Frequently Asked Questions

What does my citizenship status need to be to get a captain’s license?  

PassportThe Coast Guard requires you must be a U.S. citizen to get your Masters captain’s license. However, you only need to show proof that you are legal to work in the U.S. to get your OUPV captain’s license.    

 

Do children of the customers count as paying passengers? 

Children will be included in the count of paying passengers you can take onboard. If you have “children under 12 are free”, they still count as 1 paying passenger. The same principle applies to a buy 1 get 1 deal. This would count as 2 paying passengers. 

 

What is an inspected vessel?  

Ship IconAn inspected vessel has been inspected by the Coast Guard and issued a Certificate of Inspection (COI). This will tell the captain which Masters license they will need to hold to operate the boat and the amount of paying passengers allowed on board. 

 

What do I do if I let my license expire and I am outside the one-year grace period?  

You will need to meet all the requirements again for getting issued the license. We recommend you call the Coast Guard at (888) 427-5662 to see if they can pull up your old sea service forms. This way, you only need to submit 90 days recency, instead of the total requirement.