One Minute Guide: How to Get Your OUPV/Six-Pack Captain's License
If you are looking to offer fishing and sailing charters, become a certified instructor, or provide guide services commercially, then the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) Captain's License is for you! Also known as the Six-Pack, this is the most popular type of captain's license.
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Common Questions About the OUPV/Six-Pack Captain's License
1 WHAT IS A SIX-PACK CAPTAIN'S LICENSE?
The Six-Pack captain’s license, also known as the OUPV license, is a designation awarded by the United States Coast Guard that allows the holder to take up to six paying passengers and crew out on the water.
The OUPV/Six-Pack license is issued in three forms, depending on your boating experience, which allows the holder to commercially operate on:
- Inland: U.S. inland waterways, such as bays, sounds, lakes, and rivers
- Near Coastal: U.S. inland waterways and up to 100 miles offshore
- Great Lakes & Near Coastal: U.S. inland waterways, up to 100 miles offshore and on the Great Lakes
2 WHAT IS AN OUPV LICENSE?
The Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) license is another name for the USCG Six-Pack captain’s license, which allows the holder to operate a commercial vessel with up to six paying passengers.
3 WHAT SIZE BOAT REQUIRES A CAPTAIN'S LICENSE?
The necessity of a captain's license to legally operate your boat is unrelated to the size of your boat. It depends on whether you are carrying passengers for hire. However, some insurance companies may require a captain's license for yachts over a certain size.
4 WHAT ARE THE SIX-PACK PRIVATE BOAT CAPTAIN’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS?
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a minimum of 360 days of boating experience. Ninety of these days must have occurred in the last three years. The Coast Guard calls this recency.
- Be a U.S. citizen or be able to show lawful admittance to the United States for permanent residence if not a citizen.
- Pass a physical exam and a drug test.
- Hold a valid Adult CPR and Basic First Aid card.
- Obtain a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC card), which includes a background check done by Homeland Security.
- Pass a USCG-approved OUPV/Six-Pack captain's license course, like the one offered by Mariners Learning System.
Although these are the basic minimum requirements, the boating experience for each version of the private boat captain's license varies slightly.
5 CAN I GET MY SIX-PACK CAPTAIN’S LICENSE ONLINE?
You can use an online course to study for your Six-Pack captain’s license and then remote test online. The Mariners Learning System suite of USCG-approved courses offers an alternative to having to take time off, drive to a classroom, and sit in a class with an instructor. These courses are structured for those pursuing a professional career in commercial boating operations and for recreational boaters wishing to increase their knowledge.
Once you complete the course, you will have to sit a proctored exam remotely when it's convenient for you. Any Day. Any Time. Any Place.
6 HOW HARD IS THE OUPV TEST?
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. If you take the Mariners Learning System course, you will have a good sense of what the questions on the exam will be and should be well-prepared.
NEXT STEPS FOR GETTING YOUR OPERATOR OF UNINSPECTED PASSENGER VESSELS LICENSE
If becoming a USCG-licensed boat captain sounds right for you, here's what you can do next:
- Watch this video: So You Want Your OUPV/Six-Pack Captain's License?
- Check out this infographic: How to Get Your OUPV License
- Purchase the OUPV/Six-Pack Captain’s License - Online Course and Exam
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Mariners Learning System
January 27, 2025
Hi Xesmarie – to document your sea service experience, you will need to complete the Sea Service Form CG-719S.
If you were aboard your vessel, you would sign off on that time and provide proof of ownership (including registration, vessel documentation, insurance card, or a sales receipt).
If the time were on someone else’s boat, they would sign off on the form for you.
The Coast Guard does not require logbooks or official records to verify this time; the process relies on the honor system. Provide your best estimate of the time spent on each vessel.
Each form covers one vessel and up to 5 years of experience. If you have sea time on multiple vessels, you will need to complete separate forms for each one.