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United States · Captain’s license

Captain’s license: six-pack (OUPV) or Master

A captain’s license is a U.S. Coast Guard officer endorsement on your Merchant Mariner Credential, and you need one to run a boat that carries passengers for hire. The six-pack (OUPV) covers up to six passengers on an uninspected vessel of less than 100 GRT. A Master endorsement covers inspected vessels, which can carry more. You qualify with documented sea time, a medical exam, a drug test, a TWIC, and either the Coast Guard exam or an approved course.

  • 18Youngest age for an OUPV endorsement
  • 12 monthsSea service for an OUPV endorsement
  • $240Coast Guard fees for an original
  • 5 yearsHow long the credential lasts
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated October 2026 · Written from the Coast Guard regulations in 46 CFR Parts 10 and 11

Key facts

At a glance

Issued by
The U.S. Coast Guard, as an endorsement on a Merchant Mariner Credential
Main choices
OUPV (the six-pack) or Master, with a tonnage limit set by your experience
Passengers
Six or fewer on an OUPV. More passengers means an inspected vessel and a Master
How far offshore
Up to 100 miles for a near-coastal OUPV, and up to 200 miles for other near-coastal endorsements
Exam
The Coast Guard’s exam, or a Coast Guard-approved course in its place
Citizenship
U.S. citizens. Non-citizens can hold an OUPV limited to undocumented vessels

How it works

How the captain’s license works

  1. The Coast Guard authorizes you to sit the exam once it finds your experience and training satisfactory, and that approval is valid for 1 year.
  2. The subjects depend on the endorsement and route. Table 2 to 46 CFR 11.910 lists them, from chart navigation and the Navigation Rules to firefighting and emergency procedures.
  3. Instead of the Coast Guard’s exam, you can pass a course the Coast Guard has approved to substitute for it, then send the course certificate with your application.
  4. The National Maritime Center publishes the number of questions and the passing score for each exam section.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

OUPV and Master: which license you need

A captain’s license is an officer endorsement on a Merchant Mariner Credential. The two covered here are Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV, the six-pack) and Master.

Key points (4)
  • An OUPV endorsement covers uninspected passenger vessels of less than 100 GRT carrying six or fewer passengers (46 CFR 11.467).
  • A near-coastal OUPV endorsement reaches no more than 100 miles offshore, plus the Great Lakes and all inland waters (46 CFR 11.467).
  • Every inspected small passenger vessel must have a credentialed Master in command (46 CFR 15.805).
  • Under 46 U.S.C. 2101, a small passenger vessel of less than 100 gross tons carries more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger for hire.
02

Sea service and tonnage

Your documented time on the water decides which endorsement you can get, which waters it covers and its tonnage.

Key points (4)
  • A day of service is 8 hours. On vessels of less than 100 GRT the Coast Guard can accept less if 8 hours doesn’t fit the vessel’s schedule, but never less than 4 hours (46 CFR 10.232).
  • On vessels of less than 200 GRT, owners may attest to their own service if they show proof of ownership (46 CFR 10.232).
  • You need at least 3 months of service within the 3 years before you apply (46 CFR 11.201).
  • Service before age 16 is generally not creditable (46 CFR 11.201).
03

Age, medical, drug test and TWIC

Beyond sea service, every applicant shows they’re old enough, medically fit, drug free and vetted by TSA.

Key points (4)
  • The minimum age is 18 for OUPV and 19 for Master of near-coastal, Great Lakes and inland, or river vessels of 25 to 200 GRT (46 CFR 11.201).
  • Deck officers need correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye and uncorrected vision of at least 20/200 in the same eye, with satisfactory color sense (46 CFR 10.305).
  • An original officer endorsement needs a first-aid certificate completed within 1 year and a currently valid CPR certificate (46 CFR 11.201).
  • An original application includes proof that you hold a TWIC or have applied for one (46 CFR 10.225).
04

The Coast Guard exam and approved courses

OUPV and Master endorsements need an exam. You can sit it with the Coast Guard, or pass a Coast Guard-approved course that substitutes for it.

Key points (4)
  • Table 2 to 46 CFR 11.910 lists the exam subjects for each deck endorsement, including OUPV near-coastal and OUPV Great Lakes and inland.
  • Fail one or two sections and you can retest them twice in the next 3 months. Fail three or more and you take the complete exam again (46 CFR 11.217).
  • All exams and retests must be finished within 1 year of approval for examination (46 CFR 11.217).
  • The Coast Guard may approve courses that substitute for its exams (46 CFR 10.402).
05

Navigation Rules

The Inland Navigation Rules (33 CFR Part 83) and the international COLREGS are exam subjects for OUPV and Master endorsements.

Key points (4)
  • Two power-driven vessels meeting head-on each alter course to starboard, so each passes on the other’s port side (Inland Rule 14).
  • In a crossing situation, the power-driven vessel that has the other on her starboard side keeps out of the way (Inland Rule 15).
  • A vessel coming up from more than 22.5 degrees abaft the other’s beam is overtaking and must keep out of the way (Inland Rule 13).
  • At least five short and rapid blasts mean you doubt the other vessel’s intentions or actions (Inland Rule 34).
06

Charts, aids to navigation and publications

Chart navigation, aids to navigation and navigation publications are on the exam subject table for OUPV and Master endorsements.

Key points (4)
  • NOAA’s U.S. Chart No. 1 describes the symbols, abbreviations and terms used on nautical charts.
  • The U.S. Coast Pilot covers channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge clearances, currents, tides and weather, among other topics, and NOAA lets you download it free.
  • The operator of each self-propelled vessel 12 meters or more in length must carry a copy of the Inland Navigation Rules on board (Inland Rule 1).
  • Piloting subjects on the OUPV exam include distance off, bearing problems, fixes and running fixes, chart navigation and dead reckoning (Table 2 to 46 CFR 11.910).
07

Renewal and extra endorsements

A Merchant Mariner Credential lasts 5 years. Sail and assistance towing are separate endorsements on top of OUPV or Master.

Key points (4)
  • An MMC is valid for 5 years from issue (46 CFR 10.205).
  • To renew, show 1 year of sea service in the past 5 years, pass an open-book exercise, or complete an approved refresher course, among other options (46 CFR 10.227).
  • A credential may be renewed up to 12 months after it expires, but you can’t serve on it after the expiration date (46 CFR 10.205 and 10.227).
  • OUPV and Master holders need an Assistance Towing endorsement to do assistance towing, by exam or an approved course (46 CFR 11.482).

Test day

What goes in your application

  • A completed, signed application and the fee
  • Proof that you hold a TWIC or have applied for one
  • Evidence of sea service, such as service letters, or your own attestation and proof of ownership for your boat
  • Your medical exam on form CG-719-K, or a valid Coast Guard medical certificate
  • Evidence of a passed drug test, or that you’re exempt
  • First-aid and CPR certificates, and any approved course certificate

Before you go

  1. Decide between OUPV and Master, and the route you want, from the sea service you can document.
  2. Collect service letters or sea service records for every boat you’ve run.
  3. Get your medical exam, drug test, first-aid and CPR certificates.
  4. Apply for your TWIC with TSA, which fingerprints and photographs you at an application center.
  5. Choose an approved course, or plan to sit the Coast Guard exam after approval.
  6. Send the complete application to the Coast Guard, in a manner it prescribes.
National Maritime Center: Merchant Mariner CredentialsThe NMC publishes the current application forms, checklists and where to send them. Under 46 CFR 10.217 you can apply at any Regional Examination Center or another location the Coast Guard designates.

Study options

Where to study

The exam subjects come from Table 2 to 46 CFR 11.910, so start with the free official texts it draws on: the Navigation Rules, NOAA’s U.S. Chart No. 1 and the Coast Pilot. Then choose a Coast Guard-approved course, online or in a classroom, if you’d rather pass the school’s exam than sit the Coast Guard’s.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official and free
Navigation Rules, International and InlandOfficial rules text (PDF)Both sets of rules are exam subjects. NOAA’s Coast Pilot page offers the amalgamated version, which sets out the differences between the two rule sets, and an up-to-date copy meets the Inland Rule 1(g) carriage requirement.
FreeThe whole amalgamated text of the COLREGS and the Inland Navigation Rules, with their annexes
NOAA: Navigation Rules (PDF) ↗eCFR: 33 CFR Part 83, Inland Navigation Rules ↗
NOAA U.S. Coast Pilot and U.S. Chart No. 1Official navigation publicationsChart No. 1 explains the symbols, abbreviations and terms on nautical charts. The Coast Pilot covers channels, anchorages, bridge clearances, currents, tides and weather. Charts and navigation publications are exam subjects for OUPV and Master.
Free to downloadAll ten Coast Pilot volumes, and Chart No. 1 as a PDF
NOAA: U.S. Coast Pilot ↗NOAA: U.S. Chart No. 1 ↗
Exam subject table, 46 CFR 11.910Official exam syllabusTable 2 marks which subjects each endorsement is tested on, with notes for route limits and the sail addendum. Use it as a checklist against any course or study guide.
FreeThe subject list for every deck endorsement, OUPV and Master included
eCFR: 46 CFR 11.910 ↗
Online courses
Captain’s License Class (Mariners Learning System course)Online Coast Guard-approved OUPV courseUses the Mariners Learning System course, with 12 months to finish and an online proctored exam in four modules: Rules of the Road, Plotting, Navigation General and Deck General. The school says no testing at a Coast Guard Regional Exam Center is needed. Also sells Master upgrade, assistance towing, sail and renewal courses.
$695 for the online OUPV course; plotting tools $80 extraNot listed
Online Captain’s License OUPV ↗
In person
Sea SchoolCoast Guard-approved courses, classroom and onlineThe classroom OUPV course is 54 hours over two weekends, or six days in a row, with testing held separately. Locations include Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Panama City, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; Houma, Louisiana; and Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The online OUPV course has 12 months of access, books and charts, and an online proctored final.
Classroom OUPV $850 to $1,100 by location; online OUPV $650; online Master upgrade $300 plus a $50 exam feeNot listed
OUPV Captain’s License (classroom) ↗Captain’s License Online (OUPV) ↗
The Captain SchoolCoast Guard-approved classes in Southwest FloridaThe Masters class needs the OUPV course first. It also runs assistance towing ($175), sailing endorsement ($200) and first aid and CPR ($110) classes. The school lets 17-year-olds take the OUPV class if they turn 18 within a year of finishing.
OUPV class $900 plus a $100 testing fee; Masters class $400Not listed
OUPV class ↗Classes and prices ↗
Maritime Professional Training (MPT)Coast Guard-approved captain’s license program, Fort LauderdaleTeaches OUPV and Master in one program, with written final exams at MPT instead of at the Coast Guard. MPT says every student also gets the assistance towing certification.
Not listed on the program pageNot listed
Captain’s license program ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

CoursesCostOnline

More pages

RequirementsHow to get itSix-pack (OUPV)100 ton MasterWho needs oneCredential (MMC)

Exam and renewal

RenewalThe exam

FAQ

Common questions

Can I get a captain’s license for just one lake, camp or yacht club?

Yes. A limited OUPV covers one camp, yacht club, school or marina, and a restricted OUPV covers named inland waters. Both can need less sea time than a full OUPV, as the six-pack page shows.

Is a captain’s license the same as a Merchant Mariner Credential?

Not quite. The Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) is the document itself. Since the MMC replaced separate licenses, a captain’s license is an officer endorsement printed on it, such as OUPV or Master of less than 100 GRT.

Can I go straight to a Master license without an OUPV first?

Yes, for Master of less than 100 GRT. The regulations ask only for the sea service: 2 years in the deck department for near-coastal waters, or 1 year for Great Lakes and inland waters. Master of less than 200 GRT is different: part of that service must be as Master, Mate or an equivalent position while holding an endorsement such as OUPV.

What does a captain’s license let you do?

It lets you carry passengers for hire: up to six on an uninspected boat under 100 GRT with an OUPV, or more on an inspected vessel with a Master. Which one you need depends on the boat and how many people pay.

Can I count time on my own boat?

Yes. On vessels of less than 200 GRT, owners may attest to their own service if they include proof of ownership. Time on other people’s boats needs letters from the owners or from credentialed people on board.

Sources: eCFR · govinfo · National Maritime Center and 4 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.