Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
A six-pack captain holds a Coast Guard Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) endorsement. You may carry not more than six passengers for hire on uninspected boats under 100 gross tons. Start with documented sea time (360 days, plus 90 days recency), a TWIC, a medical exam, first aid and CPR, a drug test, then apply and sit the exams. Confirm current fees with the National Maritime Center. No one can promise an issue date.
What is a six-pack captain?
A six-pack captain is a person who holds a U.S. Coast Guard Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels endorsement on a Merchant Mariner Credential. That credential is the federal paper people mean when they say six-pack captain. It lets you carry not more than six passengers for hire on an uninspected vessel of less than 100 gross tons.
The nickname comes from the passenger cap, not from a Coast Guard form titled six-pack. No such form exists. Federal law treats this as licensed work. 46 U.S.C. § 8903 says: "An uninspected passenger vessel shall be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary to operate those vessels, except when it is being operated only for pleasure." [1]
Pleasure use is the exception. If people pay, and you are the operator on an uninspected passenger vessel on waters the Coast Guard regulates, you need the license. The statute that sets the six-person limit is the definition of uninspected passenger vessel in 46 U.S.C. § 2101. It is an uninspected vessel of less than 100 gross tons carrying not more than 6 passengers. [2]
Passenger for hire is a legal term, not a vibe. Under the same definitions section, a passenger for hire is a passenger for whom consideration is contributed as a condition of carriage, whether the money flows to the owner, charterer, operator, or someone else with an interest in the vessel. [2] Splitting fuel with friends on a true shared-expense trip is a different fact pattern. Charging a flat trip price is not.
The OUPV endorsement itself lives in 46 CFR 11.467. That section limits the holder to uninspected vessels of less than 100 GRT and ties the route (inland, Great Lakes, or near-coastal) to the water you actually documented. [3] Near-coastal OUPV is a short-range ticket next to a Master near-coastal. Read the endorsement line on the card. Do not guess the mile limit from a forum post.
A six-pack captain is not a Master of inspected small passenger vessels. If the boat is certificated under Subchapter T or K, OUPV is the wrong paper. A state hunting-and-fishing guide card is not this license either. Some states pile extra tickets on top of the Coast Guard card. The federal piece still comes first on navigable waters of the United States.
How do you start six-pack captain?
Count real sea time first, build the Coast Guard application file second, then prove identity, fitness, and knowledge. That order matters. People who buy a course first and invent a logbook later get stuck in evaluation.
Get a notebook or digital log you can defend in front of an evaluator. Date, vessel name or official number, gross tonnage, vessel type, waters, your job (operator, deckhand, lookout), and hours. 46 CFR 11.467 sets original OUPV service at 360 days. [3] 46 CFR 11.201 also wants recency. You need qualifying service in the three years before you apply. The recency figure in that section is 90 days. [4]
While the log fills, start the identity track. You need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from TSA. [8] You need a Merchant Mariner Credential application package through the National Maritime Center, using the current CG-719 series forms. [10] You need a medical exam on the Coast Guard physical form, not a random doctor letter. [9]
Book first aid and CPR the Coast Guard will accept for an original officer endorsement. 46 CFR 11.201 requires that evidence. [4] Get a DOT-style chemical test and keep the form NMC currently wants (often CG-719P). Mariner drug testing sits in 46 CFR part 16, with collection rules in 49 CFR part 40. [15]
Then choose how you will pass the professional exam. Sit at a Regional Exam Center, or complete a Coast Guard-approved OUPV course that NMC takes in lieu of those modules. Either path still needs sea time and the same medical and security paper. Do not treat the school as a license mill.
Send a complete file. Missing pages are how files die. Confirm current user fees on the NMC fee page and in 46 CFR 10.219 before you pay anyone. [6] [7] NMC evaluation time moves. Nobody honest will quote you a guaranteed issue date.
How many passengers can a six-pack captain carry?
Not more than six passengers. That is the whole point of the uninspected passenger vessel definition in 46 U.S.C. § 2101. [2] Crew working the boat are not passengers. A seventh paying guest makes you a different kind of operator, and OUPV does not cover that.
People try to game the count. Calling a customer a mate does not work if that person is not actually working as crew. Stacking two trips back to back is fine. Stacking seven bodies on one trip is not. The vessel also has to stay uninspected and under the gross tonnage line in that definition, which is less than 100 gross tons. [2] [3]
46 CFR 15.605 is the manning hook. It points OUPV holders at uninspected passenger vessels, not at inspected small passenger ships. [12] If a boat has a Certificate of Inspection for more than six passengers, you need a Master or Mate endorsement that matches that COI, not a six-pack card.
Count heads before you leave the dock. The statute does not give you a seventh passenger because the trip is short.
What sea time do you need for an OUPV six-pack?
Original OUPV sea time is 360 days under 46 CFR 11.467. [3] Plan around that number. Near-coastal OUPV also needs ocean or near-coastal time inside that 360. Inland OUPV builds on inland service. Great Lakes has its own mix. Read the subsection that matches the route you want. Do not apply for near-coastal if your log is all lakes and you cannot prove the ocean or near-coastal days.
Recency is separate. 46 CFR 11.201 requires recent qualifying service. The figure is 90 days in the 3 years before the application. [4] Old time from a decade ago can still count toward 360 if it is creditable, but you still need that recent block.
What is a day? 46 CFR 10.107 defines a day for service credit, and 46 CFR 10.232 tells evaluators how to credit time, including small-vessel quirks. [14] Open those two sections before you build a spreadsheet. On many large ships a day is an 8-hour workday. Small boats under 100 GRT have extra crediting rules. You do not get two days for one calendar date just because you ran a morning and a sunset trip. If you are unsure how your hours convert, read 10.232 and then ask NMC in writing. Forum math is not a regulation.
Proof beats memory. Company letters on letterhead, CG-719S small vessel sea service forms, and discharge papers are the usual tools. [10] Time as owner-operator can count if you can prove the vessel, the dates, and that you were actually operating. Photos of a sunset are not evidence. "I've been boating since childhood" wastes the evaluator's time.
I would not pay a third party to draft sea-service letters that overstate your job. False statements on a Coast Guard application are their own problem. If your time is short, wait. Work as crew. Log it cleanly.
What papers does the Coast Guard actually want?
NMC wants a complete original-officer file, not a motivational essay. The current forms live on the National Maritime Center forms page. [10] Expect some mix of CG-719B (application), CG-719K or CG-719K/E (medical), CG-719P (drug test), CG-719S (small vessel sea service), and conviction disclosure if that applies to you. Use the editions NMC lists now. Old PDFs from a random school packet go stale.
Identity and security come first. A TWIC is the front door for an MMC in ordinary cases. TSA runs enrollment. [8] Citizenship rules for officer endorsements sit in 46 CFR 10.221. Most officer paper needs U.S. citizenship. OUPV has a narrow opening for some non-citizens on undocumented vessels. Read that section and confirm with NMC if you are not a citizen. Do not assume. [11]
Medical. 46 CFR 10.302 sets merchant mariner medical standards. [9] A civilian physician (or other allowed examiner) completes the Coast Guard form. Color vision, hearing, and chronic conditions get reviewed. Waivers exist in some cases. They are not a promise.
Drugs. Original applicants present a chemical test that meets Coast Guard rules. Part 16 of Title 46 and 49 CFR part 40 are the backbone. [15] A clinic that has never seen a CG-719P will slow you down. Ask them first.
Fees. 46 CFR 10.219 puts user fees in a table (evaluation, examination, issuance, and related items). [6] Dollar amounts in that table and on the NMC fee page can change. Confirm the current charge before you write a check. [7] I will not invent a number here.
OUPVPath sells a $149 one-time USCG OUPV + Bareboat Kit that puts the federal forms and a bareboat paper path in one place. This site is still just a publisher. You file your own application with NMC.
State extras are not in the federal packet. Charter tax accounts, fishing-guide cards, and local business licenses sit with the state. Working the Gulf? Start with the six-pack captain board in florida notes. Pacific coast operators should read the six-pack captain board in california page next.
What exams do six-pack captains take?
Skip the approved course and you sit Coast Guard modules. 46 CFR 11.910 is the exam-subject table for deck officer endorsements, including OUPV. [13] Plan on Rules of the Road, plus deck safety and navigation subjects that match inland or near-coastal. Near-coastal usually adds chart work that inland applicants may not see.
Rules of the Road is the module people fail. You need the actual COLREGS and inland rules in your head, not a vibe about who gives way. I would drill lights, shapes, and sound signals until you can draw them from memory. Everything else is easier once that module is solid.
An approved OUPV course can replace the REC sitting if NMC accepts the course completion. The school does not replace sea time, TWIC, medical, or the drug test. Compare course hours and pass rates yourself. A weekend cram that promises a license without 360 days is selling you a story.
Radar observer is not the core of inland six-pack work. If you only want lakes and rivers, I would not add radar on day one. If you want near-coastal optionality later, look at the Master and radar path after the OUPV is in hand.
You get a limited number of exam attempts in a sitting cycle under Coast Guard exam rules. Confirm the current retake policy with NMC before you schedule. No article should promise a pass.
How much does a six-pack captain license cost?
There is no single honest sticker price. The Coast Guard user fee is only one slice. 46 CFR 10.219 lists evaluation, examination, and issuance fees in Table 1. [6] The National Maritime Center also posts the live fee schedule. [7] Confirm those figures on the day you pay. I am not going to freeze a dollar amount in this article.
On top of NMC, budget a TWIC enrollment (TSA posts that fee). [8] Budget a medical exam (clinics set their own price). Budget a DOT collection. Budget first aid and CPR. If you take an approved OUPV course, that tuition is usually the largest private cost. Self-study still needs charts, a plotter, and time off work to sit the REC.
State layers can exceed the federal fees. Connecticut operators should read Six-pack captain cost in Connecticut: the full fee breakdown. Desert-lake operators still face business and tax paper. See How much six-pack captain cost in Arizona really is.
Waste of money: novelty captain plaques, paid sea-time ghostwriting, and STCW Basic Training you will not use on an uninspected 6-pax skiff inside the boundary line. Spend on a real medical exam, a clean log, and a course if you cannot self-study chart plotting.
Processing time is not a cost you can buy down. NMC workload changes. Confirm current evaluation status on NMC channels. No approval guarantee is real.
Inland vs near-coastal vs Great Lakes: which OUPV?
Pick the route that matches where you will get paid and where your sea time actually happened. 46 CFR 11.467 splits OUPV by waters. [3] Inland covers inland waters as the Coast Guard draws them. Great Lakes is its own box. Near-coastal OUPV is the ocean-adjacent ticket, with a distance limit written on the endorsement (commonly not more than 100 miles from the boundary line on OUPV). Read your card. Do not trust a blog's memory of the mile number.
All your time on a river? Apply inland. Asking for near-coastal without ocean or near-coastal days is how evaluations bounce. You can often add a route later with more time and, if needed, more exam modules. That is cheaper than a rejected original.
Auxiliary sail is a separate add-on if you will carry six paying guests under sail. It needs sail service and extra testing. I would not pay for sail if you only run an outboard center console.
Tonnage on OUPV stays under the uninspected passenger vessel line: less than 100 GRT. [2] [3] A 120 GRT yacht is not a six-pack problem you can paper over.
| Credential | Paying passenger cap | Vessel type | Original sea time (typical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OUPV (six-pack) | not more than 6 | uninspected, less than 100 GRT | 360 days (46 CFR 11.467) |
| Master not more than 25 GRT | set by vessel and COI, not the 6-pax statute | inspected or uninspected in grade | 360 days class (46 CFR 11.428) |
| Master not more than 100 GRT | set by vessel and COI | not more than 100 GRT | 720 days class (46 CFR 11.418) |
Those Master figures are the common regulatory class, not a promise that your file will evaluate the same way. Confirm the subsection that matches the exact endorsement.
Do you need a state license after the USCG six-pack?
Often yes, if you take money for fishing, touring, or landing at a public dock. The Coast Guard card is federal authority to operate the vessel as an OUPV. It is not a sales-tax account, a coastal fisheries permit, or a city business license.
I would call the state natural-resources agency and the state tax department before the first paid trip. Alabama inshore work is not the same stack as Alaska. Read six-pack captain board in alabama and six-pack captain board in alaska if those are your waters. Georgia and Hawaii have their own piles. See six-pack captain board in georgia and six-pack captain board in hawaii.
Insurance underwriters will ask for the MMC, a clean drug program, and sometimes a state guide number. Getting the federal card first still makes sense. State paper without OUPV does not satisfy 46 U.S.C. § 8903 on an uninspected passenger vessel that is not operating only for pleasure. [1]
Confirm every state fee with that board. Do not copy a number from a three-year-old blog, including this one, if a legislature moved the charge.
What can you legally do in the first year?
Once the MMC is in your hand with a valid OUPV endorsement, you can operate uninspected passenger vessels within the route, tonnage, and six-passenger limits printed on it. [3] [12] You cannot operate beyond that route. You cannot carry seven paying passengers. You cannot treat an inspected six-plus boat as if it were uninspected.
The credential is issued for a 5-year term. 46 CFR 10.205 states: "An MMC is valid for a term of 5 years from the date of issuance." [5] First year is not a probationary Coast Guard category. It is just year one of five. You still have to stay medically fit, keep TWIC current, and stay inside drug-testing rules if you are serving under the credential.
Operational gear for uninspected vessels still applies: life jackets, fire extinguishers, sound signals, lights. That is Subchapter C, not the license. Charts, weather, and a passenger safety talk are how you keep a simple trip from becoming a case file.
Pending applications are not licenses. Do not take paying passengers while NMC still has your file. A state boat-operator card does not fill that gap on a for-hire uninspected passenger vessel. [1]
Bareboat charter is a different product. If the charterer truly takes command and control of the vessel, you may be in a delivery or checkout role, not a six-pack role. If you still direct the trip and the guests are passengers for hire, you are back in OUPV land. [2] Get the facts straight before you advertise.
What is a waste of money on the six-pack path?
Fake sea time is the expensive one. You can lose the credential later, which costs more than the cash. Paid rec letters describing watches you never stood are not a shortcut.
Skip framed novelty certificates that say Captain without an MMC number. Guests sometimes like them. The boarding officer does not.
Skip STCW Basic Training if your whole plan is an uninspected 6-pax inland boat. That course is real training. It is still the wrong spend for a lake six-pack. Buy it later if you move to vessels and voyages that actually require it.
Skip a Master 100 course on week one unless you already have, or will soon have, the extra sea days in 46 CFR 11.418. OUPV is 360 days. [3] Master 100 is a longer pile. Paying for the bigger class does not manufacture the days.
Radar, sailing, and towing extras are optional for a lot of first boats. Add them when the work needs them.
Do buy: a TWIC appointment, a clinician who knows CG-719K, a log you can swear to, and either an approved course or enough plotter time to pass. Confirm fees with NMC. [7]
How do you prove sea time without a company letter?
Owner-operator and small-boat time is normal on this path. NMC still wants proof, not a story. Use CG-719S and attach whatever corroboration you have: vessel documentation or state registration, dated photos if you must, dock receipts, AIS or logbook scans, tax records that show charter activity. [10]
A letter from a marina, a previous owner, or a crewmate can help if it is specific. Vague praise is junk. Name the vessel, the dates, the waters, and the work you did.
Time as a passenger does not count. Time on a dinghy you cannot identify does not count. Time you cannot place on a calendar does not count. 360 days is a lot of calendar. Start logging now even if you are a year from applying. [3]
Short on days? Go work. Deckhand on a six-pack boat, launch-ramp work that is actually underway service, deliveries. Ask the operator up front for a letter on the last day. Do not wait six months and then try to reconstruct it.
For kit copies of the federal checklist-style worksheets, go to /start. OUPVPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. NMC still decides the file. Confirm every current form and fee with them.
Frequently asked questions
Is a six-pack captain the same as OUPV?
Yes. Six-pack captain is the trade nickname for a Coast Guard Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels endorsement on an MMC. The six comes from the uninspected passenger vessel cap of not more than 6 passengers in 46 U.S.C. § 2101. There is no separate Coast Guard license titled six-pack.
Can you run a six-pack with a state boat license only?
Not on an uninspected passenger vessel carrying passengers for hire on waters the Coast Guard regulates. 46 U.S.C. § 8903 requires a licensed operator except when the vessel is operated only for pleasure. A state card may still be required on top. It does not replace the MMC.
Does an OUPV let you run inspected charter boats?
No. OUPV is limited to uninspected vessels of less than 100 GRT carrying not more than six passengers. Inspected small passenger vessels need a Master or Mate endorsement that matches the Certificate of Inspection. 46 CFR 15.605 is the manning pointer. Read the COI before you take the job.
How do you count a sea day for OUPV?
Start with 46 CFR 10.107 (definition of day) and 46 CFR 10.232 (how service is credited). Large-ship days are often 8-hour workdays. Small vessels under 100 GRT have extra crediting rules. You do not stack two days on one calendar date. If your hours are messy, read those sections and confirm with NMC rather than a forum formula.
Can family time on your own boat count?
Underway time as operator or crew can count if you can prove vessel, dates, waters, and duty. Family picnic time as a passenger does not. Owner-operator logs need corroboration, usually CG-719S plus registration or documentation. NMC can reject thin files. Wait and document rather than inflate.
Do you need STCW for a six-pack?
Usually not for a domestic uninspected 6-pax boat on a domestic route. STCW is a separate international training overlay for vessels and voyages that require it. Buying Basic Training before you need it is a common extra expense. Confirm the voyage and vessel, then add STCW if that service actually requires it.
How long is the MMC good for?
46 CFR 10.205 says an MMC is valid for a term of 5 years from the date of issuance. You still must keep medical fitness, TWIC, and any drug-program duties current while you serve. Renewal is its own application. Do not let the card lapse if you plan to keep taking paying passengers.
What if you have a DUI or other conviction?
Disclose it on the current conviction form. Hidden convictions are worse than ugly ones. NMC reviews safety and security. Outcomes vary with age of offense, pattern, and evidence of rehabilitation. Nobody can promise a waiver in an article. Get the form right and let the evaluator work the file.
Can a non-citizen get an OUPV?
Most officer endorsements require U.S. citizenship under 46 CFR 10.221. OUPV has a narrow exception tied to undocumented vessels. It is not a general open door. If you are not a citizen, read 10.221 and confirm with NMC before you pay for a course. TWIC eligibility is a separate TSA question.
Do you need radar observer for a six-pack?
Not for a typical inland OUPV original. Radar observer is a separate qualification people add for some near-coastal or larger-ticket paths. If you only run lakes and rivers in visual conditions, I would not buy radar first. Add it when the work or the next endorsement actually needs it.
What is the difference between six-pack and Master 100?
OUPV is 360 days and capped at six passengers on uninspected boats less than 100 GRT. Master not more than 100 GRT is a higher officer endorsement with a longer service pile (commonly 720 days in 46 CFR 11.418) and authority that can include inspected vessels in grade. Do not sit Master 100 until the days are real.
Can you take paying passengers while your application is pending?
No. A pending NMC file is not an OUPV endorsement. 46 U.S.C. § 8903 requires a licensed operator for an uninspected passenger vessel that is not operating only for pleasure. Wait until the MMC is issued and in your possession. Advertising as captain before that is how you start on the wrong foot.
Does a bareboat charter need a six-pack captain?
A true bareboat charter puts command and control with the charterer. That is not a six-pack trip. If you still run the boat and guests paid to be carried, they are passengers for hire under 46 U.S.C. § 2101 and you are back in OUPV territory. The label on the invoice does not control. The facts of control do.
Where do you send the OUPV application?
To the National Maritime Center, using the current CG-719 forms and the filing method NMC lists (online portal or mail as then specified). Get forms from the NMC forms page, not a stale school packet. Confirm fees on the NMC fee page and 46 CFR 10.219 the day you pay. Regional Exam Centers handle exams, not the whole credential decision.
Sources
- U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. § 8903 Uninspected passenger vessels: An uninspected passenger vessel must be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary except when operated only for pleasure.
- U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. § 2101 Definitions: Uninspected passenger vessel means an uninspected vessel of less than 100 gross tons carrying not more than 6 passengers; passenger for hire is defined by consideration as a condition of carriage.
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.467 OUPV endorsement requirements: Original OUPV sea service is 360 days, limited to uninspected vessels of less than 100 GRT, with route-specific ocean, inland, or Great Lakes time.
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.201 General officer endorsement requirements: OUPV applicants must be at least 18, show recency of 90 days in the prior 3 years, and present first aid and CPR evidence for an original officer endorsement.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.205 Validity of a merchant mariner credential: An MMC is valid for a term of 5 years from the date of issuance.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.219 Fees: Coast Guard MMC user fees for evaluation, examination, and issuance are set in Table 1 to 46 CFR 10.219(a).
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center user fees: NMC publishes the live MMC user-fee schedule that applicants must confirm before paying.
- TSA Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC): TSA enrolls mariners for TWIC, which is the identity credential used with an MMC application.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.302 Medical and physical requirements: Merchant mariner medical standards for original officer endorsements are set in 46 CFR 10.302.
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center forms: NMC hosts the current CG-719 application, medical, sea service, and drug-test forms used for an original MMC.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.221 Citizenship and other requirements: Officer endorsements generally require U.S. citizenship, with a limited OUPV exception described in 10.221.
- eCFR 46 CFR 15.605 Credentialed operators for uninspected passenger vessels: Manning rules require a properly endorsed OUPV (or higher) operator for uninspected passenger vessels.
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.910 Subjects for deck officer endorsements: Deck officer exam subject tables, including OUPV modules such as Rules of the Road and navigation, are in 46 CFR 11.910.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.232 Sea service: Sea-service crediting rules, including how days are counted on vessels, are set in 46 CFR 10.232.
- eCFR 49 CFR part 40 DOT drug testing procedures: Chemical testing collections used for mariner applications follow DOT procedures in 49 CFR part 40.