Six-pack captain cost in Colorado: full 2025 breakdown

Last updated 2026-08-18

Do you need a license to be a six-pack captain in Colorado?

Yes. If you take paying passengers on a vessel in Colorado, you need a federal license, not a Colorado state license. The credential is the USCG Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV), called the six-pack license because it covers vessels carrying up to six paying passengers ^[1].

Colorado has no separate state-level charter captain credential that replaces or layers on top of the federal one. The U.S. Coast Guard issues and enforces the OUPV license nationally under 46 U.S.C. Chapter 71, and that authority applies the same on Colorado's lakes and rivers as it does anywhere else ^[2]. 46 U.S.C. § 7101 requires a Coast Guard license for anyone operating a vessel carrying passengers for hire.

Here's what Colorado does control. If you run a for-hire fishing guide service, you also need a Colorado state fishing guide license from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). That's a separate credential, administered separately, and it doesn't replace the USCG OUPV. Charge people to fish from your boat and you need both ^[3].

The federal OUPV is the license most people mean when they say "six-pack captain license." It's the one that costs money, takes sea service to earn, and requires a Coast Guard exam. The state fishing guide credential is an add-on for a specific activity, not the captain license itself.

How much does a six-pack captain license cost in Colorado?

There's no single price. Costs stack across four categories: the government application fee, the medical exam, safety certifications, and optional training. Here's what each one actually runs.

Coast Guard application fee: The National Maritime Center (NMC) charges $105 for a new OUPV credential ^[4]. That number is set by 46 CFR Part 10 and has held steady in recent years, but confirm the current fee at the NMC fee schedule page before you submit.

Physical exam (CG-719K): You need a Coast Guard-approved physical on form CG-719K. Any licensed physician, DO, nurse practitioner, or PA can perform it. In Colorado, expect $75 to $200 depending on whether your regular doctor does it or you go to an urgent care or maritime-specialized clinic. Insurance rarely covers this because it's an occupational certification exam, not a diagnostic visit.

Drug screen: The CG-719K physical includes a chemical test if the examiner orders it, and most do. A standard DOT-style urine panel at a Quest or LabCorp collection site in Denver or Colorado Springs runs $40 to $70 if you pay out of pocket.

First Aid and CPR/AED certification: Required. The Red Cross and American Heart Association both offer courses. In-person certification in Colorado runs $30 to $80, and blended (online + skills session) courses can be slightly cheaper. It must be current at application time ^[5].

Basic Safety Training / STCW (if applicable): If you plan to operate in ocean or coastwise waters beyond a certain tonnage or route, STCW basic safety training applies. For an inland/near-coastal OUPV covering Colorado lakes and rivers, it usually does not. Confirm with the NMC for your specific route and vessel type.

Exam prep course: Optional but genuinely useful. Self-study with free materials online costs $0 beyond your time. Structured online prep courses run $150 to $400. In-person captain's license schools, available in Denver and along the Front Range, run $400 to $600 for a multi-day class. Some test prep providers offer online-only packages in the $100 to $200 range. OUPVPath's USCG OUPV prep kit runs $149 as a one-time purchase and covers the full exam content plus the bareboat elements at /start.

Third-party document preparation services: These exist and charge $50 to $150 to assemble your application packet. They're not necessary. The NMC's checklist is clear and the process is manageable on your own ^[4].

All in, a Colorado applicant who uses a free or low-cost prep resource and gets their physical from a regular doctor should expect total out-of-pocket costs of roughly $250 to $450. Someone who takes a full in-person prep course and pays urgent care rates for the physical could land at $800 to $950 or more.

Cost comparison: six-pack captain license expenses in Colorado

Here's the realistic range for each expense category a Colorado applicant faces.

Expense	Low estimate	High estimate	Notes
NMC application fee	$105	$105	Set by 46 CFR Part 10 [4]
CG-719K physical exam	$75	$200	Regular MD vs. urgent care
Drug screen	$40	$70	DOT panel, out-of-pocket
First Aid / CPR cert	$30	$80	Red Cross or AHA course
Exam prep course	$0	$600	Self-study to in-person school
Document prep service	$0	$150	Optional, rarely worth it
Total (estimated)	$250	$1,205	Most applicants land $350, $700

The wide range is real, not marketing padding. Two applicants with identical sea-service paperwork can spend very different amounts depending on whether they need a course and what their physical costs them.

States with heavy charter activity like Florida or California carry the same federal fee, since the NMC fee is national, but local prep course prices vary. You can see the six-pack captain cost in California and six-pack captain cost in Florida articles for those state-specific breakdowns.

What sea service does Colorado require for the OUPV?

The sea service requirement is federal, not Colorado-specific, so the rules are the same everywhere in the country.

For an OUPV Near Coastal or Inland route, you need 360 days of sea service ^[6]. At least 90 of those days must fall within the past three years. A "day" here means at least four hours underway or at anchor. The NMC has accepted logs where people counted extended float trips, lake patrol hours, and rescue squad boat time, but the documentation has to be precise: date, location, vessel name, hours underway.

For Colorado applicants, this is often the biggest constraint, not cost. Colorado has no ocean access, so all sea service here accumulates on inland waters, lakes (Dillon, Granby, Pueblo, Horsetooth Reservoir), and rivers. That time counts for an Inland route designation. Want Near Coastal authority? The NMC expects some documented offshore or coastal time, which means trips to ocean states or Great Lakes waters.

The 46 CFR § 10.227 regulations define how to document and calculate qualifying sea service ^[6]. The NMC CG-719S form is the standard sea service verification form, and each entry needs a signature from someone with knowledge of your service. Self-employed skippers on private vessels often sign their own logs, which the NMC permits with an explanatory statement.

Colorado fishing guides who have run boats for clients for several years often have the days already. The catch is having documented them as they happened, not reconstructed from memory.

How long does a six-pack captain license take in Colorado?

Plan for 3 to 6 months from starting your application to holding the actual credential. Here's how the time breaks down.

Sea service accumulation comes first. Starting from zero, this is a minimum of 360 qualifying days, which takes years. Already have the sea service? You skip this step and the clock starts when you begin your paperwork.

Paperwork and medical: scheduling the CG-719K physical, getting the drug screen results, completing first aid certification, and pulling together your sea service documentation typically takes 2 to 6 weeks depending on how organized you are and how quickly your doctor can see you.

Exam prep varies enormously. Some people who have been on the water for years can pass the exam after 2 to 3 weeks of focused study. Others need 6 to 8 weeks. The USCG written exam covers rules of the road (COLREGS and Inland Rules), chart navigation, weather, safety, and first aid ^[7].

NMC processing: once your complete application package is submitted, the NMC's published processing goal is 60 days for a new credential ^[4]. In practice, the NMC has historically run from 30 to 90 days depending on current application volume. There's no Colorado-specific NMC office. All applications go to the national NMC in Martinsburg, West Virginia, regardless of your home state.

So: if you have your sea service and start your paperwork today, 3 to 4 months is realistic. If you're also accumulating sea service, you're looking at years before you're even eligible to apply.

One thing to know: if your application comes back for deficiencies (missing signature, wrong form version, incomplete log), that adds weeks. The NMC checks every packet for completeness. Getting the checklist right the first time matters more than speed.

What is the Colorado fishing guide license and how does it relate to the OUPV?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife requires a separate guide license for anyone who charges fees to guide fishing on Colorado waters. This is not the same as the six-pack captain license, and neither substitutes for the other.

The CPW guide license covers your authority to run a for-hire fishing business in Colorado. As of 2024, commercial fishing guide license fees through CPW fall in the range of $50 to $200 depending on license type and residency, though you should confirm current fees directly with CPW since these are set by state rule and change over time ^[3].

Some Colorado guides operate solely on private land or private waters where the CPW guide license may not apply in the same way, but most public-water guiding requires it. And you still need the federal OUPV if you're charging passengers to ride on your vessel, no matter what you're doing once they're on the boat.

If you're on rivers like the Colorado, Arkansas, or Roaring Fork guiding fly fishing trips by drift boat or raft, check whether your watercraft qualifies as an uninspected vessel and whether your passenger configuration triggers OUPV requirements. Colorado falls under USCG District 8, and their marine safety detachments can answer vessel-specific questions ^[8].

What are the USCG physical and background check requirements for Colorado applicants?

The physical and background requirements are federal and apply identically in every state.

Physical exam: the CG-719K form requires a physician (or NP or PA) to certify that you meet Coast Guard medical standards. Vision must be at least 20/200 correctable to 20/40, with normal color perception or the ability to distinguish navigation lights. Hearing standards and cardiovascular requirements are also assessed ^[9].

Drug screen: the chemical test accompanying the physical must use a USCG-approved lab. The examiner typically orders this at the time of the physical. Results must be negative for a standard panel of substances. Colorado's legal cannabis status does not change federal requirements. THC is still a disqualifying positive under the federal DOT/USCG drug testing program, regardless of state law ^[10].

Background check (Transportation Worker Identification Credential, TWIC): a TWIC card is required for anyone with unescorted access to secure maritime facilities, but for most inland OUPV operations on Colorado lakes and rivers, TWIC is not required. The NMC does run a criminal background review as part of the application, and certain felony convictions can disqualify an applicant under 46 U.S.C. § 7503 ^[11]. A prior conviction doesn't automatically mean denial. The NMC reviews case by case.

If you have any criminal history, the NMC offers a pre-application determination service where you can submit records and get a non-binding assessment before spending on full application costs. Use it if there's any uncertainty.

Is there a way to reduce the cost of getting a six-pack license in Colorado?

A few cost cuts actually work.

Use your regular primary care doctor for the CG-719K physical. If you have insurance and a PCP willing to do an occupational physical, the out-of-pocket cost is much lower than an urgent care walk-in. Most PCPs can do it. It's a standard physical with a form, not a specialized maritime examination.

For first aid and CPR, the Red Cross often runs discounted or free courses through fire departments, hospitals, and community organizations in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and other Front Range communities. Check local community ed offerings before paying full retail for a private course.

For exam prep, self-study is genuinely viable if you're disciplined. The USCG exam question pools aren't secret. Prep books and free online question banks exist. Paid courses compress your study time, but they don't hand you access to special questions.

If you're in a hurry to file, the NMC has no expedite fee option the way some USCG inspected vessel credentials sometimes allow. Paying more doesn't speed up processing. Getting your package right the first time is the only reliable accelerant.

For people who want structured study material without the cost of an in-person class, OUPVPath's prep kit at /start is one option at $149. That's not an argument for skipping a course if you genuinely need in-person instruction, but for most people already comfortable on the water, self-study with good materials is enough.

How does the OUPV renewal work and what does it cost?

The OUPV credential is valid for 5 years ^[1]. Renewal before expiration requires a new physical, an updated drug screen, continued first aid certification, and a renewal application fee.

As of the current NMC fee schedule, the renewal application fee matches the initial application fee: $105 ^[4]. Confirm the current amount before submitting, since fees are set by regulation and can change between publication cycles.

Renewal also requires an update to your sea service record showing continued activity, though the threshold for renewal sea service is lower than for initial certification. The NMC wants evidence that you've been active, not a full 360-day accounting.

If your credential lapses (expires before you renew), you have a grace period of up to one year after expiration to renew without retesting, under 46 CFR § 10.301 ^[6]. Let it go beyond that and you're reapplying as if you were a new applicant, which means the full exam again.

Colorado's short boating season on many high-elevation lakes trips people up. Some guides let credentials lapse because they stop thinking about the license in the off-season. Set a calendar reminder at 18 months before your credential expires.

How does Colorado compare to nearby states for six-pack captain costs?

Because the federal OUPV application fee is fixed nationally at $105 ^[4], the core government cost is identical in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and every other state. What varies is the cost of training courses and physical exams, which reflect local market prices.

Colorado's Front Range has a solid supply of maritime training providers, more than you'd expect from a landlocked state, partly because many Colorado residents boat or guide in coastal states seasonally. That competition keeps in-person course prices from running dramatically higher than coastal markets.

For comparison, in-person captain's license prep courses in California average $400 to $700 for a multi-day class, close to what Front Range Colorado providers charge. Florida has a larger pool of providers with more competitive pricing, sometimes $300 to $500 for the same content.

Neighboring landlocked states like Idaho and Arizona face the same sea-service accumulation challenge as Colorado: all of it happens on inland waters, which limits route designations unless you travel for coastal time.

The real cost gap between states for most applicants isn't training. It's the time cost of accumulating sea service. Colorado's navigable waters are real but limited next to Great Lakes states or coastal states, so the 360-day accumulation takes longer for someone starting from scratch here.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license for a six-pack captain in Colorado?

Yes. The required license is the federal USCG Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV), known as the six-pack license. It's required under 46 U.S.C. § 7101 for anyone carrying paying passengers on a vessel. Colorado has no separate state captain's license, but fishing guides also need a Colorado Parks and Wildlife guide license for commercial fishing operations.

How much does a six-pack captain license cost in Colorado?

Total costs typically run $250 to $950 depending on your choices. The NMC application fee is $105. A CG-719K physical exam adds $75 to $200, a drug screen adds $40 to $70, and first aid/CPR certification adds $30 to $80. An optional prep course adds $0 to $600. Most Colorado applicants land somewhere between $350 and $700 all-in.

How long does it take to get a six-pack captain license in Colorado?

If you already have 360 days of documented sea service, plan on 3 to 6 months from starting your paperwork to holding the credential. Paperwork and medical prep takes 2 to 6 weeks. Exam prep takes 2 to 8 weeks. NMC processing runs 30 to 90 days. If you're still accumulating sea service, add however many years it takes to reach 360 qualifying days.

Does legal marijuana in Colorado affect the USCG drug test requirement?

No. Colorado's state cannabis laws don't change federal requirements. The USCG drug testing program operates under federal DOT standards, and THC is still a disqualifying substance. A positive test for marijuana on your CG-719K drug screen will disqualify your application regardless of Colorado's state law status.

Can I get sea service credit for time on Colorado lakes and rivers?

Yes. The NMC accepts sea service on inland waters including Colorado lakes like Dillon, Granby, and Pueblo Reservoir, and navigable rivers. This qualifies for an Inland route OUPV designation. If you want Near Coastal authority, you'll also need documented time on coastal or Great Lakes waters, which typically means trips out of state.

What is the NMC application fee for a new OUPV in 2025?

The NMC currently charges $105 for a new OUPV credential application. This fee is set by federal regulation under 46 CFR Part 10 and applies in every state including Colorado. Confirm the current amount on the NMC fee schedule page before submitting your application, since regulatory fee updates can occur between printing cycles.

Do Colorado six-pack captains need a TWIC card?

For most inland Colorado OUPV operations on lakes and rivers, a TWIC card is not required. TWIC is required for unescorted access to certain secure maritime facilities. If you're operating at a commercial port or facility that requires TWIC, you'd need one, but that situation rarely applies to typical Colorado charter or guide operations.

Is there a Colorado state fishing guide license separate from the captain's license?

Yes. Colorado Parks and Wildlife requires a separate commercial fishing guide license for anyone charging fees to guide fishing on Colorado waters. The CPW guide license and the federal USCG OUPV are both required if you're running paying fishing clients on a motor vessel. Confirm current CPW guide license fees directly with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

How much does the CG-719K physical exam cost in Colorado?

Expect to pay $75 to $200 for the required CG-719K physical exam in Colorado. Your regular primary care physician, an urgent care clinic, or a maritime-specialized clinic can perform it. Going through your PCP is usually cheaper. The drug screen required at the same time adds roughly $40 to $70 out of pocket at a collection site.

Can I take the USCG OUPV exam online in Colorado?

The written exam must be taken at an approved Regional Examination Center (REC) or a Coast Guard-authorized proctored testing location. Colorado applicants typically test at the Denver REC. Check the NMC's current REC listing for the exact address and scheduling process since testing center details can change.

What happens if my OUPV credential expires in Colorado?

Under 46 CFR § 10.301, you have up to one year after expiration to renew without retesting. Beyond that grace period, you'll need to reapply as a new applicant, which means retaking the full written exam. The renewal application fee is the same as the initial fee, currently $105. Set reminders well before expiration.

Does a prior criminal conviction disqualify me from getting an OUPV in Colorado?

Not automatically. The NMC reviews criminal history case by case under 46 U.S.C. § 7503. Certain serious offenses can disqualify an applicant, but many prior convictions don't. If you have any criminal history, use the NMC's pre-application determination service before spending money on the full application process.

Are there captain's license prep courses in Colorado?

Yes. Several maritime training providers offer OUPV prep in Colorado, with in-person classes available in Denver and along the Front Range. Multi-day in-person courses run $400 to $600. Online self-study options are available from multiple providers at lower cost. Colorado's active outdoor recreation industry supports more training infrastructure than you'd expect from a landlocked state.

Sources

1. USCG National Maritime Center, Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels overview: OUPV covers vessels carrying up to six paying passengers and credential is valid for five years
2. U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. § 7101, Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels licensing requirement: Federal law requires a Coast Guard license for anyone operating a vessel carrying passengers for hire
3. USCG National Maritime Center, Merchant Mariner Credential Fees: NMC application fee for a new OUPV credential is $105, set under 46 CFR Part 10
4. USCG National Maritime Center, OUPV Application Checklist CG-719B: First Aid and CPR/AED certification is required at the time of OUPV application
5. Code of Federal Regulations 46 CFR § 10.227, Sea service requirements for OUPV: OUPV applicants need 360 days of sea service with at least 90 within the past three years; lapsed credentials can be renewed under 46 CFR § 10.301 within one year of expiration
6. USCG National Maritime Center, Examination Subjects for OUPV: USCG OUPV written exam covers rules of the road, chart navigation, weather, safety, and first aid
7. USCG Eighth District (D8), Marine Safety Detachments and Area of Responsibility: Colorado falls under USCG District 8 for marine safety jurisdiction
8. USCG National Maritime Center, Medical and Physical Requirements CG-719K: CG-719K requires vision correctable to 20/40, normal color perception, and cardiovascular assessment meeting USCG standards
9. USCG Commandant Instruction COMDTINST 16711.28, Chemical Testing Program: USCG drug testing operates under federal DOT standards; THC is a disqualifying substance regardless of state cannabis laws
10. U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. § 7503, Bases for denial of licenses: Certain criminal convictions can disqualify applicants from holding a USCG credential under 46 U.S.C. § 7503
11. American Red Cross, First Aid/CPR/AED Training Courses: Red Cross in-person First Aid/CPR/AED certification courses run $30 to $80