Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
To run six-pack charters in Arkansas you need a U.S. Coast Guard OUPV on a Merchant Mariner Credential, 360 documented days of service, and a clean medical and drug test. Arkansas issues no substitute captain license. Most charter lakes also demand written Corps of Engineers permission, plus state tax IDs and boat numbering. Confirm current fees and processing with NMC and the lake office. No timeline here is a promise.
Do you need a license for six-pack captain in Arkansas?
Yes. If you take paying passengers, you need a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential with an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) endorsement. Arkansas has no state captain license that stands in for it. Federal law controls the helm.
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, in the manner prescribed by regulation." [1] That is the six-pack rule in one sentence. The Coast Guard issues the license. The state does not.
People mix this up because Arkansas does license boats, fishing, and businesses. Those papers matter. They do not let you take six paying guests for a sunset run on Lake Ouachita. The OUPV (the six-pack) is the federal ticket for uninspected vessels under 100 gross register tons carrying six or fewer passengers for hire. [2][4] 46 CFR 15.605 adds that a self-propelled uninspected passenger vessel must be under the direction and control of an individual credentialed for that work. [15]
You need it on waters under federal jurisdiction. In practice that is the Arkansas River, the Mississippi River along the eastern border, and the big reservoirs people actually charter. If payment is a condition of the ride, you are in for-hire territory.
Skip the license and you risk a civil penalty and a very short season. I would not soft launch with Venmo and hope. Get the MMC, then take money.
Arkansas still wants its own stack once you operate as a business. Boat numbering, tax permits, and (on Corps lakes) a written commercial OK. Those sit beside the Coast Guard card. They do not replace it. For the license document list itself, see six-pack captain license in Arkansas.
How much does six-pack captain cost in Arkansas?
Nobody publishes one Arkansas six-pack startup price. Federal user fees are set in the Code of Federal Regulations. Everything else is a vendor or a state counter, and those numbers move.
46 CFR 10.219 sets the Coast Guard user fees for an officer endorsement at $100 for evaluation, $110 for examination, and $45 for issuance. [3] If you finish an NMC-approved OUPV course, you often do not sit the Coast Guard exam, so that $110 line may not apply to you. Confirm the current table on eCFR before you pay. Do not trust a forum screenshot.
On top of that you pay a school if you take a course, a clinic for the CG-719K physical, a lab for the drug test, and TSA for a TWIC if your transaction needs one. [8] Those are not one statewide price. Budget a real cushion, then call each provider. Course shopping is fine. Paying someone to guarantee NMC approval is a waste.
Arkansas-side costs are smaller and still real. Form a business with the Secretary of State if you want an LLC, and confirm the current filing fee on the official Business and Commercial Services materials. A sales and use tax permit comes from the Department of Finance and Administration. [10] An EIN from the IRS is free. [11] Boat numbering runs through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Confirm the current registration amount for your hull length. [12]
Insurance is usually the line that surprises people. The Coast Guard will not sell you a policy. A Corps lake office may demand proof of liability before it signs a commercial permit. Get quotes from marine insurers who actually write six-pack risks. Cheap general liability from a strip-mall package often excludes vessels.
| Cost block | Who sets the number | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Coast Guard evaluation, exam, issuance | 46 CFR 10.219 | Read the live eCFR table |
| TWIC | TSA | Confirm on the TWIC program page |
| OUPV course | Approved school | Compare NMC-listed providers |
| Medical and drug test | Clinic / lab | Call before you book |
| Arkansas entity filing | Secretary of State | Use the current fee schedule |
| Boat numbering | AGFC | Confirm by length and type |
How long does six-pack captain take in Arkansas?
It depends on the sea time you already have. If you still need 360 days, that is the clock. If the days are already in a clean log, the remaining path is medical, testing, course or exam, TWIC, and NMC review. NMC does not give you a private due date. Check its published processing times and treat them as a snapshot, not a contract.
46 CFR 11.467 requires 360 days of service for an OUPV endorsement. [2] Most applicants also meet the general officer rules in 46 CFR 11.201. [5] 46 CFR 11.201 states, "An applicant for an officer endorsement must be at least 18 years of age." [5] On vessels under 100 GRT, a day can be a 4-hour day under the definitions in 46 CFR 10.107. [6] Read that definition before you count short lake evenings as full days in your head.
A weekend operator on Greers Ferry can take years to stack 360 days. Someone who already ran crew boats or a family marina fleet may already be over the line. Be honest on CG-719S. False sea service is how credentials get pulled.
Do not quit a day job on a school's get-licensed-this-month pitch unless the 360 days are already real. The course is days. The physical is an afternoon. The wait is NMC plus whatever TWIC and the clinic do. Confirm each queue when you apply. No article can promise your issuance week.
How many passengers can a six-pack captain carry in Arkansas?
Six paying passengers. That is the whole point of the name. An OUPV lets you operate an uninspected passenger vessel of less than 100 GRT with no more than six passengers. Passenger seven is not a gray area. It is a different legal vessel.
46 U.S.C. § 2101 is where the uninspected passenger vessel definition lives. [4] Stay at six paying guests. Stay under 100 GRT. Stay inside the route printed on the credential (inland vs near-coastal).
Want a 20-person party barge on Beaver Lake? That is not a six-pack job. That path is an inspected passenger vessel and a Master endorsement, plus a much heavier Coast Guard relationship. Do not buy the big deck boat first and figure out the license later.
Crew do not count as passengers. Your friend taking photos might. When in doubt, count them as a passenger. The cheap move is to stay clearly at six and keep a simple head count in the log.
Is OUPV Inland enough for Arkansas lakes and rivers?
Yes for typical Arkansas work. OUPV Inland matches the lakes and rivers you can point to on a state map. Near-coastal is for waters along the coast out to the near-coastal limit, and it asks for more specific service. If you will only run Bull Shoals, Norfork, Ouachita, Dardanelle, and the Arkansas River, Inland is the paper that fits.
Take winter work out of a Gulf port later and you will wish you had Near Coastal. You can upgrade once you earn the extra service. Do not overbuy Near Coastal on day one because a school upsells it, unless you already have the qualifying time and a real plan to use it.
The Mississippi River in Arkansas is inland water for this purpose. It is not almost the ocean. Get the route that matches the water you will actually work.
Same logic if you compare notes with how to start six-pack captain in Alabama. Alabama has a coast. Arkansas does not. That changes the first endorsement more than people think.
What Coast Guard paperwork do you file for an Arkansas six-pack?
The National Maritime Center wants a complete original officer package. Typical pieces are form CG-719B, a CG-719K medical completed by a physician, small vessel sea service on CG-719S (or equivalent discharges), proof of drug testing, first aid and CPR cards the Coast Guard accepts, identity and citizenship evidence, and fees. [5][7]
Many applicants also hold a TWIC. TSA runs that program. Confirm whether your credential path needs one before you drive to an enrollment center. [8]
You can sit a Coast Guard exam or present a certificate from an NMC-approved OUPV course. The approved-course route is what most working adults pick. The exam is not harder in a romantic way. It is just less guided.
OUPVPath sells a $149 one-time USCG OUPV + Bareboat Kit at /start that explains the federal forms and a bareboat paper path in one place. OUPVPath is an independent publisher, not the Coast Guard and not a law firm. The kit does not file your MMC and it does not talk to Arkansas for you.
Fill sea service first, then medical, then the course. Reverse that and you can spend money before you know the physical will clear. Happens more than schools admit.
Do you need a Corps permit to charter on Arkansas lakes?
Yes, on most of the lakes people actually advertise. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers controls commercial activity on project land and water through written permission. 36 CFR 327.18 restricts advertising or conducting commercial business on project lands or waters unless the District Commander authorizes it in writing. [13]
Call the resource manager for the specific lake. Little Rock District covers a large share of Arkansas reservoirs. Rules, insurance minimums, and any fee are local to that project. I have no honest statewide price, and anyone who quotes one is guessing.
Do this before you print brochures. A slick Instagram and no permit is how you get asked to leave a ramp on a Saturday. The OUPV does not waive Corps rules. The Corps permit does not waive the OUPV.
Private ponds and some non-Corps waters are different. Buffalo National River is National Park Service, which uses Commercial Use Authorizations, not a Corps slip of paper. Read the park commercial-use page if you want to float paying guests there.
Neighboring state guides can look similar on the federal license and still differ on lake managers. That is why a six-pack captain license in Alabama writeup will not tell you how Greers Ferry staff want their commercial file built.
What Arkansas business and boat papers do you need?
Arkansas wants you on the tax roll if you are selling trips. Get an EIN from the IRS if you operate as a business. [11] File the entity you actually want with the Secretary of State and use that office's current fee schedule. Apply for a sales and use tax permit with DFA if your trips are taxable. [10]
Arkansas state sales tax is 6.5 percent per the Department of Finance and Administration. [10] Local rates stack on top. Confirm the combined rate for the city or county where you take payment. Do not copy a rate from a Facebook group.
Motorboats on Arkansas waters must be numbered. AGFC handles the transaction and publishes the registration steps. [12] Keep the certificate aboard. If you document the vessel with the Coast Guard instead, follow that system and do not assume you skip every state step without reading both sets of rules.
City privilege licenses exist in some towns. Ask the clerk where you dock. It is dull work. It is cheaper than a surprise bill. A six-pack captain in Arkansas who ignores sales tax is not being clever. They are building an audit.
Do fishing clients and guides need extra Arkansas licenses?
A six-pack card is not a hunting or fishing license. If clients wet a line, they need whatever AGFC license the season requires. Confirm current license types on AGFC's pages. [12] Do not tell guests the captain's license covers you. It does not.
Whether you also need a separate Arkansas guide license is a question for AGFC, not for a forum. Wildlife rules change. Call AGFC licensing and ask about paid fishing guides before you advertise guided bass trips. Get the answer in writing if you can.
NPS rivers and state parks can add a third permit layer. Corps lakes we already covered. Stack only the permits that match the water. Paying for a Buffalo CUA you will never use is a waste.
If the trip is sightseeing only, do not invent a fishing add-on just to book the Saturday slot. Extra activity means extra rules.
What drug testing, gear, and insurance apply in year one?
If you employ mariners, or you are the marine employer on your own for-hire boat, the chemical testing rules in 46 CFR 16.201 apply. [14] Self-employed six-pack operators usually still belong in a random consortium. Budget the consortium dues. Skipping random testing because it is just me is a common story and a bad one.
Uninspected vessels still carry required safety equipment under 46 CFR Subchapter C. Count PFDs for everyone on board. Check dates on extinguishers. A pretty cooler is not a throwable.
Insurance is how you sleep. Ask about passenger liability, wreck removal, and whether the policy matches Corps or marina contract language. Do not launch with a homeowner's rider and a hope.
Keep a simple log. Hours, waters, passengers, weather. Future upgrades to Master rest on paper you wish you had started in month one.
What would you actually do first year as an Arkansas six-pack?
I would not buy a new center console to look legit. I would finish the MMC, get the Corps letter for one lake I already know, and run a boat I can afford if bookings are slow. Marketing comes after the card is in the wallet.
Waste of money: framed novelty licenses, paid expedite middlemen for NMC, and wrapping a hull before the permit file exists. Worth the money: a careful CG-719K, a consortium that answers the phone, and a survey if you are buying a used hull.
Charge enough to cover fuel, insurance, and the Saturday you cannot take other work. Underpricing a six-pack trip on a busy holiday weekend trains the market to expect a hobby rate.
Want California or mountain-state comparisons later? The federal core stays the same and the land manager changes. See how to start six-pack captain in California or how to start six-pack captain in Colorado only after Arkansas paper is moving.
What mistakes stall a six-pack start in Arkansas?
The usual stalls are sloppy sea service, an incomplete medical, and applying before TWIC or the drug test is ready. NMC sends the file back. You wait again.
Another Arkansas-specific miss: assuming the federal card is a lake permit. It is not. The reverse miss is getting a marina blessing and taking six paying strangers with only a state fishing license.
Do not carry seven. Do not run after dark without the lights and the skill. Do not drink and work. Obvious, and still how people lose the card.
Want a state-by-state license explainer after this? Six-pack captain license in California shows how the same MMC meets a different coastline. For a closer inland neighbor, start with Alabama.
How should you sequence the federal and state steps?
Start with a blunt inventory. Days on the water you can prove. Money for fees and a course. One lake you can name, with the phone number of the office that controls commercial use.
Then file the federal package and the Arkansas tax IDs. Then the lake letter. Then you take a deposit.
Confirm every fee and queue with NMC, TSA, AGFC, DFA, and the Corps office. Nothing here is an approval and nothing here is a timeline promise.
A second pass at the form stack is at /start if you want OUPVPath's kit. Read the statutes first either way. The credential comes from the Coast Guard. The permission to sell a trip on a federal lake comes from the lake.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for six-pack captain in Arkansas?
Yes. Federal law requires a Coast Guard MMC with an OUPV endorsement to operate an uninspected passenger vessel for hire. Arkansas does not issue a substitute captain license. You still need state tax IDs, boat numbering, and often a Corps commercial permit. Those do not replace the MMC. Taking payment without the credential is how you get in real trouble.
How much does six-pack captain cost in Arkansas?
Coast Guard officer user fees in 46 CFR 10.219 are $100 evaluation, $110 examination, and $45 issuance. Course, physical, drug test, TWIC, insurance, and Arkansas filings are extra and not one statewide price. Confirm every live fee with the agency or vendor that collects it. Insurance and the boat usually dwarf the license fees.
How long does six-pack captain take in Arkansas?
If you still need sea time, plan around 360 documented days. If those days are done, the remaining work is medical, testing, a course or exam, and NMC review. Processing is not a fixed number. Check NMC published processing times when you apply. Nobody honest can promise your issuance date.
Is an OUPV Inland enough for Beaver Lake and the Arkansas River?
Yes for those inland waters, if the credential is valid and you stay inside its route and tonnage limits. Near Coastal is for coastal work you do not have in Arkansas. Upgrade later if you take Gulf work. Confirm the exact route text on the MMC when it arrives.
Do I need a Corps permit to run charters on Greers Ferry or Bull Shoals?
Usually yes. Those are Corps projects. 36 CFR 327.18 requires written authorization for commercial activity on project land and water. Call that lake's resource manager and ask for the commercial use process. Bring insurance questions. Do this before you advertise Saturday trips.
Can I carry more than six paying passengers on an Arkansas lake?
Not on an OUPV six-pack. Seven paying passengers means an inspected passenger vessel and a different Coast Guard endorsement. The lake does not grant extra seats. Stay at six and log the head count. Scaling later is a Master and inspection problem, not a weekend workaround.
Does Arkansas issue its own captain license?
No. The captain credential is federal. Arkansas issues boat numbers, hunting and fishing licenses, tax permits, and business filings. Do not confuse a fishing license or an LLC with authority to carry passengers for hire. The MMC is still the card that lets you take the helm for pay.
Do my clients need fishing licenses?
If they fish, yes, they need the AGFC license that matches the water and the season. Your OUPV does not cover them. Confirm current license types and exemptions with AGFC before you advertise a guided fishing trip. Sightseeing-only charters still need the federal operator credential.
What sea service counts if I only ran boats on lakes?
Lake and river time can count if it is real operation of a vessel and you can document it. 46 CFR 10.107 defines a day, and on vessels under 100 GRT that can be a 4-hour day. Recreational time can count if you tell the truth on CG-719S. Made-up days do not.
Do I need a TWIC in Arkansas?
Many original officer applicants obtain a TWIC because the Coast Guard uses it in the credential process. TSA runs enrollment. Confirm the current need and fee on the TWIC program page and with NMC instructions for your exact transaction. Do not assume an inland lake job skips every identification step.
Can I start with a bareboat setup instead of a captained charter?
Sometimes. A true bareboat charter hands the vessel to the charterer without a provided crew, and the legal tests are picky. If you steer, give orders, or the customer has to take you, it is probably not bareboat. Get this right before you advertise no license needed. When in doubt, run as a licensed six-pack.
What happens if I operate for hire without a Coast Guard license?
You are operating an uninspected passenger vessel without the operator federal law requires. Expect enforcement, fines, and a hard time getting licensed later if you lied about it. I would not test this on a holiday weekend at a busy ramp. Get the MMC first, then take deposits.
Do I need a first aid card?
Yes. Officer applicants need first aid and CPR certificates the Coast Guard accepts, under the general rules in 46 CFR 11.201. Take a class that states it meets Coast Guard acceptance, keep the card unexpired, and include a copy in the MMC package. A faded workplace card from years ago is a common bounce.
Where do I send the MMC application?
You apply to the U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center through the process NMC publishes, including online filing where offered. Use the current NMC checklist for an original officer OUPV endorsement. Regional exam centers handle exams if you do not use an approved course. Arkansas agencies do not issue the MMC.
Sources
- U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel, 46 U.S.C. § 8903: Uninspected passenger vessels must be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary.
- eCFR, 46 CFR 11.467 Operator of uninspected passenger vessels: OUPV endorsement requirements include a minimum of 360 days of service.
- eCFR, 46 CFR 10.219 Fees: Original officer endorsement user fees are $100 evaluation, $110 examination, and $45 issuance.
- U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel, 46 U.S.C. § 2101: Federal definitions of passenger, passenger for hire, and uninspected passenger vessel.
- eCFR, 46 CFR 11.201 General officer endorsement requirements: Officer endorsement applicants must be at least 18 and meet medical, first aid, and related general rules.
- eCFR, 46 CFR 10.107 Definitions in subchapter B: A day of service on vessels under 100 GRT may be counted as 4 hours.
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center, application checklists: NMC publishes checklists for original officer credential packages.
- Transportation Security Administration, TWIC program: TSA administers TWIC enrollment and sets the current enrollment fee.
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Sales and Use Tax: DFA administers Arkansas sales and use tax, including the 6.5 percent state rate and permit applications.
- Internal Revenue Service, Apply for an EIN online: Businesses can obtain an EIN online from the IRS at no charge.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, boat registration and licenses: AGFC handles Arkansas boat numbering and issues hunting and fishing licenses.
- eCFR, 36 CFR 327.18 Commercial activities: Commercial activity on Corps project lands or waters requires written authorization from the District Commander.
- eCFR, 46 CFR 16.201 Application of chemical testing rules: Marine employers must implement Coast Guard chemical testing programs.
- eCFR, 46 CFR 15.605 Licensed operators for uninspected passenger vessels: A self-propelled uninspected passenger vessel must be under the direction and control of a Coast Guard-credentialed OUPV.