Medical Requirements for a Captain's License Physical

Health Criteria Impacting Captain's License Eligibility

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Common Questions About Medical Requirements for a Captain's License

1 WHAT ARE THE MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A CAPTAIN'S LICENSE?

For a vessel to be operated safely, it's essential that the crew members be physically fit and free of debilitating illness and injury. The seafaring life is arduous and often hazardous, and the availability of medical assistance or treatment is generally minimal.

The following guidelines outline the recommended medical requirements for a captain's license. They're not intended to be absolute or all-encompassing. Some individuals may have medical conditions or physical limitations that would render them incompetent to perform their duties aboard a vessel, while others may be capable of working at sea without posing a risk to themselves, their ship, or shipmates even though one of the listed conditions exists.

As the trend towards smaller crews continues, each crew member's ability to perform their routine duties and respond to emergencies becomes even more critical.

2 WHAT ARE THE COMMON CAPTAIN'S LICENSE MEDICAL DISQUALIFIERS? 

Here are the top five medical conditions that can delay your USCG captain's license application or cause the application to be denied:

1. Cardiac disease
2. Diabetes
3. Psychiatric disorders
4. Sleep apnea
5. Chronic use of narcotics

It's important that you provide medical documentation from your doctor if you have one or more of these medical conditions. Any cause for a merchant marine credential medical disqualification is only while the conditions persist or are likely to cause disqualifying complications.

3 DO YOU NEED A PHYSICAL EXAM TO GET A CAPTAIN'S LICENSE?

Yes. Captain's licenses, such as the OUPV and Master license, require a physical exam to be completed as part of the application process. The form you need for your captain's license physical is the CG- 719K Application for Medical Certificate.

NEED MORE GUIDANCE ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS?

Use these additional resources to learn about the requirements for becoming a captain:

• Watch more videos on the application process
• Read over this guide: Why Become a USCG Licensed Captain
• Shop our captain's license courses