Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
A six-pack captain holds a USCG OUPV endorsement. It lets you carry paying passengers on uninspected vessels, capped at six, on the waters printed on your MMC. The paper path is real: documented sea time, TWIC, a medical exam, a drug test, then an approved course or the NMC exam, then form CG-719B. Federal user fees run $100 evaluation, $110 exam, $45 issuance. Confirm live amounts with NMC. Nobody can promise a processing time.
What is a six-pack captain?
A six-pack captain is someone who holds a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) endorsed as Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, usually shortened to OUPV. The nickname comes from the passenger cap on smaller uninspected boats. Under 46 U.S.C. 2101, an uninspected passenger vessel under 100 gross tons that carries passengers for hire is capped at not more than 6 passengers. [2]
That is the whole job in one line. You run a boat for money. You do not run an inspected small passenger vessel (the T-boat world). And you do not get a blank check to load 20 people because the weather looks nice.
Federal law is blunt here. 46 U.S.C. 8903 says an uninspected passenger vessel "shall be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary to operate that type of vessel, and may be operated only in compliance with the requirements of this part." [1]
46 CFR 15.605 repeats the operating rule in plainer words. "Each uninspected passenger vessel must be operated by an individual holding a license or MMC endorsed as operator of uninspected passenger vessels." [4]
The card is national. The National Maritime Center issues it. Your route (inland, Great Lakes, or near-coastal) prints right on the credential. The six-pack captain title is informal. The legal name is the OUPV endorsement on the MMC.
Someone may have sold you the story that a state boating safety card is the same thing. It is not. State education cards are not an MMC, and they do not satisfy 46 U.S.C. 8903.
How do you start becoming a six-pack captain?
You start by collecting proof, not by buying a hat. The Coast Guard wants sea time, identity, a TWIC, a medical exam, a drug test, and either an approved course completion or a passing grade on the OUPV exam. Then you file an original MMC application on form CG-719B. [9]
Get the TWIC moving first. NMC will not finish a normal original officer file without it. [7] Log days on CG-719S (or on employer letters that actually name the boat) while you wait. [11] Book the physical on CG-719K with a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner who will fill out the Coast Guard form, not a sports-physical scribble. [10] Take a DOT-style 5-panel drug test that a Medical Review Officer reports in the format NMC accepts. [13]
Then sit a Coast Guard-approved OUPV course, or study and take the exam through NMC. Pay the evaluation, exam (if you need it), and issuance fees set in 46 CFR 10.219. Confirm the live amounts on the NMC fees page before you write a check. [5] [14]
The age floor for an original OUPV is 18 under the officer-endorsement rule in 46 CFR 11.201. [6] Do not wait for a good weather season to start the paper. TWIC appointments and medical holds eat calendar fast. Nobody can promise you an issue date. Confirm current instructions with NMC, because forms and medical policy change.
If you fish in a state that also licenses guides, start that file at the same time. The federal card does not replace six-pack captain board in Florida style state credentials.
How many passengers can a six-pack captain carry?
Six paying passengers on an uninspected vessel under 100 gross tons. That is the number behind the nickname. 46 U.S.C. 2101 defines an uninspected passenger vessel of less than 100 gross tons as carrying not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger-for-hire, or a similar cap when the boat is chartered with crew the owner provides. [2]
Read that twice. The statute counts passengers, not seats on the boat. Crew in a true crew role is a different category. Friends who paid you for the trip are passengers. Unsure? Count them as passengers.
Over 100 gross tons the picture changes (the statute uses a 12-passenger figure in that larger UPV class). Most six-pack operators never touch that world. And if your boat is inspected under Subchapter T, you are outside OUPV territory entirely. You need a master endorsement matched to the inspected vessel.
The passenger cap is not a suggestion. Coast Guard boarding officers know the difference. So do insurance underwriters.
A six-pack captain also works only the route printed on the MMC. Inland is not near-coastal. Near-coastal OUPV endorsements are commonly limited to not more than 100 miles offshore under 46 CFR 11.467. [3]
How much sea time do you need for an OUPV?
Plan on 360 days. 46 CFR 11.467 is the rule that sets the sea service floor for an OUPV endorsement. [3] How a day counts sits in 46 CFR 10.232. On vessels under 100 GRT, a day is generally 8 hours of work. You cannot stretch a 2-hour sunset cruise into a full day. [8]
You document it on CG-719S for small vessels, or with employer letters that name the vessel, its GRT or length, the waters, the dates, and your duties. [11] Recreational time can count for OUPV if you can prove it. That is one reason people pick OUPV over a 25-ton master, where the sea service rules get pickier.
Keep a log as you go. Marina receipts and dated photos help you reconstruct a season, but NMC wants the form, not a vibe. Worked for a charter shop? Get the owner to sign while they still remember you.
There is a recency idea baked into the officer rules too. Do not show up with 360 days from 1998 and nothing since. Read the current text of 11.467 and 10.232 the week you file. Near-coastal originals need ocean or near-coastal days in the pile. Inland days do not become ocean days because you wish they would.
I would not buy sea time packages from strangers online. False statements on an MMC application are a real problem, and they follow you. If your time is short, keep running boats and file later.
What forms does NMC want in an original file?
NMC runs original officer files off a short stack of Coast Guard forms plus supporting proof. The application itself is CG-719B. [9] Small-vessel sea service is CG-719S. [11] The medical evaluation is CG-719K. [10] 46 CFR 10.225 lists what an original MMC applicant has to put in the package, including identity, TWIC, medical, and a chemical test for dangerous drugs. [7]
You also need the photo NMC specifies in the current instructions, and payment of the user fees. Convictions and certain legal history go on the conviction supplement the instructions name that week. Download the PDFs straight from the National Maritime Center. Skip the random blog scan from 2014.
Every NMC form is free to download. OUPVPath publishes a $149 one-time USCG OUPV + Bareboat Kit at /start if you want those forms bundled with a paper path. The kit is optional. The Coast Guard does not require a publisher's packet.
Name spellings have to match your TWIC and your identity document. That single mismatch stalls more files than people admit. If NMC sends a letter, answer it. Silent files die.
What does the Coast Guard charge for an original officer MMC?
46 CFR 10.219 sets the original officer evaluation fee at $100, the examination fee at $110, and the issuance fee at $45. [5] Those three lines live in Table 1 to 46 CFR 10.219(a). If you use an approved course and NMC does not require an exam sitting, you may not owe the examination line. Confirm that with NMC when you file.
NMC also posts a fees page. Use it. Regulations get amended. [14]
Those figures are not your total cost of becoming a six-pack captain. TWIC is a TSA charge. The physical is a clinic charge. The drug test is a lab charge. Approved courses run all over the map. I will not invent a national total, because nobody publishes a clean one.
For a state-by-state money picture, see how much six-pack captain cost in Arizona really is and Six-pack captain cost in Connecticut: the full fee breakdown.
Pay NMC the way the current instructions say. Do not assume a 2019 forum post still works.
Do you need a TWIC, a physical, and a drug test?
Yes, for a normal original officer MMC. All three.
TWIC first. 46 CFR 10.225 ties original credentials to a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. [7] Enroll through TSA's TWIC program. Confirm the current enrollment fee on the TSA site the day you book, because TSA changes it. [12]
Physical next. CG-719K is the form. [10] A doctor, PA, or NP fills it out. Coast Guard medical standards live in 46 CFR part 10, including 10.302. Color vision, medications, sleep apnea, insulin, and heart history are the usual slowdowns. Answer the form honestly and let NMC medical decide.
Drug test last in this pile, close to the day you file. 46 CFR 16.210 is the pre-employment chemical test rule in the marine drug-testing part. [13] Original MMC applicants have to show a negative test in the format NMC accepts, with an MRO in the loop. A drugstore cup with no chain of custody is a waste of money.
Results go stale. Confirm the current acceptance window with NMC, not with a dock rumor.
Is an approved OUPV course better than the Coast Guard exam?
For most first-timers, yes. 46 CFR 11.301 is the rule that lets Coast Guard-approved training stand in for the examination. [15] You still apply to NMC. The school does not print your MMC.
I would take an approved course if I had to get this done around a real job. The classroom (or an approved format NMC still lists that week) forces you through Rules of the Road until you stop guessing. Sitting the exam cold at a Regional Exam Center is legal. It is also how people fail navigation problems they have not seen in 10 years.
Check that the school sits on the current NMC approved list the week you pay. Expired approvals happen.
A course is not sea time. If you only have 200 days, the certificate does not invent the other 160.
Pick the cheapest course that is actually approved and actually teaches chart work. Fancy hotels are a waste. So are guaranteed-pass pitches. NMC still owns the credential.
What is the difference between inland and near-coastal OUPV?
The waters printed on the MMC. Inland is inside the boundary line (bays, rivers, sounds, and designated inland waters). Near-coastal covers ocean and near-coastal waters, and the OUPV near-coastal endorsement is commonly limited to not more than 100 miles offshore under 46 CFR 11.467. [3] Great Lakes is its own flavor when you ask for it.
Sea time has to match the ask. If you want near-coastal, 46 CFR 11.467 expects a block of that 360 days on ocean or near-coastal waters. Mariners treat 90 days as the usual figure. Read the current section before you swear to it. Inland time does not magically become ocean time.
| Route asked | Waters you can work | Sea time character |
|---|---|---|
| Inland | Inside the boundary line | 360 days with inland operation |
| Near-coastal | Ocean and near-coastal, often not more than 100 miles offshore | 360 days with ocean or near-coastal days in the mix |
| Great Lakes | The Lakes and inland as endorsed | 360 days with Lakes time in the mix |
I would file for the route I can prove, then add a route later once I earn the days. Stretching a lake resume into a near-coastal original is how files bounce.
Run only a river pontoon? Inland is enough. Do not pay for a near-coastal story you will never use.
What can a six-pack captain not do?
You cannot legally treat an OUPV as a master of inspected small passenger vessels. If the boat has a Certificate of Inspection and carries passengers for hire under Subchapter T or K, you need the right master endorsement.
You cannot stack 8 paying customers because two of them are family. You cannot run outside the route on the card. You cannot skip a TWIC if NMC required it for your original. You cannot use the six-pack captain label to dodge state guide licenses.
You also cannot ignore manning rules in 46 CFR part 15. 46 CFR 15.605 is the OUPV operating line, not a permission slip to fall asleep at the helm. [4]
Towing for hire, commercial fishing as master of a documented fishing vessel, and 100-ton inspected coastwise work are other licenses. Buy the right exam when you need that work, not before.
If a broker tells you the OUPV covers a 40-passenger sunset boat, walk away. Insurance is not a Coast Guard credential either. Get a marine policy that names the work. The MMC does not replace it.
Do states add licenses on top of the Coast Guard card?
Often, yes. The MMC is federal. Hunting, fishing, and some for-hire guide work is state. Florida, California, Alaska, and Hawaii are the usual surprises.
Check six-pack captain board in California before you advertise charters there. Alaska fish and game rules are their own maze, so read six-pack captain board in Alaska. Island work has extra layers in six-pack captain board in Hawaii. Georgia and Connecticut carry their own paper too: six-pack captain board in Georgia and six-pack captain board in Connecticut.
I would not print business cards until both files are real. A Coast Guard card plus an expired state guide permit is how people get fined on a Saturday.
Sales tax, vessel registration, and local dock permits are separate again. Confirm with the relevant board. I will not invent a state fee.
What should you do in the first year after you get the MMC?
Carry the credential when you work. Keep a sea service log from day one, because renewals and raises in grade are easier if you never stop writing days down.
Stay inside six passengers. Stay inside the route. Keep first aid and CPR from going stale even if your card has years left. Keep drug testing in mind if you work for a company in a 46 CFR part 16 program.
Adding a state? Add the state license before the first paid trip there. Do not treat random Facebook groups as the medical manual. If your health changes, read the 46 CFR part 10 medical rules and call NMC medical.
Renewal runs on a 5-year rhythm for the MMC. Put a reminder at year 4. Late renewals get ugly. Nobody has good public data on median NMC processing time for original or renewal OUPV files, so do not plan a season around a promised date.
OUPVPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. If you want the kit, go to /start. Your application still goes to the National Maritime Center, and only NMC can issue the card.
Frequently asked questions
What is a six-pack captain?
A six-pack captain is a mariner with a USCG MMC endorsed as Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV). On uninspected boats under 100 gross tons, that work is capped at not more than 6 passengers under 46 U.S.C. 2101. The legal operating duty sits in 46 U.S.C. 8903 and 46 CFR 15.605. It is not a state boating safety card.
How do you start becoming a six-pack captain?
Document sea time (plan on 360 days under 46 CFR 11.467), start a TWIC, complete CG-719K, take a drug test NMC will accept, then pass an approved OUPV course or the Coast Guard exam. File CG-719B as an original MMC. Pay the 46 CFR 10.219 user fees. Confirm live instructions with NMC. No publisher can guarantee an issue date.
Is OUPV the same as a 100-ton master license?
No. OUPV is an operator endorsement for uninspected passenger vessels, with a 6-passenger cap on the common under-100 GRT boats. A 100-ton master is a different officer endorsement with different sea time, exams, and vessel authority, including inspected vessels when the endorsement allows it. If you need a COI boat, OUPV is the wrong card.
Can recreational boat time count toward a six-pack captain MMC?
Yes, OUPV is one of the endorsements where documented recreational operation can count. Put it on CG-719S with real dates, vessel identifiers, waters, and hours. 46 CFR 10.232 is how a day is counted. On boats under 100 GRT, an 8-hour day is the usual yardstick. Do not invent days.
How long is a six-pack captain MMC good for?
The credential prints an expiration date. Merchant Mariner Credentials are issued on a 5-year cycle. Start the renewal file before the card dies. Sea time, medical, and drug testing rules for renewal are not identical to original rules. Read the current NMC renewal instructions and 46 CFR part 10. Nobody should promise you a same-week renewal.
Can you carry more than 6 people if some are called crew?
Only if they are actual crew with a real duty, not paying guests you renamed. 46 U.S.C. 2101 is where passenger and passenger-for-hire are defined. If they paid to be there, count them as passengers. Playing word games with mates is how people lose the argument on a boarding.
Do you need STCW for a domestic six-pack captain job?
Usually no. OUPV is a national endorsement under 46 CFR 11.467. STCW is a separate international convention track. Domestic uninspected six-passenger work does not normally demand an STCW deck officer endorsement. If you later go foreign-going or onto vessels that ask for STCW, that is a different file. Confirm with NMC if your job posting lists STCW.
What if you have a conviction or a medical condition?
Put it on the application. NMC evaluates criminal records and medical standards under 46 CFR part 10. Hiding a DUI or a medication is worse than the underlying fact. Medical uses CG-719K. Convictions use the Coast Guard conviction form in the current instructions. Outcomes vary. I cannot predict yours.
Is a bareboat charter the same as six-pack work?
No. A true bareboat (demise) charter hands the vessel to the charterer without a provided crew. If you pick the captain, it is not bareboat. Six-pack work is you, licensed, carrying passengers for hire on an uninspected boat. Mixing the two on a website is a good way to get a letter you will not enjoy.
How much does the whole six-pack captain path cost?
Coast Guard original officer user fees in 46 CFR 10.219 are $100 evaluation, $110 examination, and $45 issuance. TWIC, the physical, the drug test, and any approved course sit on top and change by vendor. I will not invent a national total. For state add-ons, use the Arizona and Connecticut cost breakdowns on this site.
Can a non-citizen get an OUPV?
Officer endorsements are generally limited to U.S. citizens, with a narrow OUPV-related exception in 46 CFR 10.221. Some lawful permanent residents can hold OUPV with operating limits (often tied to undocumented vessels). This is fact-specific. Read 10.221 and ask NMC. Do not take a school's shrug as a nationality decision.
Does a six-pack captain license work in every state?
The MMC is federal and follows the route on the card. It does not cancel state guide, fishing, or business licenses. Florida, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Georgia, and Connecticut all have extra paper you may need before you advertise. Confirm with the relevant board. The Coast Guard will not call the state for you.
What is form CG-719B?
CG-719B is the Coast Guard application for a Merchant Mariner Credential. Original six-pack captain files use it. You attach sea service, medical, drug test proof, TWIC information, and fees. Get the current PDF from NMC, not from a forum. Wrong editions waste months.
Do you need a radar observer endorsement for OUPV?
Not for a standard OUPV. Radar observer is a separate endorsement people add when the vessel or employer requires it. Do not pay for radar unlimited because a salesperson bundled it. If your near-coastal boat has radar and your insurer wants the observer card, that is a business choice, not an OUPV minimum.
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
- U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. 2101 General definitions: Uninspected passenger vessels under 100 gross tons are capped at not more than 6 passengers
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.467 OUPV endorsement requirements: OUPV endorsement sea service and route rules, including the 360-day experience floor and near-coastal limits
- eCFR 46 CFR 15.605 Credentialed operators for uninspected passenger vessels: Each uninspected passenger vessel must be operated by an individual holding an OUPV license or MMC endorsement
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.219 Fees: Original officer MMC user fees are $100 evaluation, $110 examination, and $45 issuance
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.201 General officer endorsement requirements: Age and other original officer endorsement rules, including the 18-year floor for OUPV
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.225 Requirements for original MMCs: Original MMC applicants must submit identity, TWIC, medical evidence, and a chemical test for dangerous drugs
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.232 Sea service: Defines how a day of sea service is counted and how small-vessel service is documented
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center form CG-719B: CG-719B is the application form for a Merchant Mariner Credential
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center form CG-719K: CG-719K is the merchant mariner medical evaluation form
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center form CG-719S: CG-719S is the small vessel sea service form used for OUPV time
- TSA Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program: TWIC enrollment and fees are administered by TSA and confirmed at enrollment
- eCFR 46 CFR 16.210 Pre-employment chemical testing: Marine employers must verify a pre-employment chemical test for dangerous drugs
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center user fees page: NMC publishes current MMC user fees that applicants should confirm before paying
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.301 Coast Guard-approved courses: Completion of a Coast Guard-approved course may substitute for a Coast Guard examination