How MM-SEAS Helps Ensure a Seamless Captain’s License Application

Imagine you’ve just finished your captain’s license course and passed the exam. You’re excited and ready to apply, but you get frustrated over the next few days.

Why? The paperwork.

To be honest, some people think the paperwork for their captain’s license application is more complicated than the actual course. And I wouldn’t argue with them.

But I decided to do something about it.

Captain’s License Application Requirements: Everything You Need

When you complete our course and pass the exam, we give you a Certificate of Completion to submit with your captain’s license application to the Coast Guard. But that certificate is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Here’s what the Coast Guard requires for your captain’s license application:

• Documented Sea Service: At least 360 days of boating experience, with 90 days in the past three years.
  
  
• Medical Exam: A physical exam, including hearing and vision, to confirm you’re fit for duty.
  
  
• Drug Test: DOT-approved, of course.
  
  
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC): A TSA background check and security clearance.
  
  
• Adult CPR and First Aid Certification: Must be current within the year before applying.
  
  
• Application Form CG-719B: A multi-page document that has to be filled out correctly. Even your doctor has a section to complete.
  
  
• Course Completion Certificate: Proof that you passed our Coast Guard–approved training and exam.
  
  
• Application Fee: Paid to the Coast Guard at submission.

Each requirement comes with its own paperwork, deadlines, and potential complications. That’s a lot of boxes to check, and it’s easy to make mistakes.

When you submit your captain’s license application, the Coast Guard begins the review process. If you’ve done everything right, that process only lasts as long as it takes to sift through the current backlog of applications.

But if you’ve missed a detail or filled out a form incorrectly, your application could get delayed or — worse — rejected.

Why We Partner With MM-SEAS

I don’t partner with many companies. In fact, MM-SEAS is the only company I’ve ever partnered with, and there’s a good reason for that.

They specialize in exactly what so many people struggle with: navigating the captain’s license application process. While we focus on education, they focus on paperwork — and they’re the best at what they do.

What MM-SEAS Provides Our Students

When you enroll in a Mariners course, you get two years of free access to MM-SEAS Expert Access (normally $99 per year). This isn’t an add-on fee or upsell. It’s included in your course.

Here’s what that gets you:

• License Software: Their system walks you through each step of the application process, making sure you don’t miss anything.
  
  
• Proper Forms: They provide all the necessary forms, including the multi-page physical exam form your doctor needs to complete.
  
  
• Application Review: Their software checks your application before you submit it, catching errors that could cause delays.
  
  
• Expert Support: If you have questions, you can pick up the phone and reach out to one of their specialists who know the process inside and out.

This is an expense we cover because we truly want you to succeed. The last thing we want is for paperwork to be the reason you don’t get your license.

Why MM-SEAS Makes a Difference

I could have tried to handle application support in-house, but that wouldn’t have served you as well. MM-SEAS has dedicated staff who specialize in Coast Guard applications. They know every form, every requirement, and every common mistake that causes delays. That’s their expertise — just like maritime education is mine.

With the usual MM-SEAS Expert Access membership, you can schedule calls with their team members in advance to ask questions and get guidance. For Mariners students, however, MM-SEAS includes the upgrade of a dedicated, direct line for one-on-one calls with experts from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET - with no scheduling ahead required.

When you complete your captain’s license course, you should be celebrating your achievement, not stressing about paperwork. Our partnership with MM-SEAS ensures the captain’s license application process goes as smoothly as possible.

MM-SEAS and Your Captain’s License Application: Final Thoughts

The extent and complexity of the captain’s license application doesn’t have to slow you down. With the right support in place, you can focus on what matters most: learning to become the best captain possible.

From the moment you start a Mariners course through the day your license arrives in the mail, we want your experience to be straightforward and successful. 

That’s why we’ve partnered with MM-SEAS — so no aspiring captain ends up navigating red tape on their own.