From the National Maritime Center to ALL US Mariners….
Dear U.S. Mariner,
Due to the federal government’s partial lapse in appropriations for fiscal year 2019, the Coast Guard is unable to process mariner credentials in a timely manner. To provide relief to impacted mariners and under the authority of 46 United States Code § 7507 and § 7508, the Coast Guard is granting extensions effective immediately to national endorsements and Medical Certificates until April 30, 2019, for mariners whose credentials expire in December 2018, January 2019, or February 2019.
All mariners sailing under the authority of their national endorsement(s) should print and retain a copy of this letter with their Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) and Medical Certificate to produce it upon request by the U.S. Coast Guard, other agencies or officials. The National Maritime Center (NMC) does not intend to issue any separate or new MMCs to correspond to this extension for mariners sailing domestically. This extension does not apply to Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) endorsements.
Applications submitted before or during the partial government shutdown will be processed as soon as possible once the NMC is reopened and is legally authorized to begin operations.
If you have questions, visit the NMC website or contact the NMC Customer Service Center by using the NMC online chat system, by e-mailing IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
Print and keep this letter with your MMC.
