Is there a way to speed up my USCG license application?

Yes and No. The best thing you can do is create a perfect application so that it makes life for the USCG team reviewing applications as easy as possible.

Other than that, there is currently no standard way to speed up an application going through the USCG license application review process.

The USCG National Maritime Center (NMC) has experienced a significant surge in application submissions for Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC) over the past several months. This surge combined with applications with errors are slowing the process down for everyone.

Here are the steps your USCG license will go through after your submit it to the The USCG National Maritime Center (NMC)

Step 1  The local USCG Regional Exam Center (REC)

Your local REC will review your application for generic issues with your paperwork. They pre-screen applications with a focus on ensuring you have a complete application including drug test and pay.gov issues.

The average time for your application to be at an REC is currently 5 business days.

Step 2 The Safety Desk at the USCG National Maritime Center

All applications go through a review at the Safety Desk at the USCG National Maritime Center. They conduct a background review on you. If you have had any current or prior convictions this is the office that will dig into your CG719C form as well as looking at your previously disclosed all convictions memos.

The average time for your application to be at an the Safety Desk is currently 5 business days.

Step 3 The Professional Evaluation Desk at the USCG National Maritime Center

The professional evaluators are looking at your complete package with a focus on sea service and training. The is currently a large wait to get to a professional evaluators desk. Once your application is in front of a professional evaluator it is typically taking less than 1 day.

The average time for your application to be at an Professional Evaluation Desk is currently 31 business days.

Step 4 MMC Printed by the USCG National Maritime Center

The USCG National Maritime Center will print your new Merchant Mariner Credential.

The average time for your new MMC to be printed by the National Maritime Center is currently 7 business days after it's been approved to Print by the Professional Evaluators.

Step 5 MMC Mailed to you by the USCG National Maritime Center

The USCG National Maritime Center will mail your new Merchant Mariner Credential directly to you.

The average time for your new MMC to be put in the mail by the National Maritime Center is currently 3 business days after it's been printed.

Step 6 Get Your New MMC in Your Mailbox

We recommend using the standard USPS shipping method that the USCG National Maritime Center uses. There are other options which we have seen create delays through clerical errors.

USPS has been doing a great job and we have been seeing the average time for USPS to deliver your new MMC to be 3 business days after it's been put in the mail by the USCG National Maritime Center.

That's great but how long is is taking for the entire process from submission to the REC to my mailbox?

We are seeing an average of 48 business days for USCG applications to be processed. This translates into 9 weeks of total processing time.

The USCG National Maritime Center is still holding to their 90 day application processing time which is 13 weeks. We expect this to shift to a longer timeframe as they continue to be feel the effects of the USCG license application surge they are experiencing.

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 stress free application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $349 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.