By Sam Halberstadt · Reviewed by Marina Chen
Editor · USCG-licensed Master 50 GT · Updated May 6, 2026
Sea time requirement
360 days of documented sea time on vessels of any size. A 'day' is at least 4 hours underway. 90 of those 360 days must be in the last 3 years.
Document each trip on form CG-719S (Small Boat Sea Service Form), signed by the vessel's owner or master. Keep a logbook with dates, vessel names, and underway hours from your first day on the water — backfilling years of sea time from memory is excruciating.
Charter captains can start counting their own boat's sea time. Crew on commercial vessels accumulate sea time fastest.
Approved OUPV course
An NMC-approved OUPV course replaces the USCG written exam. Online options (Mariners Learning System, Maritime Institute) run $695–$995 and take 1–2 weeks of focused study.
The course covers: Rules of the Road, Deck General, Navigation General, and Chart Plot. Final exams are administered by the school under proctoring rules — pass and you receive a certificate accepted by USCG in lieu of the written exam.
In-person courses (typically 1 week intensive) cost $700–$1,100 and have higher pass rates for first-time test-takers.
Drug test, physical, and TWIC
DOT 5-panel drug test: scheduled at any DOT-approved collection site. Cost: $40–$80. Required within 6 months of application.
CG-719K physical exam: any provider can perform it. Cost: $100–$200. Vision must correct to 20/40 each eye, color vision normal, hearing within standards.
TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential): apply at universalenroll.dhs.gov. $125, valid 5 years. Required for the OUPV application even if you'll never enter a secured port.
Submitting the application
Application form: CG-719B. List your vessel, route area (Inland, Great Lakes, Near Coastal up to 100 nm), and credential being applied for.
Assemble the package: CG-719B, sea-time forms (CG-719S), course completion certificate, drug test result, physical (CG-719K), TWIC card, fingerprints (taken during TWIC), and the application fee ($145 evaluation + $100 issuance = $245).
Mail to the National Maritime Center (NMC) in Martinsburg, WV. Processing time: 4–8 weeks if everything is correct. Errors restart the clock — triple-check everything.
Maintaining and renewing the license
Valid 5 years. Renew with current drug test, physical, and continued sea-service form (90 days underway in the last 5 years).
If you let it lapse over a year, you may need to retake the OUPV course.
Upgrade path: Master 25 → 50 → 100 ton requires additional sea time on inspected vessels and an upgrade course.
Step by step
- 1
Document sea time
Get vessel owners or captains to sign CG-719S forms documenting your underway hours over the last 3+ years. 360 days total, 90 in the last 3 years.
- 2
Take an approved OUPV course
Complete an NMC-approved class (online or in-person, ~80 hours of content). The course replaces the USCG written exam.
- 3
Pass the drug test and physical
DOT 5-panel drug test ($40–$80) and CG-719K physical exam ($100–$200). Both must be within 6 months of application.
- 4
Get a TWIC card
Apply at universalenroll.dhs.gov, $125, valid 5 years. Includes fingerprinting required for the application.
- 5
Assemble and submit the application
CG-719B + CG-719S sea time + course certificate + drug test + physical + TWIC + $245 fee. Mail to the National Maritime Center.
- 6
Wait for evaluation
Processing takes 4–8 weeks. NMC will email if anything is missing — respond same day to avoid restarting the clock.
Frequently asked
3–6 months from start to license in hand. Sea-time documentation is often the long pole — start logging now even if you're not yet ready to apply.
