Am I Exempt from Renewing my TWIC?

Renewing your TWIC can be a waste of money if you don't need to do it!

There is a renewal TWIC exemption for very few special vessels. If you are only working on vessels without a security plan or that are not inspected by the USCG you can renew/upgrade your MMC without renewing your TWIC as long as you are working on very specific vessels.

This is not related to the type of endorsement held (officer or unlicensed) and instead dependent on the specific vessels a mariner is employed on. In addition, Law Enforcement Officers do not need a TWIC as long as they are only using their license for Law Enforcement.

You are exempt from holding a TWIC if you are only going to be working on these certain vessels:

1. Uninspected passenger vessels less than 100 GRT and you can never carry more than 6 passengers. (Example OUPV 6 PAX)
2. Uninspected passenger vessels greater than 100 GRT and you can never carry more than 12 passengers. (Example 200 GRT Master running a Yacht)
3. Vessels inspected under subchapter T that are not required to have a security plan
4. Towing vessels that are not involved in towing barges
5. Towing vessels that are only involved in fleeting, docking, or ship assist

To renew/upgrade your USCG License without a TWIC, you will need a memo (https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/twic/TWIC_exemption_statement.pdf) as part of your renewal/upgrade application which states why you qualify to not have a valid TWIC as well as providing the required additional information required to run a “name-based” background check on you before renewing your MMC. You typically need your full name, social security number, and date of birth.

Your past TWIC picture will be used for your new License.

MM-SEAS User Tip: If you indicate that you do not need a TWIC to renew/upgrade in the MM-SEAS renewal/upgrade checklist, MM-SEAS will automatically generate the memo for you and submit it as part of your application. One less thing to worry about and you just saved $125.25 but lost out on TSA Precheck!

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 Pro inside of the site.

No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application, you can choose to have the MM-SEAS staff create a perfect application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $299 or you can choose to submit on your own.

Pro MM-SEAS members get access to unlimited live 1 on 1 calls with one of our USCG Licensing Specialists. We've found that answering questions live with screen sharing in a video call makes both of our lives easier. Pro MM-SEAS members can access these features inside of MM-SEAS under License Guidance.