Counting Military Sea Time Toward Your Captain’s License

Evaluation Process: How Military Sea Time is Counted

Can you count military sea service time towards a captain’s license?  

If you’ve served in the military and accumulated sea service time while on active duty, you may be able to count this time toward obtaining your USCG captain’s license. Military sea time can be credited for licensing purposes, but there are specific guidelines and documentation requirements to ensure it is properly evaluated.

To meet the USCG captain's license requirements, 60% of your military sea service can be used to count toward the total sea time needed for the license. If you have a substantial amount of military sea service, it can significantly reduce the amount of civilian time you need to accumulate. 

To ensure that your military sea service time qualifies toward your captain’s license, it must have been served in a capacity relevant to the type of license you are applying for. For instance, if you are seeking an OUPV (6-pack) or Master’s license, the military sea service you provide must be directly applicable to the duties and responsibilities expected of a commercial captain. You could not serve as a cook and expect that time to count. 

To document your military sea service and ensure it counts toward your license application, you must provide satisfactory evidence. 

Here is the document requesting military records for licensing purposes.