To fill out Form CG-719B, download the current version from the National Maritime Center, complete its four sections (applicant information, requested credential, mariner information, and signature), and submit it by email to a Regional Examination Center along with your TWIC receipt, medical certificate, drug test results, sea service form, any required training certificates, and a Pay.gov payment receipt. The form itself is short. The supporting package around it is what takes real time to assemble, so gather everything before you start typing into the PDF.
Start Your TWIC Before Anything Else
The Coast Guard will not process your CG-719B until you’ve at least applied for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. You don’t need the physical card in hand when you send in your application, but you do need to include your TWIC receipt or exemption memo in the package.1National Maritime Center. TWIC FAQ
TWIC enrollment happens in person at a TSA enrollment center. A new applicant pays $124, and the card is valid for five years. Renewals are $116 online or $124 in person.2Transportation Security Administration. TWIC The background check takes several weeks, so start this step first.
Documents to Attach
CG-719B is the cover sheet. These are the attachments the Coast Guard expects behind it.
Proof of Citizenship or Identity
Officer endorsements require U.S. citizenship, proved with one original document: a certified birth certificate with an official seal, a U.S. passport (expired or current), a Certificate of Citizenship, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Merchant Mariner’s Document issued after February 3, 2003 that shows U.S. citizenship.3eCFR. 46 CFR 10.221 – Citizenship Rating endorsements are more flexible; lawful permanent residents and some other noncitizens may qualify depending on the endorsement.
Medical Certificate
Every applicant needs a valid medical certificate from a licensed medical practitioner, documented on Form CG-719K (full physical) or CG-719K/E (abbreviated, for certain endorsements). A domestic certificate is valid for five years from Coast Guard approval; an STCW certificate is valid for two. If the medical certificate expires before the credential does, the credential stops being valid, so watch the dates.
Drug Test
A five-panel drug test at a SAMHSA-accredited lab, conducted within the past 185 days, is required for all MMC transactions except increases of scope, duplicates, and STCW-only endorsements. Results go on Form CG-719P. If you’re covered by an employer’s random drug-testing consortium, proof of consortium membership can be submitted instead.4National Maritime Center. Drug Testing
Sea Service
Original credentials, raises of grade, and many endorsements require documented time at sea on Form CG-719S. The form lists the vessels, gross tonnage, waters, and days underway.5United States Coast Guard. Small Vessel Sea Service Form Vessels under 200 gross register tons can use the optional small-vessel version. If you own the vessel, you can attest to your own experience but must attach proof of ownership; otherwise the form needs the signature of a licensed officer or the vessel’s owner.6U.S. Coast Guard. Small Vessel Sea Service Form
Training Certificates
Depending on the endorsement, you may need certificates from Coast Guard-approved courses. STCW endorsements (required for international waters) involve formal training and onboard competency assessments. Certain officer endorsements require approved coursework even on the national-only side. Check the NMC’s checklist for the endorsement you want.
Working Through CG-719B, Section by Section
Download the current form from the NMC website. The NMC also publishes a companion guide that walks through each field.7U.S. Coast Guard. Guide to Filling Out Merchant Mariner Credential Application
Section I: Applicant Information
Parts 1 through 5e are all required unless a field genuinely doesn’t apply. Part 1 is your full legal name plus any aliases, maiden names, or prior names.8U.S. Coast Guard. Application for Merchant Mariner Credential Part 2a takes your Social Security number if you’re applying for an original credential. Part 6a is your home address; a P.O. Box is not acceptable there. Part 6b is only for a different mailing address for correspondence and delivery of the credential. Leave 6b blank if it matches your home address. Part 6d (email) is optional but worth filling in, because the Coast Guard sends automated status updates to whatever email address you list.
Section II: Requested Credential
Check the box for the transaction: Original, Renewal, Raise of Grade, New Endorsement, Duplicate, or Document of Continuity. For anything other than a straight renewal, fill in the “Description of Endorsement(s) Desired” box with the specific endorsement title, tonnage limits, waters, and any STCW functions. Renewals can leave that description box blank. If you’re combining two transactions in one application (renewal plus a Document of Continuity, for example), spell out both.
Section III: Mariner Information
Background details about your maritime career. Part 2 only has to be completed if you didn’t disclose the information on a previous application; returning applicants can skip it. Check the box that matches whether you’re applying for an original, a renewal, or a new officer endorsement. Section III is not required for a Document of Continuity.
Section IV: Acknowledgments and Signature
Sign and date the form. Your signature certifies that everything in the application is true and accurate, and false statements carry federal criminal penalties. As of December 2024, the NMC no longer requires original-credential applicants to take a formal oath before a notary or authorized official; you sign the form yourself.9National Maritime Center. Change to Oath Requirement
Fees and Pay.gov
All MMC fees are paid through Pay.gov before the REC begins processing your file.10National Maritime Center. Merchant Mariner Credentialing Fees There are three components, and what you owe depends on what you’re applying for:
- Evaluation fee, calculated by the endorsements you select. An original upper-level officer endorsement is $100.11eCFR. 46 CFR 10.219 – Fees
- Examination fee, charged separately if you need to take a Coast Guard exam. Upper-level officer exams are $110; lower-level officer exams are $95.12Pay.gov. USCG Merchant Mariner User Fee Payment
- Issuance fee of $45 for the physical credential card.
No fees are charged for STCW endorsements, medical certificates, or Documents of Continuity. Download your Pay.gov receipt and include it with your application; the REC won’t forward your file to the NMC without proof of payment. Budget separately for your medical exam and drug test, which you pay to the provider and lab.
Submitting the Package
Email is the standard method. You can send to any Regional Examination Center; there are 17 full RECs plus two Marine Units, in Ketchikan, Alaska and San Juan, Puerto Rico.13National Maritime Center. Regional Exam Centers Each REC has its own submission email address on the NMC website.
Scan the whole package — CG-719B, supporting documents, and payment receipt — as a PDF at no more than 300 dpi. Individual attachments cannot exceed 8 MB, and total emails larger than 10 MB or containing compressed files like .zip are silently rejected with no bounce notification.14National Maritime Center. Electronic Submission Instructions Split the package across multiple emails if it runs large. Put your full name and mariner reference number (if you have one) in the subject line. Mailing a physical application or dropping it off at an REC also works, though email is faster and creates a clearer paper trail.
What Happens After You Submit
Your application goes through two stages. The REC screens the package for completeness (all forms present, signed, with payment receipt and TWIC proof). Once the REC clears it, the file moves to the National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia for a full evaluation and security background check.15eCFR. 46 CFR 10.217 – Merchant Mariner Credential Application and Examination Locations
You can check status through the NMC’s online status request form, and if you provided an email address on the form you’ll receive automated updates as your file moves through stages.16National Maritime Center. National Maritime Center As of late 2025, net processing time averaged about 20 days, with 91% of credentials produced within 30 days of net processing time.17U.S. Coast Guard. Merchant Mariner MCP Monthly Performance Report Net processing time counts only the days the Coast Guard is actively working the file; the clock pauses whenever the ball is in your court.
If something is missing or inconsistent, the NMC sends an Awaiting Information (AI) letter by mail or email listing exactly what they need. Respond quickly. Files can be closed if you sit on them. Once everything clears, the credential is printed and mailed to the address on the form.
Avoiding the Common Delays
Most delays trace back to preventable mistakes at submission. Each round trip for a correction costs weeks. Watch for:
- An incomplete CG-719B: missing signatures, blank required fields, or no description of desired endorsements in Section II.
- Missing or expired drug test documentation — anything older than 185 days won’t count.
- No TWIC card copy, receipt, or exemption memo.
- Unsigned sea service forms. If you own the vessel, CG-719S needs your signature in both the applicant and verifying-officer sections, plus proof of ownership.
- Missing training certificates for endorsements that require approved coursework.
Ten minutes with the NMC’s checklist for your specific endorsement type before you hit send can save a month of back-and-forth.
If You’re Renewing Instead
An MMC is valid for five years from the date of issuance, and you cannot work under an expired credential. After expiration, a one-year administrative grace period lets you still apply as a renewal rather than starting over as an original.18eCFR. 46 CFR 10.205 – Validity of a Merchant Mariner Credential Renewal uses the same CG-719B; you check the “Renewal” box in Section II. You still need a current medical certificate and drug test, but if your endorsements haven’t changed you generally won’t need to resubmit sea-service forms or retake exams. Start several months before expiration so processing time doesn’t leave you grounded.
If Your Application Is Denied
If the NMC denies your application or a specific endorsement, you have 30 days from the date on the decision letter to request reconsideration in writing through the NMC’s online application portal. The request must explain in detail why you disagree, and the NMC typically responds within 90 days.19National Maritime Center. Frequently Asked Questions – Denial, Reconsiderations, and Appeals Reconsideration comes before any formal appeal to Coast Guard Headquarters. Note that the Coast Guard does not handle disputes about TSA decisions on your TWIC; those go through a separate TSA process.