Replacing Lost or Damaged Merchant Mariner Credentials

Your MMC is one of the most important documents you have. In a perfect world, you’ll never need to replace your lost or damaged credentials. But, we know that it happens, and sometimes it’s out of your control.

Here's what you need to do if you've lost your MMC, or if it's damaged and needs to be replaced.

The guidelines for replacing a lost or damaged MMC are outlined in 46 CFR 10.229.

Upon request and without examination, a mariner may be issued a duplicate credential and medical certificate after submitting an application with a written statement describing the circumstances of the loss. The Coast Guard will only issue the duplicate credential after confirming the validity of the mariner's MMC and the validity of the mariner's TWIC.

The first option is to provide a statement of loss to the National Maritime Center (NMC) via fax at 1-304-433-3412, email (iasknmc@uscg.mil), or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (1-888-427-5662).

Your statement needs to contain the following:

• Mariner's full name
• Mariner's date of birth
• Mariner's reference number (MRN) (if you don't know this, include your social security number)
• The mailing address that the replacement credential should be sent to
• Current phone number and/or email address to contact the mariner in the event of questions
• Description of the circumstances that caused the loss/destruction of the credential

Alternatively, you can complete and submit a CG-719B form and check the “Duplicate” box in Section II. You will also need to include a statement describing the circumstances of your lost credential.

Note: The duplicate credential will have the same authority, wording, and expiration date as the lost credential.

How much does a replacement MMC cost?

A replacement credential will cost you $45.\

If you lost your credential due to a shipwreck or other casualty, a duplicate will be issued at no cost. This includes any damage to a ship caused by collision, explosion, tornado, wreck, flooding, beaching, grounding, or fire; or personal loss associated with a federally declared natural disaster.

For example, in 2018, the Coast Guard replaced any credentials that were lost or damaged due to Hurricane Florence.

What to do with your old MMC

If a mariner's credential is unserviceable due to damage, or if the lost credential is subsequently found, that credential should be mailed to: Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, National Maritime Center, 100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25427.

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.