to the National Maritime Center (NMC). Since September 14, 2026 the place to file it is Navita, the Coast Guard's online credentialing portal, which takes medical certificate applications as well as credential ones. You sign in through Login.gov, complete the guided application, upload the CG-719K (or CG-719K/E) your examining practitioner signed, and track status and answer NMC requests through the portal's Case function. Paper applications are still accepted by mail or in person for now, but the Coast Guard plans to phase them out within the next 12 months and says they take significantly longer to process.
The older routes are gone or going. The NMC's 2022-08-08 bulletin opened direct e-mail submission to [email protected], and a Medical Document Upload Portal on the NMC's ASAP platform followed. ASAP was discontinued when Navita launched, and the upload portal's address returned a 404 when we checked on September 27, 2026. Even before that, the NMC's own medical-certificate page (as archived on September 3, 2026) sent applicants to the ASAP portal and no longer listed the MEDAIP address, and in January 2026 the NMC said e-mail submission would be "significantly limited and eventually discontinued." If a checklist, a course provider or an older article tells you to e-mail your CG-719K, file it in Navita instead.
None of this costs anything. There is no Coast Guard fee for the medical certificate application itself, whether you file it standalone or alongside a credential transaction, so there is no payment step to complete and nothing to enclose beyond the form.
Common flags#
Diabetes (insulin-dependent vs not), seizure history, sleep apnea, cardiovascular events, controlled substances. Most flagged conditions can still be cleared with documentation — it just takes longer at the NMC review stage.