how soon after i pass a captain's course can i get my license

by Katrine Kassulke 8 min read

How long does it take to get a captain’s license?

Nov 30, 2021 · The easiest way to pass the exam is by taking a USCG-approved captain’s license course. Maritime schools teach you specifically for the test and provide helpful resources and study tools. Completing Certificates, Forms and Fees: After completing your class, you’ll submit an application package to the Coast Guard.

Do you have to take a written exam to become a captain?

The Blended Captain’s License Course is 5 – 7 days long. The class starts at 8:00 am and goes until as late as 5:00 pm with an hour for lunch. Course schedules may vary, for example some instructors offer private courses or course schedules designed to …

Are there any online courses for the captain’s license exam?

Apr 10, 2022 · Physical taken within 12 months Approved drug test taken within 6 months Approved CPR and First Aid taken within 12 months Requirements For OUPV License 90 days service in the last 3 years on vessels of appropriate tonnage. Near Coastal: 360 days deck service in the operation of vessels, including 90 days service on ocean or near coastal waters.

How do I pass the US Coast Guard captain’s license exam?

Must be at least 19 years old. Must be able to document 360 days of experience on a vessel. (See: What Counts as Sea Service) 90 days of sea service must be within the last 3 years of when you apply. The tonnage of the license (25 Ton, 50 Ton, or …

Is the 6 pack captains license hard?

The test for the OUPV/Six-pack captain's license is challenging and requires you to possess a lot of knowledge about being a boat captain, but it is less difficult if you prepare. Some captains report that the questions related to plotting are especially hard and recommend studying those thoroughly.

What is the document sea time for captain's license?

3 What form do you use to record sea service time for a USCG license? To document your experience on the water, use the Small Vessel Sea Service Form CG-719S and record to the best of your recollection the number of days that you were on the water in any given month and year.

How much does it cost to get a captains license in Florida?

2 How much does a captain's license course cost? The most popular captain's license course, the OUPV/Six-pack course, costs $595 for a deluxe edition including online and physical materials through Mariners Learning System. The Deluxe Master Captain's License course costs $795.

How long does it take to get a captain's license in Texas?

1 Time Requirements A minimum of 360 days experience on board a boat since you were 15 years old is required to get an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) license (six pack). Of those, 90 days have to have been over the last three years. Four hours on a boat is enough to qualify as one day.

What counts as a day of sea time?

A day of sea service is any day that a mariner served upon a vessel in an assigned position in either the deck or engineering department of a vessel (not a passenger). The position may include duties such as: handling lines, being a lookout, steering the boat, and other navigational or propulsion functions.Dec 17, 2019

What are the requirements for a captain's license?

Under National Officer Endorsements for Deck, click on National Master 100NC.Must be at least 19 years old.Must be able to document 720 days of experience on a vessel, of which at least 360 days must be on Near Coastal/Ocean waters. ( ... 90 days of sea service must be within the last 3 years of when you apply.More items...

What size boat requires a captain's license in Florida?

The 25, 50, or 100-Ton Master License allows the holder to operate inspected vessels as well as uninspected vessels. Any vessel that is authorized to carry more than six paying passengers must have on board a captain who holds a Master license.

What size boat requires a skipper's license?

Skippers of pleasure vessels being sailing vessels of 9 metres and more in overall length, or power driven vessels of more than 15 HP, require a Small Vessel Certificate of Competence in accordance with the regulations. A national small vessel certification regime exists and is detailed further on in this document.Jun 28, 2011

How do you obtain captains license in Florida?

How to Apply. In order to purchase an FWC Charter Captain license, you must have a Coast Guard Captain's license. Call 1-888-427-5662 for information on the Coast Guard Captain's license. USCG charter boat captain information is available on the USCG web site.

How long is a 100 ton boat?

65 feetA 100-ton vessel can be 65 feet or more depending on its construction and commercial uses.

Do I need a license to drive a boat in Texas?

Do you need a Boating License in Texas? Texas law requires all boat operators born on or after September 1, 1993, who will be operating a PWC, a motorized boat over 15 hp, or a sailboat over 14 feet in length to pass a boater safety course and to carry a boater education card.

How long is a blended captain's license?

The Blended Captain’s License Course is 5 – 7 days long. The class starts at 8:00 am and goes until as late as 5:00 pm with an hour for lunch. Course schedules may vary, for example some instructors offer private courses or course schedules designed to accommodate for individual schedules.

Do you have to finish online classes?

You do not have to finish the entire online portion of the course but it is a good idea to get as far as possible in the online course before the first day of class. You end up finishing the online modules during the classroom portion of the course.

Why do you need a license for a boat?

Why You Need a License. Licenses are required in order to legally carry passengers for hire. This includes charters for fishing, sightseeing, diving, transportation, teaching or any use which is considered a “passenger for hire” situation. Many companies require them for boat deliveries.

How many passengers can a vessel carry?

A Master license is required if you operate “inspected” vessels. Inspected vessels are allowed to carry more than 6 passengers. To become Inspected, the vessel must be built in accordance with rigid USCG Commercial Vessel Inspection standards.

What is an uninspected passenger boat?

The word “uninspected” means that the equipment required and the design of the boat are less regulated. “6-pack” refers to the 6 passenger limitation placed on the license. OUPV licenses are issued with a particular route. Your license can be for the Great Lakes, Inland routes meaning bays, sounds, rivers, lakes, etc. of the US or Near Coastal routes out to 100 miles offshore. All OUPV licenses are for 100 Gross Tons vessels (about 100 feet, more or less). The OUPV license may be upgraded to a Master license.

What is an OUPV license?

OUPV licenses are issued with a particular route. Your license can be for the Great Lakes, Inland routes meaning bays, sounds, rivers, lakes, etc. of the US or Near Coastal routes out to 100 miles offshore. All OUPV licenses are for 100 Gross Tons vessels (about 100 feet, more or less).

What is a captain's license?

The Captain’s License is required to operate a commercial vessel or to take paying passengers out on your vessel. Understanding the Captain’s License Requirements should be understood prior to taking a captain’s license course.

How many days do you have to be on the ocean to get a fishing license?

90 of the 360 days must be on the ocean or near coastal waters, or the license will be limited to inland waters only. License will be limited to uninspected vessels of less than 100 gross tons. If you are not a U.S. Citizen, you can receive this license but it will be restricted to undocumented vessels.

How long do you have to have a 50 ton license?

For a 100 gross ton license, 180 days must be on vessels of 51 gross tons or above OR 360 days must be on vessels of 34 gross tons or above. For a 50 gross ton license, 180 days must be on a vessel of 26 gross tons.

How long does it take to get a sailing endorsement?

If you plan on operating an Inspected sailing vessel you must have a sailing endorsement, the required seatime for this is 180 days of sail or sail auxiliary time (these may be part of the 360 days and may be prior to license issuance)

How to contact USCG for credential packet?

But please, don’t rule yourself out on your own if you have any questions at all about whether you qualify for a license. Call us at 619-263-1638 and one of our friendly student services advisors will answer your questions.

What is a captain's license?

The Basics of a Captain’s License. A first time applicant will need to decide while type of license to pursue. There are two types available to one applying for a new license. You may apply for a license to be an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) or the more familiar “Six Pack” license.

How many years of sea time do you need for a vessel license?

There is room to document up to 5 years of sea time on any given vessel. There is room for five years of data because your license will be up for renewal every 5 years. Technically, vessels over 200 gross tons now require a Service Letter from the employer or vessel manager.

How long does it take to get a TWIC?

You must submit a copy of your TWIC with your license application; therefore, one must start the TWIC process at least four to six weeks or more before submitting one’s license application. Separately, a photograph of the applicant must accompany the application. This can be a driver’s license or passport photo.

How many questions can you miss in the navigation test?

Generally, that means you may miss no more than 3 questions to pass with a 90% grade. The Navigation questions will require you to work with a chart to plot position, routes, and so forth.

What is the second route endorsement?

The second route is near-coastal which means ocean waters not more than 200 miles offshore. By extension, a near-coastal route endorsement includes inland waters as well. Lastly, Oceans refers to all waters seaward of the Boundary Lines as described in 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 7.

What is the medical form for a captain?

To be a Captain, one must be in good health and of reasonable physical ability. The Medical form ( CG-719K) is the most extensive form one will need to complete. It also requires the signature of a licensed physician. Unlike an FAA pilot’s license, the physician need not be approved by the US Coast Guard.

Does sea time count as time spent on a boat?

Proof might be a Bill of Sale, vessel document, or a state registration. Sea time is not counted unless you spend at least 4 hours of a given day underway. Being onboard the boat at the dock swabbing the decks does not count.

What is the difference between a boating license and a captain's license?

A boating license is different from a captain’s license, so it’s important not to use these terms interchangeably. A boating license or boating education certificate is proof that you have completed a boater safety certificate. Boating license requirements vary by state. A captain’s license, on the other hand, is issued by the U.S. Coast Guard and enables the holder to operate a commercial vessel. The Six-pack captain’s license enables a boater to carry up to six paying passengers, while the Master license is required for more than six commercial passengers.

What is the Mariners Learning System?

The Mariners Learning System suite of Coast Guard-approved courses offers an alternative to the regular testing process held at the USCG regional exam centers. These OUPV/Six-pack license courses are structured for those pursuing a professional career in commercial boating operations and for recreational boaters wishing to increase their knowledge.

What is an OUPV license?

This license is the most popular license and is commonly referred to as a Six-pack because it allows the holder to take up to six paying passengers and crew out on the water .

How many days do you need to have a six pack?

Although the boating experience for each version of the Six-pack license varies slightly, the basic minimum requirements include: Having a minimum of 360 days boating experience; 90 of those days must have occurred in the last three years (the Coast Guard calls this recency)

How long does it take to get a USCG license?

The USCG processes and issues your license once they have evaluated your application packet. The USCG evaluation process takes about four weeks. If your packet is incomplete or filled out incorrectly the USCG will mail you a letter explaining what additional information they need.

Where to send USCG captain's license packet?

Email your complete USCG Application Packet to the Regional Examination Center (REC) nearest you. The USCG mails your captain’s license to you once they evaluate your application packet. A statement from the US Coast Guard about application packets follows.

What are USCG approved courses?

Each USCG approved course is composed of exam modules. Some courses have only one exam module, examples of these courses are Sailing, Towing, Upgrades and Renewal. Some courses have multiple exam modules, examples of these courses are OUPV (Six Pack), Master, Steersman, AB and Increase in Scope from Inland to Near Coastal. To complete a course you must finish the online exam module (s) that make up the course and then take an Online Final Examination with our USCG approved online examination specialist.

Do online exams expire?

All of the exam modules that make up a course must be completed before the Online Final Examination. Courses do not expire, you get lifetime access to the course! You have as much time as you need to complete the course and review before you schedule your Online Final Examination.

What happens if you don't take captain's license?

If a student does not follow the captain's license testing policy once again at a future test date, the student will be charged another fee of $95.00 when they reschedule. As long as this policy is followed there is NO additional charge for changing a confirmed proctored test date.

How many days before the Coast Guard test can you register?

The Coast Guard test registration closes 14 calendar days before the scheduled test date, therefore you must register more than 14 calendar days before the scheduled test date. Test seats are limited. Once a test site is full or once it is 14 days prior to the test date, the registration for the test site is closed.

How long before a test can you cancel your Coast Guard exam?

Registered students who are unable to attend their scheduled proctored exam are required to go to their account and cancel their appointment for testing at least 14 calendar days before the scheduled test date.

How long do you have to wait to retake a course after the expiration date?

Those who do not pass an exam module after three attempts must retake the entire online course and retest all modules at a proctored exam site prior to their year course expiration date and wait a period of 45 days to retest. What's required.

What is a law enforcement credential?

Law enforcement credential, with photograph of the applicant, issued by Federal, State or local government. U.S. Military identification card. Official identification card issued by a State, or local government. Official identification card issued by the Federal Government.

Can you take a captain's license test twice?

Without these, the student will not be allowed to test. If a captain’s license program candidate fails one or more modules, he or she may test twice without delay of the failed modules or can retest at a future test date prior to their course expiration date.

Can you retest a captain's license if it fails?

If a captain’s license program candidate fails one or more modules, he or she may test twice without delay of the failed modules or can retest at a future test date prior to their course expiration date.