Ultimate USCG License Renewal Checklist | MM-SEAS 10 Step Life-Changing USCG License Renewal Guide

Step 1: Gather Your Sea Service Documents From the Last Five Years

It's time to gather your Sea Service Letters and let's fulfill the Sea Service Requirements for your Coast Guard License renewal.

Track down every CG-719S (Small Vessel Sea Service form), Sea Service Letter on company letterhead, Certificate of Discharge and Active Duty/Reserve documents (USCG TOSS, Army TOSS, NOAA TOSS, USCG AOPS) of sea service you have earned. Once you've gathered all of your sea service documents, start by counting up your sea days in the previous five years of your USCG MMC renewal application date.

User Tip: You can add all of your Sea Service documents into the software. The system will calculate everything for you and you will always have a safe place to store your documents.

1.1 Create CG-719S (Small Vessel Sea Service) Forms for Your own Vessels

If you are the owner of a vessel on which you are claiming service, you can easily create and sign perfect CG-719S forms inside MM-SEAS. Record every day you were underway for over four hours on your vessel.

1.2 Proof of Ownership if Using Your own Vessel

Acceptable proof of ownership may include: Title, Registration (state registered vessels), Certificate of Documentation (U.S. Coast Guard registered vessels), Proof of insurance (which clearly identifies the vessel) or a Bill of sale.

Step 2: Your Sea Days From the Previous Five Years Determine if Training or Tests are Required to Renew

Training and tests for merchant mariner credential renewal all depend on which USCG Licenses you hold and how many sea days you have in the last 5 years.

2.1 Easily Renew your USCG License Domestic (National) endorsements

Everyone who holds a Merchant Mariner Credential will have a domestic endorsement such as Master, Mate, OUPV, 1AE, Chief Engineer and/or DDE.

Step 3: You need A Valid Medical Certificate to Renew Your USCG License

• Print off a CG-719K form from the USCG NMC Medical website.
• Schedule your medical exam with a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner licensed in the US or a US Territory.
• Bring the printed CG-719K with you to your appointment.
• Have your provider complete all 10 pages and sign the form.
• After your exam, email the completed CG-719K as a PDF to MEDAIP@uscg.mil.

Step 4: You Need a Picture of Your Current MMC and Attachments

Photocopy all attachments front and back of what you are renewing. This can be your uncancelled MMD, MMC, license, STCW endorsement, Certificate of Registry (COR), or Document of Continuity.

Step 5: You need a Valid TWIC, Have Recent Evidence of Applying or a TWIC Exemption Memo

MM-SEAS User Tip: MM-SEAS can create a Perfect TWIC Exemption Memo inside of the site for you. One less thing to worry about and you just saved $125.25 but lost out on TSA Precheck!

If you do need a TWIC card for work then you should renew it online.

Go to this link and follow the steps to renew your TWIC

Step 6: You need Negative Drug Test Documentation to renew your OUPV Six-Pack captain license

MM-SEAS User Tip: Add your Drug Test Paperwork and MM-SEAS will automatically alert you as the 185 days are coming up.

For all renewal applications, you'll need evidence of having passed a chemical test for dangerous drugs. You may also use a letter from a marine employer attesting to participation in a random drug testing program, or a letter attesting to a pre-employment drug test from your employer instead of a drug test. There are a few exceptions to this requirement including increasing in scope, asking for a duplicate, or applying for an STCW only endorsement.

There are three options to meet this requirement, so schedule your drug test accordingly. You only need to fulfill one of the options and it must be dated within 185 days of your application being submitted.

• Option One: Provide the results of a DOT 5 Panel Urine Test for Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates, Phencyclidine, and Amphetamines. Make your life easier by bringing the CG-719P Periodic Drug Testing Form with you to the clinic with a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO) approved through AAMRO or MROCC. Make sure your test states Negative and is signed by the Medical Review Officer (MRO).
• Option Two: Provide a letter on marine employer stationary or on command letterhead attesting to participation in a random drug testing program. You must include the exact text from the Overview of Drug Test Requirements Option Two on the USCG website in your letter. Drug testing letters from a Union will not be accepted by the NMC.
• Option Three: Provide a letter on marine employer stationary attesting to pre-employment drug testing. You must include the exact text from the Overview of Drug Test Requirements Option Three on the USCG website in your letter.

Step 7: The Federal USCG Fees

MM-SEAS User Tip: Pay.gov fees are one of the most common errors made by mariners. Our team calculates and pays the fees perfectly every time which helps create a Perfect application. That's why we include it in our fee and guarantee they are done right every time!

If MM-SEAS is creating a Perfect MM-SEAS application for you all of your Pay.gov fees are included in the $349 price for a Perfect MM-SEAS application. You are welcome to figure out pay.gov on your own and we drop the MM-SEAS Perfect Application price down to $249 if you paid the right fees.

Add your receipt to MM-SEAS if you want to do it yourself under Renewal Checklist.

This guidance will help calculate your renewal fees and pay for your renewal on Pay.gov. First, you need to use the table as set forth in 46 CFR 10.219 to calculate the appropriate fees for your license renewal.

Next, go to the USCG Merchant Mariner User Fee Payment page on Pay.gov. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the "Continue to Form" button. Fill out the form with your personal details and choose the Regional Exam Center (REC) closest to your home address. After payment, Pay.gov will email a receipt — keep it and submit it with your renewal request as proof of payment.

Step 8: Fill Out the CG-719B Application Form

MM-SEAS User Tip: We use your MM-SEAS profile to create perfect CG-719B forms and take care of everything behind the scenes for you. We promise that you will always keep all of the endorsements you want to renew.

It's strongly recommended that you ask for every single endorsement that you want to be renewed. If you do not put it in writing as part of your renewal application, the USCG commonly omits endorsements you previously held and are qualified to renew.

First, fill out the CG-719B form.

Help with Description of Endorsements Desired Box in Section II — we know the box on the form is small and you might not have room to fit all of your requested endorsements. If you can't fit everything in the box, attach a memo to the form and outline why you are qualified.

If you are just renewing all of your endorsements the USCG prefers that you write, "Renewal of all current credentials" in the Description of Endorsements Desired Box in Section II. We recommend attaching a memo with all endorsements you want renewed as well.

Step 9: Submit your Application Packet to the Nearest Regional Exam Center (REC)

MM-SEAS User Tip: If you are using MM-SEAS, we can make PERFECT Applications automatically for you, submit them to the National Maritime Center (NMC) and then deal with them in case any issues come up on your behalf. We put everything in the preferred order for the NMC evaluators to make it as easy as possible for your application to be quickly reviewed and approved.

Submit your completed, signed application and documents, with all of the above eight steps documents attached to the USCG Regional Exam Center via email.

All of your documents must be submitted as PDF. You can use electronic signatures as long as they can be verified and your PDF document is not locked afterwards. Your packages of PDF documents cannot be larger than 35MB as the USCG email systems will not accept attachments larger than 35MB.

When you submit your application packet to the REC, make sure to name each attachment and the email subject line the same: Last, First, MMC Reference number, (Original/Renewal/Upgrade) Package. As an example my first attachment and email subject line for a renewal would be: Gilman, Nate, 3473478, Renewal Package