Entry & progression
What this course is. Not a licence in itself — the paperwork that turns a qualified mariner into a credentialed one. Applies to: OUPV, Master, and every other national endorsement.
One credential, many endorsements
There is a single document — the Merchant Mariner Credential, or MMC. It is a passport-sized book, and everything you hold is printed inside it as an endorsement. OUPV, Master under 100 GRT, an STCW capacity, a tankerman rating: all of them are endorsements on the one MMC, not separate cards.
This is why adding a qualification is called a new endorsement and moving up is a raise of grade. You are amending a document you already hold.
The form: CG-719B
One form covers everything — original, renewal, duplicate, raise of grade, a new endorsement, or a medical certificate. You tick what you are asking for. Getting that box wrong is the single most common reason a file goes to the wrong queue and sits there.
What a complete original application contains
46 CFR 10.225(b) lists it, and the list is exhaustive:
- A completed, signed application (CG-719B).
- Proof that you hold a valid TWIC — or have applied for one.
- All supplementary material showing you meet the requirements for every endorsement sought.
- The appropriate fee (46 CFR 10.219).
- Evidence of having passed a chemical test for dangerous drugs, or of qualifying for an exemption.
- Where sea service is required, documentary evidence meeting 46 CFR 10.232.
- Proof on CG-719K that you passed the vision, hearing, medical and physical exams — or a valid medical certificate already issued.
- Consent to a Coast Guard check of the National Driver Register.
- The oath (46 CFR 10.225(c)).
TIP — Assemble the whole package before you send anything The Coast Guard evaluates what arrives. A file missing one item does not wait politely — it generates a deficiency letter, and the clock starts again. Every element above has its own expiry, and the art of this is getting them all valid at the same moment. Work backwards from the item with the shortest life, which is almost always the drug test.
The clocks you are racing
| Item | How long it stays good |
|---|---|
| Drug test | 185 days before submission (46 CFR 16.220(a)) |
| First aid certificate | 1 year before the date of application (46 CFR 11.201(i)) |
| Medical exam paperwork | 12 months from the date signed (46 CFR 10.304(d)) |
| CPR certificate | Merely currently valid — no fixed window |
| An approved application | 12 months from Coast Guard approval (46 CFR 10.209(c)) |
| Approval To Test | 1 year (46 CFR 11.201(j)(2)) |
Five different clocks, all running at different speeds. The drug test is the shortest and should therefore be the last thing you obtain, not the first.