Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
A six-pack captain is the common name for a Coast Guard OUPV endorsement. It authorizes an uninspected vessel under 100 GRT with not more than 6 passengers. You start with 360 days of documented service (90 in the last 3 years), then TWIC, medical, drug test, first aid and CPR, an NMC application, and the OUPV exam. Confirm live fees and forms with the National Maritime Center.
What is a six-pack captain?
A six-pack captain holds a Coast Guard merchant mariner credential with an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels endorsement. That paper lets you run an uninspected vessel under 100 GRT with not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger-for-hire. Schools do not issue it. The National Maritime Center does. [2][4]
People say six-pack because the passenger cap is 6. The card says OUPV. 46 U.S.C. § 8903 puts it plainly: "An uninspected passenger vessel shall be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary to operate that type of vessel, under prescribed regulations." [1]
46 CFR 15.605 is the manning match. A less than 100 gross ton uninspected passenger vessel must be operated by a person holding a license or MMC endorsed as operator of uninspected passenger vessels. [3]
Sell seats without that endorsement and you are not in a gray zone. You are missing the operator the statute names. A state boating card does not close that gap.
Uninspected is the other half of the name. These are not Subchapter T inspected small passenger vessels. Those boats can carry more than 6 paying people, and they take a different inspection path, often with a different officer endorsement. If the trip belongs on an inspected boat, OUPV will not cover it.
Treat captain on a business card as marketing until the MMC is in hand. Then the route on the credential (inland, Great Lakes, or near-coastal) is the real box you work inside.
How do you start six-pack captain?
You start by documenting 360 days of vessel service, clearing the 18-year age floor, then building an NMC file: TWIC, medical, chemical test, first aid and CPR, the original application, and the OUPV exam. That is the path. A weekend class is optional prep, not the license. [4][5]
Run the pieces in order, because some go stale while you wait on others.
Map the work first. If you will not carry passengers for hire, you may not need OUPV. If you will sell seats on an uninspected boat, you do. [1][2]
Log sea time as you go. 46 CFR 11.467 is the 360-day national OUPV service rule. 46 CFR 11.201 adds recency: at least 90 days of qualifying service in the 3 years before you apply. [4][5] 46 CFR 10.232 tells you what a day means. Read it before you build a spreadsheet. On many small vessels people credit a day with at least 4 hours underway, and only one day per calendar date. If your trips need the 8-hour measure instead, the same section is still the source. Guessing is how files get bounced. [6]
Start TWIC early. 46 CFR 10.203 puts it on this credential path. TSA runs enrollment. Confirm sites and current cost on the TWIC program page. [10][12]
Then the medical evaluation under 46 CFR 10.302, a chemical test NMC will accept, and a Coast Guard accepted first aid and CPR course. [5][9][11]
File the original MMC application the way NMC is taking originals that month. 46 CFR 10.225 is the original-credential rule set. User fees sit in 46 CFR 10.219. Confirm what NMC collects when you pay. I will not print a dollar figure that may be old. [8][15]
Sit the exam. After issuance, 46 CFR 10.205 is blunt: "An MMC is valid for a term of 5 years from the date of issuance." [7]
Skip any package that promises the date NMC will finish. Confirm status with the National Maritime Center. Nobody should guarantee approval.
How many passengers can a six-pack captain carry?
Six. On an uninspected vessel of less than 100 GRT, when the trip fits the statutory uninspected passenger vessel definition. 46 U.S.C. 2101 caps that vessel at 6 passengers, including at least one passenger-for-hire, or a crew-provided charter carrying not more than 6. [2]
Count heads the way the statute counts them. Employed crew is not a passenger. Paying customers are. Put 7 paying people on an uninspected 28-foot boat and you have left OUPV. You either need an inspected small passenger vessel or you need to leave people on the dock.
46 U.S.C. 2101 is the definition you should read before you build a website that says captain included. A true bareboat charter can look like the charterer is the operator. Get that structure wrong and the trip is treated as passenger-for-hire. Do not copy a dock rumor on this. [2]
The other wall is tonnage. National OUPV is for uninspected passenger vessels of less than 100 GRT. [4] Most six-pack boats never come near that number. A large yacht is not automatically inside the box because someone called the trip a six-pack.
How much sea time do you need for an OUPV?
National OUPV needs 360 days of service. Recency is 90 days in the 3 years before the application. The age floor is 18. Those three numbers gate a first file. [4][5]
46 CFR 11.467 is the OUPV experience section. 46 CFR 11.201 is the general officer overlay for age, recency, and first aid. [4][5] 46 CFR 11.467 requires 360 days of service for a national OUPV endorsement.
What counts as a day lives in 46 CFR 10.232. Letters need vessel identifiers, dates, waters, and the capacity you served in. Lots of fishing with my uncle is not evidence. [6]
Near-coastal OUPV wants service that supports that route. Inland days do not become ocean days because you wish they would. If your whole log is lakes, ask for inland and live with it. Inflating waters on a form is how applications die.
Military time and towing time can count when it is actual vessel operation. Presence on a base does not. Read 10.232 rather than arguing in a comment thread. [6]
Limited OUPV is the local, lower-day option. I cover it below. It is real paper. It is also easy to outgrow. For more adjacent paper questions see six-pack captain guide 18.
What paper does the Coast Guard actually want?
NMC wants an original MMC package that proves identity, sea service, medical fitness, chemical testing, TWIC, course completions, then exam results. 46 CFR 10.225 sets that frame. Forms get renamed. Confirm the live list with NMC before you print a stack. [15]
People still talk about CG-719B (application), CG-719K (medical), and CG-719S (sea service), plus a chemical test letter, TWIC, photo, nationality evidence, and a first aid/CPR card. Use the names NMC lists the week you file, not a 2019 blog.
Keep one dated folder. When a drug test or first aid card is close to stale, replace it before you submit. Filing with expired pieces is a classic delay.
Do not mail original logbooks unless they ask. Owner letters on letterhead, consistent vessel numbers, and matching dates help more than a speech about how much you boat.
Got convictions? Answer the safety and suitability questions. Hiding a case is worse than the case. NMC evaluates character as part of the credential, not as a side hobby.
If you want a paper map of OUPV plus bareboat charter issues in one place, OUPVPath publishes a $149 one-time USCG OUPV + Bareboat Kit. It is a checklist publisher product, not legal advice and not a filing service. OUPVPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm. Use /start only if that format helps you. 46 CFR still governs.
Do you need TWIC, a physical, and a drug test?
Yes. For a national officer endorsement those three sit in the file next to sea time. TWIC is 46 CFR 10.203. Medical standards are 46 CFR 10.302. Chemical testing is in 46 CFR part 16, and original applications have to prove you passed. [9][10][11][15]
TWIC is TSA, not NMC. Enroll, get it printed, keep it valid. Confirm fee and appointment rules with TSA. I will not quote a dollar figure because TSA changes it. [12]
The physical is not a sports physical. It is the merchant mariner medical evaluation: vision, hearing, conditions, meds. If you need a waiver, that is a separate NMC medical process. Skipping the form and hoping is a waste of the rest of the file.
The drug test is a DOT 5-panel from an acceptable collector, not a drugstore cup you mail yourself. Original issuance wants a passing result in the window NMC is using. Confirm that window when you file, because repeating a test after a rejection is extra money for no extra skill.
What exam does a six-pack captain take?
You take the Coast Guard deck modules assigned to OUPV. A school diploma is not a substitute. Subject tables live in 46 CFR 11.910. Confirm the current module list with NMC before you schedule. [13]
Expect rules of the road, navigation general, and deck general/safety. Near-coastal usually adds chart work. Inland skips some ocean pieces. I will not invent today's question counts or pass scores. Those belong to the exam center, not a guide.
Fail a module and you retake under the rules in force. Unlimited retake folklore is folklore. Confirm with the Regional Exam Center that will seat you.
Study the actual Navigation Rules, not a random quiz app with ads. The Navigation Center publishes the amalgamated Inland Rules and COLREGS text. That is the source the exam is aiming at. [14]
Plotting tools are worth owning if your route needs a chart module. A $400 divider set is not. Used plastic and a current chart region you might actually run will do.
Inland, Great Lakes, or near-coastal: which route?
Pick the waters you can prove and the waters you will work. Inland OUPV is not near-coastal OUPV. Near-coastal OUPV is commonly limited to not more than 100 miles offshore. Great Lakes is its own box. 46 CFR 11.467 is where those limits are written. [4]
If all your money is inside bays and rivers, inland is enough. Paying months for ocean sea time you will not use is a waste. If you will run the canyons, inland is a trap you will have to unwind later.
You can raise scope later with more service and more exam modules. Starting honest is faster than starting fake.
Write the route on flyers the same way it appears on the MMC. Advertising offshore trips on an inland endorsement is how a good first season becomes a case file. For a longer comparison of nearby tickets see six-pack captain vs nearby career.
What is a limited OUPV and is it worth it?
A limited OUPV is a restricted operator endorsement tied to a named local area, with a lower service load than the 360-day national OUPV. 46 CFR 11.467 is still the section. It commonly takes 90 days of service in the operation of vessels, locked to that geography. Confirm the current day count and the wording of the limitation with 11.467 and NMC before you plan a business around it. [4]
Is it worth it? Sometimes. If you only run one lake and you are close to 90 days, limited paper can be the honest start. If you intend to move boats between states, it is a waste. You will redo sea time and exams.
Do not market a limited endorsement as a full six-pack career. It is a local ticket. Customers do not care. Underwriters and boarding officers do.
| Path | Service in 11.467 | Area | Passenger cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| National OUPV | 360 days | inland, Great Lakes, or near-coastal | 6 on an uninspected vessel under 100 GRT |
| Limited OUPV | 90 days (confirm the current text) | named local waters | same 6-passenger uninspected box |
What does first-year six-pack work actually look like?
First year is short trips, weather cancellations, and more insurance and dock politics than photos. The MMC does not find you a boat. A written charter agreement and a marine insurance conversation come first. I am not a broker. Use someone who actually writes P&I for small passenger work.
You still have to run the boat as an uninspected passenger vessel: lights, sound signals, fire extinguishers, and life jackets that fit the people you carry. The license does not replace Subchapter C gear rules.
Nobody has good public data on median six-pack income. Anyone quoting a national salary as fact is selling a course. Track your own days, fuel, and cancelled trips for a year before you quit a paycheck.
Start with weekday sunset runs you can actually staff, not a 12-hour canyon product you cannot cancel without drama. See six-pack captain guide 30 and six-pack captain guide 12 if you are still weighing nearby career shapes.
What does an OUPV cost, and what is a waste of money?
Coast Guard user fees are listed in 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1, for evaluation, examination, and issuance of officer endorsements. Confirm what NMC is collecting on the day you pay. I will not paste a dollar figure that may be stale. [8]
TSA charges for TWIC. The clinic charges for the CG-719K exam. The lab charges for the chemical test. First aid/CPR is a course fee. Travel to an exam center is real money. Add those yourself. Forums that quote one number for the whole path are mixing years.
Waste of money: premium guaranteed pass schools, embroidered hats before you have an MMC, and extra STCW classes you do not need for domestic six-pack work. STCW is for seagoing international credentials. Most inland OUPV operators do not need it.
A basic exam prep course can be worth it if you are not a self-studier. Used plotting tools beat a boutique kit. For cost-shaped follow-ups see six-pack captain guide 42.
Six-pack captain vs a 100-ton master: which paper?
OUPV is the 6-passenger uninspected ticket under 100 GRT. Master not more than 100 GRT is a different officer endorsement, with more exam and usually more service, and it is the paper people use when they move onto inspected small passenger vessels. If you will run a 49-passenger T-boat, OUPV is the wrong file. [4]
If you only need 6 passengers on an uninspected boat, OUPV is the shorter exam. Jumping to 100-ton because a salesperson said real captains get 100-ton is how people stall for a year.
Raise of grade is available later if the work appears. You do not have to buy the bigger endorsement on day one to be legal on a six-pack boat.
Read 46 CFR 11.426 and 11.428 only when you actually need master 100, not because a forum ranked licenses like belt colors. six-pack captain guide 72 is a reasonable next click if you are comparing tickets rather than filing.
How long is the credential good, and how do you keep it?
An MMC is valid 5 years from the date of issuance. That is 46 CFR 10.205, not a school policy. [7] Renewal is a separate application with medical, chemical test, and recency or the refresher path NMC is using. Confirm the current renewal checklist with the National Maritime Center. No timing guarantee belongs in this paragraph.
Let it lapse and you may face extra hoops. Set a reminder at year 4 and keep copies of sea service as you go, not the week the card expires.
Keep TWIC in date too. Operating a passenger-for-hire trip on an expired MMC is not a paperwork shrug. It is the same statute you used to get the job. [1]
If you want the kit format after you have read the CFR path, the OUPVPath kit is at /start. It still does not replace 46 CFR, NMC, or TSA. For renewal-shaped notes see six-pack captain guide 60.
Frequently asked questions
What is six-pack captain?
It is the street name for a Coast Guard OUPV endorsement on a merchant mariner credential. That endorsement lets you operate an uninspected vessel of less than 100 GRT carrying not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger-for-hire. The Coast Guard does not print six-pack on the card. NMC issues OUPV. A class certificate is not the credential.
How do you start six-pack captain?
Document 360 days of service with 90 days in the last 3 years, meet the age 18 floor, then assemble TWIC, a merchant mariner physical, a chemical test, first aid and CPR, and the original MMC application. Pass the OUPV exam modules. Confirm live forms and fees with the National Maritime Center. Do not treat a school's calendar as NMC's calendar.
Is six-pack the same as OUPV?
Yes, in ordinary use. Six-pack is slang for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels. The legal paper is the OUPV national officer endorsement on an MMC, limited to uninspected passenger vessels of less than 100 GRT. If someone sells a six-pack certificate with no NMC credential behind it, that is not the same thing.
Can you run 7 passengers with an OUPV if one is a mate?
No. The uninspected passenger vessel definition in 46 U.S.C. 2101 caps you at 6 passengers on a vessel of less than 100 gross tons. Calling a paying guest a mate does not change the count unless that person is actually employed as crew. Seven paying heads means you have left OUPV.
Do you have to be a US citizen for a six-pack captain license?
Most original officer endorsements require U.S. citizenship under 46 CFR 10.221, with only narrow exceptions. Do not assume a green card or a foreign license is enough. Confirm nationality rules with NMC against 10.221 before you pay for exam prep you cannot use.
Does a state captain license replace the Coast Guard MMC?
No. 46 U.S.C. 8903 requires a federal license to operate an uninspected passenger vessel. A state boating safety card or a state guide license may be extra local paper, and sometimes you need both. It does not replace OUPV when you are carrying passengers for hire on waters the Coast Guard regulates.
Can you use sailing time for OUPV sea service?
Yes, if it is documented vessel operation that meets 46 CFR 10.232. Sailing, fishing, and small-power time can all count when the letters show dates, waters, vessel ID, and your capacity. Sitting on a mooring or riding as a guest is not service. NMC reads the evidence, not the boat type on your Instagram.
How old do you have to be to start the six-pack path?
18. 46 CFR 11.201 sets an 18-year floor for an OUPV officer endorsement, which is younger than the usual 21-year floor for many other officer endorsements. Age 18 does not waive the 360-day service rule. You still need the days, the medical, and the rest of the file.
What is passenger-for-hire on a six-pack trip?
It is a passenger carried because consideration was given. 46 U.S.C. 2101 is the definition stack. Cash, Venmo, a bundled hotel seat, or a required tip scheme can all look like consideration. Free family hops with no contribution are a different fact pattern. If money changes hands for the ride, treat it as for-hire until counsel or the statute says otherwise.
Do you need STCW for a six-pack captain job?
Usually no for domestic inland or near-coastal OUPV work on uninspected boats. STCW is the international training convention overlay for seagoing credentials. Buying a full STCW package because a school bundled it is a common waste. If your employer or route actually needs STCW, they can name the endorsement. Otherwise skip it.
Can you get OUPV with only inland time?
Yes. Inland service supports an inland OUPV, not a near-coastal one. 46 CFR 11.467 splits those routes. If your 360 days are lakes and rivers, file inland. You can add near-coastal later with qualifying waters and the extra exam modules. Do not relabel a reservoir as near-coastal on the form.
What happens if your medical has restrictions?
NMC can issue an MMC with medical limitations, or it can ask for more information, or it can refuse until a condition is addressed. 46 CFR 10.302 is the medical standard. A restriction is not automatically a no. Hiding a medication list is how simple files turn into long ones. Use the current CG medical form NMC lists.
Is online exam prep enough for the OUPV test?
For some people, yes. For chart plotting, often no. Rules of the road still come from the Navigation Center text, not a gamified quiz. If you cannot hold a course on a paper chart, take a short in-person plot session and skip the rest of the upsell. Confirm modules with NMC before you buy a third question bank.
Do you need an FCC radio license as a six-pack captain?
Many domestic VHF-only uninspected boats used in six-pack work do not need an individual FCC operator permit, but that is an FCC radio question, not an NMC question. If you fit MF/HF, a foreign voyage, or a compulsory-equipped vessel, the answer changes. Confirm FCC rules for your radio and waters rather than copying a dock rumor.
Sources
- U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. § 8903 Uninspected passenger vessels: An uninspected passenger vessel shall be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary to operate that type of vessel
- U.S. Code 46 U.S.C. § 2101 Definitions: Uninspected passenger vessel of less than 100 gross tons carrying not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger-for-hire
- eCFR 46 CFR 15.605 Uninspected passenger vessels: A less than 100 GT uninspected passenger vessel must be operated by an individual holding a license or MMC endorsed as OUPV
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.467 OUPV endorsement requirements: National OUPV service, route limits, tonnage less than 100 GRT, and limited OUPV rules
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.201 General officer endorsement requirements: Age 18 for OUPV, 90 days of qualifying service in the prior 3 years, and first aid/CPR for original officer endorsements
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.232 Sea service: How a day of creditable service is documented and counted
- 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: Table 1 lists Coast Guard user fees for evaluation, examination, and issuance of officer endorsements
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.302 Medical standards: Medical evaluation standards for merchant mariner credentials
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.203 TWIC requirement: TWIC is required as part of the merchant mariner credential process
- eCFR 46 CFR 16.210 Pre-employment chemical testing: Chemical testing rules that sit behind merchant mariner drug test evidence
- TSA Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program: TSA administers TWIC enrollment, identity, and credential issuance
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.910 Subjects for deck officer endorsements: Examination subject tables for deck officer endorsements including OUPV modules
- U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center amalgamated Navigation Rules: Official Inland and COLREGS navigation rules text used for rules-of-the-road study
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.225 Original merchant mariner credentials: Application requirements for an original merchant mariner credential