Captain’s License FAQ: Citizenship, Passengers, and More

Citizenship Requirements, Counting Paying Passengers, Inspected Vessels, and More!

What citizenship status do I need to get a captain's license?  

To obtain a Master's captain's license, the Coast Guard requires that you be a U.S. citizen. However, for the OUPV (Six-Pack) captain's license, you only need proof that you are legally authorized to work in the United States, which means non-citizens can obtain this license if they meet the work authorization requirements. 

Do children of the customers count as paying passengers? 

Children do count as paying passengers. For example, if you have a policy like "children under 12 are free," they still count as 1 paying passenger for the purpose of the license. Similarly, promotions like buy 1 get 1 free would count as 2 paying passengers.  

What is an inspected vessel?  

An inspected vessel is a vessel that has been inspected by the Coast Guard and issued a Certificate of Inspection (COI). The COI specifies:

• The number of paying passengers the vessel is authorized to carry
• The type of Master's license the captain must hold to operate the vessel

If you're operating a commercial vessel with passengers, the COI will guide you in determining your licensing requirements.

What do I do if I let my license expire and I am outside the one-year grace period?  

If your captain's license has expired and you are beyond the grace period, you may need to meet all the requirements again to get your license reissued.

We recommend contacting the Coast Guard at (888) 427-5662 to inquire if they can retrieve your old sea service forms. This could reduce your recency requirement to 90 days, rather than the full sea service requirement, if they are able to locate your prior records.