Form CG-719P is the DOT/USCG Periodic Drug Testing form used to document your drug test results for a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC). It’s completed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) after you pass a DOT 5-panel urine test, and it must be submitted with your application within 185 days of testing under 46 CFR 16.220.
If you’re applying for or renewing a captain’s license, the drug test paperwork is one of the most common places applications get held up. Not because the test itself is hard, but because the documentation has to be exactly right.
Form CG-719P is the form most applicants encounter. It’s the standard way to prove you passed a DOT-approved drug test. Here’s how to get it done correctly the first time.
Form CG-719P is a federal form used to record the results of a DOT-approved drug test for mariners. The MRO completes and signs it after reviewing your lab results. It’s one of three acceptable ways to document your drug test for the National Maritime Center (NMC), the office that reviews all captain’s license applications.
Form CG-719P gives the NMC everything it needs in one document: your identity, the test type, the lab accreditation, the MRO’s review, and the result. While there are other options, we recommend the CG-719P. It’s the cleanest and easiest because it’s structured to satisfy every NMC requirement in a single document.
No. The drug test is the urine specimen you provide at a testing facility. CG-719P is the paperwork that documents the result.
The MRO fills it out after reviewing your lab results. You don’t complete the medical sections yourself.
A drug test documented on CG-719P (or an equivalent letter or Chain of Custody form) is required for every MMC transaction except increases of scope, duplicates, and STCW international endorsements.
|
Transaction Type |
Drug Test Required? |
|
Original Application |
Yes |
|
Raise of Grade |
Yes |
|
Renewal |
Yes |
|
Endorsement Addition |
Yes |
|
Increase of Scope |
No |
|
Duplicate MMC |
No |
|
STCW Only |
No |
If you’re applying for your first captain’s license, upgrading from OUPV/Six-Pack to Master, or renewing, you need a completed drug test form in your application packet.
The form has two sections. Section I is for you, the applicant. Section II is for the MRO.
Your part (Section I): Fill in your last name, first name, middle name, Mariner Reference Number (if you have one; first-time applicants won’t), Social Security number, signature, and date. You can complete the form digitally using an Adobe PDF application, or print it, fill it out by hand, and scan it.
The MRO’s part (Section II): The MRO fills in the lab results, confirms the test type, and signs. You don’t touch this section.
Once the MRO completes the form, the lab should send it back to the individual. Then, the applicant can save it using this naming format: LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_CG719P. That naming isn’t required, but it keeps your files organized alongside your other application documents: CG-719B (the main application form), CG-719K (the physical), and CG-719S (sea service).
Submit the completed CG-719P with your full application packet to the NMC via the Application Submission and Additional Information Portal (ASAP). The NMC’s centralized submission process accepts emailed or uploaded applications.
It’s not required, though we recommend you bring the form with you. Many testing facilities provide the form or use their own documentation.
CG-719P covers Option One (individual test). But the Coast Guard accepts two other paths to satisfy the drug testing requirement. All three options are spelled out on page two of the CG-719P form itself.
|
Option |
Best For |
Key Requirement |
|
Option One: Individual Test Result With Form CG-719P |
First-time applicants, renewals without employer |
Negative DOT 5-panel within 185 days, signed by MRO |
|
Option Two: Random Program Letter |
Active commercial mariners with an employer |
Enrolled in 46 CFR 16.230 program for 60+ days in previous 185 days |
|
Option Three: Pre-Employment Letter |
Recently hired mariners |
Passed pre-employment test under 46 CFR 16.210 within 185 days |
Most Mariners Learning System students use Option One because they’re applying independently, not through a marine employer. Options Two and Three require specific employer or consortium documentation with exact verbiage prescribed by the Coast Guard. If you’re using Option Two or Three, have your employer or consortium use the letter template on the CG-719P form’s second page word for word.
No. The NMC won’t accept drug testing letters from a union attesting to participation in a random testing program. The letter must come from a marine employer or a valid consortium.
Your drug test is self-paid. The results come back to you, not to the Coast Guard, so choosing the right facility is your responsibility.
To confirm a facility meets Coast Guard requirements, verify three points before your appointment:
You can search for a local facility through the Foley DOT Collection Site Locator or any search engine. Regional Exam Centers can’t perform the drug test. Before scheduling, call the facility and ask if they offer the DOT 5-panel test with MRO review for a Coast Guard captain’s license. If they aren’t sure what that means, keep looking.
The most common mistake is timing: taking the test too early and letting the 185-day window expire before submitting the application. We recommend scheduling the test in the final weeks of your coursework.
The test results documented on CG-719P are valid for 185 days from the date of collection, per 46 CFR 16.220. After that, the NMC won’t accept them and you’ll need to test again.
Yes. You can download the current version of the DOT/USCG Periodic Drug Testing Form directly from the Mariners Learning System website or from the NMC’s forms page at dco.uscg.mil. Always use the latest version.
Drug tests for captain’s licenses typically cost $75 to $150, depending on the facility and location. This is a self-paid expense, separate from your Coast Guard application fees.
CG-719P is a short form with a big job: proving to the Coast Guard that you’re free of prohibited substances and fit to hold a federal credential. The form itself isn’t complicated. The difference between a smooth application and a delayed one usually comes down to choosing the right facility, getting the MRO signature, and timing the test to your application.
If you have questions about CG-719P or any other part of the application process, the team at Mariners Learning System is here to help. We’ve guided more than 200,000 students through this process, and we’re not going to let paperwork be the reason you don’t get your license.
Coast Guard forms and processes change. This guide reflects current USCG guidance as of June 2026, but always download the latest CG-719P and confirm requirements with the NMC. For questions, contact the NMC customer service center at 1-888-427-5662.
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