No. You never need to take First Aid and CPR for any renewal of your USCG MMC. You are only required to provide First Aid and CPR when applying for your first USCG License that is an Officer Endorsement.
This means if you hold an OUPV or above on the Deck side or any Assistant Engineer or above on the Engineering side you are all set for the rest of your career!
Some examples are renewing your:
- OUPV (Six-Pack). No First Aid and CPR required.
- Master 50 GRT Near Coastal. No First Aid and CPR required.
- Master 200 GRT Inland. No First Aid and CPR required.
- Mate Pilot of Towing Oceans. No First Aid and CPR required.
- 3AE (3rd Assistant Engineer). No First Aid and CPR required.
- 2AE (2rd Assistant Engineer). No First Aid and CPR required.
- 2nd Mate Unlimited. No First Aid and CPR required.
- 1600 GRT Master of Oceans. No First Aid and CPR required.
We promise that for your USCG license renewal if you hold a OUPV or above on the Deck side or any Assistant Engineer or above on the Engineering side you are all set for the rest of your career!
For more details on renewing specific licenses, explore our tailored guides:
- OUPV Six-Pack License Renewal
- 25 Ton License Renewal
- 50 Ton License Renewal
- 100 Ton Captain License Renewal
For a complete overview of the renewal process, start with the Ultimate USCG License Renewal Checklist.
When do I need First Aid and CPR for my USCG License?
The only time you need to provide a Red Cross First Aid and CPR card or a USCG approved course certificate for First Aid and CPR is when you are getting your first USCG License as an officer. The easiest way to check if you are getting an officer endorsement is to use the USCG National Maritime Center Checklist page on their website. If you are applying for any USCG license that is in the National Officer Endorsements (licensed) for Deck or the National Officer Endorsements (licensed) for Engine Department then you will need to take First Aid and CPR.
We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!
MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Expert Access inside of the site.
No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application you can do it yourself, or you can hand the whole thing to us. An MM-SEAS Navita Navigator walks you through submitting in Navita, the Coast Guard's new submission portal, on a short video call. No computer, or not up for a video call? Our team gets your application submitted to the Coast Guard for you anyway. A Stress-Free MMC is $399. Two MM-SEAS licensing experts check every page, we pay your Coast Guard fees at submission and charge your card so you never touch pay.gov, and we stay on it with the National Maritime Center until your credential is issued.
MM-SEAS Expert Access is $99 a year. It is your personal guidance counselor for USCG licensing: what training you need next, which sea time counts, and how to reach the credential you want, by phone, email, chat or a 1 on 1 video call. Expert Access members also get $50 off a Stress-Free MMC.
Need to renew, upgrade or get your first USCG license? We're here to help.
About the author
Nate Gilman is President and Co-Founder of MM-SEAS. He hawsepiped from the deck to a 3rd Mate Unlimited license with full STCW compliance over more than 15 years at sea, and is a veteran of the NOAA Commissioned Corps. He works directly with the National Maritime Center, USCG-approved training schools, and vessel operators on credentialing policy, and writes on sea service documentation, evaluation standards, and how mariners move up the license ladder.
