An entry level MMC runs about $650 and two days of your life. Before you spend it, read what the job market actually looks like right now.
Entry Level Merchant Mariner Credentials
No. You do not but there are numerous vessels that you are required to hold an MMC to work on them. We always recommend finding out what is required to work on the vessels you would like to work on and then only get the minimum requirements you need to start working. Maritime employers and unions will help you with the training and guidance to grow your USCG license if they need you to have one.
A basic MMC from the Coast Guard comes with three entry level endorsements on it automatically. You are issued Ordinary Seafarer (OS), Wiper, and Food Handler endorsements on your Merchant Mariner Credential. These three entry level endorsements allow you to work on commercial vessels in the deck department, the engine department, and the stewards department.
You do not apply for these three separately. They come together on the basic credential.
Here is everything the Coast Guard requires for an entry level MMC.
You will need to provide documentation of being a US Citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence in the US, you need to be at least 16 years old (with parental/guardian consent if under 18), you will need to pass a drug test within the last 6 months before submitting your application, you must hold or be approved for a Medical Certificate (CG-719K or CG-719KE), you need to obtain a Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC) card, and then pay the USCG evaluation and issuance fees which add up to $140.
You can do all of this on your own, and if you are applying for entry level endorsements off the street, that is what we would tell you to do. Create a Navita account and follow the instructions on the National Maritime Center's website. If you are active duty, already hired, or in a workforce development program we work with, sign up and we will handle it for you. Otherwise the NMC's customer service center is your best resource for questions about your application and about Navita. Call 1-888-427-5662, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern, or chat with them here
The most expensive part of getting an MMC is the USCG evaluation and issuance fees of $140. The second most expensive part is the USCG medical certificate exam which must be completed on the CG-719K or CG-719KE forms. The cost for a USCG physical varies depending on where you are in the country from $75 to $200. Do not let them make you see a specialist if your medical history doesn't warrant it as any Physicians Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, or Doctor in the US can do the entire USCG exam without any special equipment. The special tests and equipment are only needed if you have checked yes to any of the preexisting conditions or the medical professional finds something they need to investigate further.
A Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC) will cost you $124. A USCG DOT 5-Panel drug test varies depending on where you are in the country from $75 to $150. You will also need to find a copy of your birth certificate or have a valid passport.
The total cost for an entry level merchant mariner credential is around $650. You also need to take into account the wages you will lose as each of these things will take at least half a day which means you are going to lose two full days of work.
Yes, but the best part about holding a USCG MMC is that you are always qualified to work as a Wiper or in the Stewards department as well as working as an Ordinary Seafarer. If you are working as a Ordinary Seafarer you will most likely be helping with general maintenance and upkeep of the ship, cleaning, and taking care of cargo.
As you gain more sea service you will quickly be able to qualify for able seafarer and eventually the wheelhouse if that is your goal.
Wiper's work with the engine department on vessels that have engine rooms you are able to get into. Wiper is where you start when you are beginning to work as an engineer on commercial vessels. Your daily tasks will involve cleaning, wiping up oil, and small maintenance jobs around the ship.
As you gain more sea service you will quickly be able to qualify for a Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED) endorsement and eventually Chief Engineer if that is your goal.
Because we are hawsepipers, and we are not going to charge you for something that will not get you hired. There are very few entry level openings in the fleet right now. Having the credential in hand does not change that.
The credential runs about $650 and costs you two full days of work to go get. That is real money when you are not sailing yet. Line up the job, or get into a program that puts you on a boat, and the paperwork is the easy part.
We support entry level applications for active duty military, mariners who already have a job secured as an Ordinary Seaman or Wiper, and mariners in a workforce development program we are associated with. If you are not in one of those three groups yet, create a Navita account and apply directly with the Coast Guard. The National Maritime Center's customer service center is there for entry level questions at 1-888-427-5662, or chat with them here. We will still be here when you are ready to move up.
MM-SEAS stays free for your own record either way. Store every document the Coast Guard will ask for, get reminded before anything expires, log your sea service and create your sea service forms. None of that costs anything.
When you are ready to move up, a Stress-Free MMC is $399. We build the application, check every page, make sure it is submitted to the Coast Guard, and stay on it with them until your credential is issued.