USCG Captain’s License: OUPV vs Master, Costs from $695
How do you get a USCG captain's license?
To get a USCG captain's license, first log the sea time: 360 days for an OUPV (six-pack) or 720 days for a near-coastal Master under 100 GRT. Then pass a drug test, a CG-719K physical, and first aid and CPR, and enroll for a TWIC. Finally, pass the exam at a Coast Guard exam center or through an approved course, and apply to the National Maritime Center (NMC).
Rules checked 27 October 2026 against the federal regulations, 46 CFR Parts 10, 11 and 16 and 46 U.S.C. 2101. The NMC website blocked our requests, so we went to the regulations directly. Course prices were checked on each school's own site the same day.
What is an OUPV captain's license?
An OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels) license lets you carry up to six paying passengers on an uninspected boat under 100 gross register tons (GRT). That limit is why everyone calls it the "six-pack". It's the entry-level boat captain license for fishing charters, sunset cruises and small private charters (46 CFR 11.467).
You choose a route when you apply:
- Inland: bays, rivers, sounds and lakes, but not the Great Lakes.
- Great Lakes and inland: the same, plus the Great Lakes. You need 3 months of your service on the Great Lakes.
- Near-coastal: up to 100 miles offshore, plus the Great Lakes and inland waters.
OUPV vs Master (25/50/100 ton)
A Master license is the step up. You can run boats carrying more than six passengers, but those are inspected vessels with their own Coast Guard certificate, and you can only operate within that certificate's limits. A near-coastal Master goes out to 200 miles, against 100 for the OUPV (46 CFR 10.107).
Master licenses come in 25, 50 or 100 GRT steps, and the step you get depends on the boats you logged your time on. The rule takes whichever is higher: the largest boat you did 25% of your days on, or 150% of the largest boat you did 50% of your days on (46 CFR 11.422). If all your time is on a 22-foot center console, you'll get a small ticket.
Your Master license's tonnage comes from the boats you logged days on: put 25% of them on a 40 GRT boat like this and you qualify for 50 tons. Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most people start with the OUPV and upgrade once they have two years of time. An upgrade costs far less than starting over: Maritime Institute's online OUPV-to-Master course is $600, with the final exams taken in person.
What are the USCG captain's license requirements?
| Requirement | OUPV (six-pack) | Master under 100 GRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total sea time | 360 days | 720 days near-coastal; 360 days inland-only |
| Offshore portion | 90 days on ocean/near-coastal waters for a near-coastal route | At least 360 days on ocean/near-coastal; inland or Great Lakes time covers up to 1 year |
| Recency | 90 days within the last 3 years | 90 days within the last 3 years |
| What counts as a day | 8 hours by default; on boats under 100 GRT the Coast Guard can accept as few as 4 | Same |
| Minimum age | 18 | 19 |
| US citizenship | Not required if the boat isn't US-documented | Required |
| Drug test | Passed within 185 days of applying | Same |
| Medical | CG-719K physical | Same |
| First aid / CPR | First aid course within the past year, plus a current CPR card | Same |
| TWIC | Proof you hold one or have applied | Same |
| Exam | At a Regional Exam Center (REC), or a Coast Guard-approved course in lieu | Same |
| Application | Form CG-719B to the NMC | Same |
Sources: 46 CFR 11.467, 11.428, 11.457, 11.201, 10.107, 10.225, 16.220, checked October 2026. The regulations count a month as 30 days and a year as 360.
About the TWIC: your first application needs proof that you hold a TWIC or have applied for one, because the Coast Guard uses the fingerprints and background check from your TSA enrollment.
What size boat do you need a captain's license for?
No size of boat triggers the license. Paying passengers do. You need one when you carry a passenger for hire: anyone who gives "consideration", direct or indirect, as a condition of being on board (46 U.S.C. 2101). Take friends out free on a 60-footer and you need no license. Charge for a sunset cruise on a 20-foot skiff and you do.
A few lines in the law decide most cases:
- Splitting costs is fine. Friends voluntarily chipping in for the actual fuel, food or drinks don't count as consideration.
- Six is the magic number under 100 GT. Up to six paying passengers on an uninspected boat is OUPV territory. Seven or more makes it a small passenger vessel, which needs a Coast Guard inspection and a Master.
- Charters over 100 GT chartered with crew can carry up to 12 passengers as uninspected vessels. An OUPV stops at 100 GRT, so these need a Master license of the right tonnage.
- "Bareboat" deals with an owner-supplied captain count as passengers for hire. The law treats a boat "chartered with the crew provided or specified by the owner" as carrying passengers, so it's a crewed charter under another name.
Whatever her length, a charter like this with up to six paying guests is OUPV territory. Add a seventh and she needs an inspection and a Master. Photo: Adam, CC BY-SA 2.0.
How much does a captain's license cost?
The course is the biggest single cost. Passing a Coast Guard-approved course replaces the exam at an REC.
USCG-approved captain's license courses compared
These prices were on each school's own site on 27 October 2026:
| School | Course | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariners Learning System | OUPV / six-pack | Online, self-paced, exam proctored online | $695 |
| Mariners Learning System | 25/50/100-ton Master | Online | $895 |
| Maritime Institute | Master 100 tons (also meets the OUPV exam requirement) | Online (exams in person) or 2-week classroom in CA, VA, WA, HI | $975 online; $1,600–$1,758 classroom |
| Maritime Institute | OUPV-to-Master 100T upgrade | Online, 4 weeks (exams in person) | $600 |
Coast Guard fees come on top. For an original lower-level officer endorsement (OUPV and Master under 100 GRT both qualify), the fees are $100 evaluation, $95 examination and $45 issuance, so $240 if you sit the exam at an REC (46 CFR 10.219). Mariners Learning System says you pay $145 when an approved course replaces the exam. Since 2024 you pay electronically.
Other costs: the TWIC is $125.25–$127 (TSA's own pages show both figures). You'll also pay for the CG-719K physical, the drug test and a first aid/CPR course, and those prices vary by clinic and provider.
Realistic total: roughly $1,000 (about €890) online up to $2,000 (about €1,780) for a classroom course, before the physical, drug test and first aid. Euro figures use about $1.13 to €1.
How long does it take to get a captain's license?
Sea time is the slow part. You need 360 logged days for an OUPV, and nobody can shortcut that. Once you have it:
- Course: online is self-paced. Maritime Institute gives you 85 days for its Master course, and Mariners Learning System says most people finish in a few weeks. Classroom courses run about two weeks.
- NMC processing: after the 2026 funding lapse left a backlog of more than 19,000 applications, the NMC said on 21 July 2026 that complete applications should be processed within 4 months of receipt. The clock doesn't include time spent waiting for you to test or send missing paperwork (NMC notice via AMO).
- Deadlines: your drug test must be no more than 185 days old when you apply, and an approved application is valid for 12 months.
If your sea time is already documented, allow 4–6 months from starting the course to holding the card. Getting yours in Florida? See our captain's license Florida guide.
Do you need a USCG captain's license to work on a yacht?
Not to get your first job. Deckhands and stews don't need a license. You need STCW Basic Training and an ENG1 medical. Our deckhand jobs guide covers the starting point.
For command, it depends on the flag. Many superyachts fly the Red Ensign or flags such as the Cayman Islands or Marshall Islands. Those boats expect MCA-style tickets: a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster, then Master (Yachts) 200GT, 500GT or 3000GT. Our Yachtmaster course guide prices that route, and yacht captain salary shows what each ticket pays.
A USCG license earns its keep on US-flag boats and in US waters: fishing and day charters, smaller US-flag yachts, and delivery or relief work. A near-coastal Master under 100 GRT is treated as STCW-compliant within its own limits (46 CFR 11.428). Plenty of Fort Lauderdale crew hold both a USCG ticket and an MCA one. For what's hiring, see yacht captain jobs and our yacht jobs guide.
Captain's license FAQ
Can you get a 6-pack captain's license online?
The course and exam, yes: Mariners Learning System runs both online with a remote-proctored exam. The physical, drug test and TWIC enrollment happen in person, and the 360 days of sea time have to be real.
Can a non-US citizen get a captain's license?
Only an OUPV, and only for boats that aren't documented with the US Coast Guard (state-registered boats, for example). Every Master license requires US citizenship (46 CFR 11.201).
Does a USCG captain's license expire?
Yes. A Merchant Mariner Credential is valid for 5 years from issue, and you can renew it any time while it's valid or up to a year after it expires (46 CFR 10.205, 10.227).
Is a six-pack license the same as an OUPV?
Yes. "Six-pack" is the nickname for the OUPV because it caps you at six paying passengers.
Do I need a license to skipper my own boat with friends?
No, as long as nobody pays to be aboard. Friends sharing the actual cost of fuel and food doesn't make them passengers for hire.
Build sea time toward your captain's license
The quickest way to build sea time for a captain's license is to work on boats. Sign up free on Radius, check in at the port you're in, and captains and recruiters can see your verified ENG1, STCW and CV on a live map.