Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
Arkansas does not issue a six-pack captain license. Carry a passenger for hire and you need a federal Coast Guard OUPV endorsement on a Merchant Mariner Credential. The cash is user fees, a TWIC, a CG-719K physical, a drug test, and First Aid/CPR, often a few hundred dollars without a school. The real cost is 360 days of sea time. Confirm current fees and wait times with the National Maritime Center.
How much does six-pack captain cost in Arkansas?
A six-pack in Arkansas costs the federal OUPV path, not a state license fee. Arkansas does not sell a captain credential. If you already have the sea days, plan on Coast Guard user fees, a TWIC, a CG-719K physical, a chemical test, and First Aid/CPR. Add a school only if you need the exam prep.
There is no posted Arkansas six-pack price. People who already have 360 days on the water often land in a cash band of about $400 to $900 if they skip a full school and sit the exam through a Regional Exam Center. People who buy a week-long course plus travel often spend $1,000 to $2,500 before the card shows up. Those are observed market ranges, not a government tariff. Course catalogs move. Clinic prices move. Confirm the live federal numbers on the National Maritime Center fee table before you budget. [1][2][7]
Skip the glossy captain-career package. The Coast Guard does not make you buy a private course. It makes you prove sea time, hold a TWIC, pass a physical, pass a drug test, pass the exam, and send a complete application. [5][9]
Sea time is the real bill if you do not have it. You cannot legally buy days. A friend who lets you log time you never stood is a problem, not a shortcut.
Want a side-by-side with a Gulf state? The cash stack looks a lot like six-pack captain cost in Florida or six-pack captain cost in Alabama. The license is the same federal sticker. Fuel, insurance, and how you earn days change by water.
Do you need a license for six-pack captain in Arkansas?
Yes, if you carry even one passenger for hire on an uninspected vessel under federal rules. Arkansas Game and Fish does not issue a six-pack captain license. The paper you need is a Merchant Mariner Credential with an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels endorsement from the U.S. Coast Guard. [3][4]
Federal law defines that boat in 46 U.S.C. 2101. The statute describes an uninspected passenger vessel of less than 100 gross tons as one "carrying not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger for hire." [3] That six-person cap is why people say six-pack.
46 U.S.C. 8903 requires an appropriate licensed operator on those vessels. You do not get a pass because the lake sits inside Arkansas. The Arkansas River, the McClellan-Kerr system, and the big Corps lakes are not a hobby loophole. [4]
The AGFC boater education card is a different animal. Arkansas requires that course for many recreational operators born on or after January 1, 1986. It does not authorize passenger-for-hire work. [10]
Bareboat charter (the boat goes out without you as the hired operator) is a different paper path. Stay on the helm and take their money, and you are not in the bareboat box. Get that distinction right before you advertise captained sunset trips on Beaver Lake.
What does the Coast Guard charge for an OUPV credential?
46 CFR 10.219 sets three separate user fees for an original officer credential: evaluation $100, examination $110, and issuance $45. That is $255 if you pay all three line items once and pass. [2]
Those dollars live in the regulation and on the National Maritime Center fees page. Fees can be revised. Confirm the current table before you mail a payment. [7]
You pay evaluation when NMC reviews the file. You pay examination when you sit (or when a course reports a test). You pay issuance when they print the MMC. Fail the exam and expect another examination fee. Incomplete files burn time, which costs more than pride.
Keep a folder with the receipt for each fee. NMC correspondence goes easier when you can point to a payment.
This is the only part of the bill that runs identical in every state, including six-pack captain cost in Georgia and six-pack captain cost in Illinois.
What other cash costs sit on top of the federal bill?
TWIC comes first. TSA runs it. The current new-card fee is published on the TSA TWIC page and has sat at $125.25 in recent fee schedules. Confirm the live number when you book enrollment. You need the card (or the status NMC currently accepts) before they issue the MMC. [6]
The physical is Form CG-719K. A clinic that has never seen the form will waste your morning. Budget something in the $80 to $250 range, depending on whether they add vision testing or a re-do. NMC medical review bounces a sloppy form. [12]
Drug test next. A DOT five-panel from a proper collection site, reported on the Coast Guard chemical-test form. Figure $40 to $100 in most Arkansas towns. The sample window is short relative to how long NMC can sit on a file, so do not test too early. Follow the current NMC checklist. [5][13]
First Aid and CPR. A standard adult course from a provider NMC accepts. $40 to $120 is common. Keep the card.
Then the small stuff: photos, notary, mileage to a TWIC station or a Regional Exam Center. Memphis is the REC a lot of Arkansas applicants actually use. That drive is real money if you fail Rules of the Road and have to go back.
Optional school runs $400 to well over $1,500. Buy a focused Rules class before you buy a hotel week on the coast. If you want the government forms and a paper sequence in one pile, OUPVPath sells a $149 one-time USCG OUPV + Bareboat Kit at /start. You do not need it. The official CG-719 series is free from the Coast Guard.
| Cost piece | Who prices it | What people actually pay |
|---|---|---|
| USCG evaluation | 46 CFR 10.219 | $100, confirm NMC table |
| USCG examination | 46 CFR 10.219 | $110, confirm NMC table |
| USCG issuance | 46 CFR 10.219 | $45, confirm NMC table |
| TWIC | TSA | Recently listed at $125.25, confirm |
| CG-719K physical | Clinic | Often $80 to $250 |
| DOT drug test | Clinic / lab | Often $40 to $100 |
| First Aid / CPR | Provider | Often $40 to $120 |
| Optional OUPV course | School | Often $400 to $1,500+ |
How long does six-pack captain take in Arkansas?
The clock is almost entirely sea time. 46 CFR 11.467 requires 360 days of service for the standard OUPV endorsement on Great Lakes and inland waters. [1] If you already have the days, the remaining work is medical, TWIC, exam, and NMC review.
NMC processing time is not a promise. The National Maritime Center posts current processing times. Read that board the week you apply. Do not let a school sell you a guaranteed mail date. [8]
TWIC appointments in Arkansas can be this week or three weeks out, depending on the enrollment center. The card then has to produce and ship.
A clean file with complete sea-service letters still waits in the NMC queue. A dirty file waits longer. There is no honest statewide median for Arkansas applicants. The closest official number is whatever NMC shows for original officer endorsements on the processing-times page that week. [8]
Starting from zero days? Talk in years, not weekends. On boats under 100 GRT, a day can be 4 hours. That helps. It does not turn six Saturdays into a license. [11]
How much sea time do you need for an Arkansas six-pack?
360 days for the ordinary inland or Great Lakes and inland OUPV. Near-coastal needs those days arranged to include ocean or near-coastal time, which most Arkansas lake work will not give you. [1]
46 CFR 10.107 is the definition people argue about. The rule says, in part, "On vessels of less than 100 GRT, a day is considered as 4 hours" for meeting service requirements. [11] That is why a half-day guide trip on a 24-foot boat can count as a day if you document it honestly.
You still need acceptable proof. Letters from owners, CG-719S small-vessel sea service forms, discharges if you have them. "I fished a lot" is not evidence. NMC will ask who can swear you were there. [14]
Recency rules sit in the application checklist. Read the current OUPV checklist and follow it. Do not trust a recency number from a forum that the board may have restated. [5]
Route-limited endorsements tied to a specific body of water exist. Some applicants with thinner time ask the REC about a limited OUPV. That is a conversation with the Coast Guard, not a product you add to a cart.
Count days on the boat you actually ran. A houseboat cocktail cruise where you sat on the bow does not make you the operator.
Is a paid OUPV course worth it in Arkansas?
Sometimes. Not as a default.
If you already run tows, Corps lakes, or commercial fish boats and you can read a Nav Rules book without falling asleep, sit the exam. Pay for a used copy of the Inland Rules and a plotter. That is enough for a lot of inland applicants.
If lights, sound signals, and inland versus international mixing confuse you, buy a short exam-prep course. Rules of the Road is the module that sinks people. NMC posts exam information. Confirm current passing scores there. Do not take my memory as the cut score. [5][9]
Do not fly to a coastal captain camp to run Greers Ferry. You will study near-coastal material you will not use, and you still will not have near-coastal sea days.
Approved courses can offer in-house testing so you skip a REC trip. That convenience can be worth the tuition if Memphis is a pain and the school is actually Coast Guard approved. Ask for the approval code. If they hedge, walk.
Free NMC forms beat a $99 secret-application PDF every time.
What Arkansas state paper sits next to the federal card?
Boat registration with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission if the vessel is not federally documented. That is hull paper, not a captain license. Fees depend on length and type. Use the AGFC registration page for the current schedule. [15]
Run a business (even a sole-proprietor guide season) and you still have ordinary Arkansas questions: Secretary of State filing if you form an entity, DFA tax accounts, maybe a local privilege business license. None of that replaces the MMC.
Insurance will ask for the MMC before they write a six-pack policy. Get quotes before you paint a website. Inland six-pack liability is not priced like a bass-boat rec policy. Nobody publishes a clean Arkansas mean premium. Ask two marine markets and believe the higher one until you see a binder.
Advertising "USCG licensed" while your application sits in medical review is a bad look. Wait until the credential is in your hand.
AGFC regulations still apply to how you boat on state-managed waters. A federal license does not let you skip a no-wake zone. [10]
Inland or near coastal: which six-pack fits Arkansas water?
Inland. That is the endorsement that matches the Arkansas River and the highland lakes.
Near-coastal OUPV is for domestic near-coastal waters, with extra ocean or near-coastal service baked into 46 CFR 11.467. [1] Lake Ouachita is not near-coastal. Neither is Dardanelle.
Want Gulf work later? You come back for the extra days and a new route. Do not pay for that exam set now unless the days are already real.
Great Lakes and inland is the usual wording on the card for people who will never see salt water. Fine for Arkansas.
Some captains chase a 100-ton Master later. Different sea-time math, different exam, different fee table. Ignore it until the six-pack is paying for sandwiches.
What happens if you carry paying guests without the license?
You can be cited for operating without the required credential. The vessel can be a problem under 46 U.S.C. 8903. [4] Insurance can deny the claim. A bad day on the water with paying strangers and no MMC is how people lose a boat and a winter.
"I only charged for gas" still looks like consideration. "They are friends" gets awkward when Venmo says charter. I am not your lawyer. Read the statute and ask a marine attorney if your product is cute.
State game wardens and boarding officers can ask. So can a Corps ranger on a federal lake. Carry the MMC the way you carry the registration.
Six passengers. Not seven. The kid on the cooler counts. [3]
What should you budget in year one after the card arrives?
The license was the cheap year if insurance and the boat were not already in the plan.
Year-one cash that actually moves: marine liability, hull if you finance, fuel, a reserve for a thrown lower unit, and whatever Arkansas wants for the business. Keep a separate account and do not run charters through a personal debit card.
Marketing spend is where new six-pack operators light money on fire. A clean phone number and honest photos beat a $4,000 brand film. You need reviews from real trips, which you cannot buy on day one.
Renewals exist. The MMC and medical certificate have their own validity periods. TWIC is typically five years. Put the dates in a calendar the week the cards arrive. Confirm current validity rules on the NMC and TSA pages, because those clocks are not folklore. [6][7][12]
Want another state's cost stack after this one? Six-pack captain cost in California and six-pack captain cost in Colorado show the same federal spine with different local add-ons.
How does Arkansas six-pack cost compare with other states?
The federal line items do not change at the state line. Evaluation, examination, issuance, TWIC, and the CG-719K are national. [2][6]
What changes is how you earn 360 days, how far you drive to a REC or TWIC site, and what insurance costs on that water. Arkansas is cheaper than a coastal hotel school week and slower than a place where you can log days as a paid deckhand year-round.
Connecticut and Delaware applicants pay the same NMC table. See six-pack captain cost in Connecticut and six-pack captain cost in Delaware if you like reading fee stacks. The difference is salt water and commuter ferries, not the $100 evaluation line.
Budget Arkansas on sea time and insurance, not on the hope that Little Rock hides a cheaper captain license. It does not.
OUPVPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. The kit lives at /start if you want it. The government path still runs through NMC either way.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for six-pack captain in Arkansas?
Yes if you carry a passenger for hire. Arkansas does not issue a six-pack credential. You apply to the U.S. Coast Guard for a Merchant Mariner Credential with an OUPV endorsement. The AGFC boater education card is recreational only. 46 U.S.C. 8903 requires a licensed operator on an uninspected passenger vessel. Confirm your water and your product with the statute.
How much does six-pack captain cost in Arkansas?
There is no Arkansas price list. 46 CFR 10.219 lists $100 evaluation, $110 examination, and $45 issuance for an original officer credential. Add a TWIC, a CG-719K physical, a drug test, and First Aid/CPR. Without a school, many people spend about $400 to $900 cash. With a school and travel, $1,000 to $2,500 is common. Confirm live NMC and TSA fees.
How long does six-pack captain take in Arkansas?
Sea time dominates. 46 CFR 11.467 requires 360 days of service for a standard inland OUPV. After the days are real, you still need TWIC, a physical, the exam, and NMC review. Processing is whatever the National Maritime Center posts that week. Nobody should sell you a guaranteed mail date. Confirm current times on the NMC processing page.
Does Arkansas issue its own six-pack captain license?
No. Six-pack authority is a federal OUPV endorsement on a Merchant Mariner Credential. AGFC handles boat registration and recreational boater education. Those programs do not let you carry passengers for hire. If a school implies you buy an Arkansas captain card at a county office, walk away and read the Coast Guard checklist instead.
Can I run a six-pack on Lake Ouachita with only the AGFC boater card?
No. The AGFC card is a recreational education credential, required for many operators born on or after January 1, 1986. It is not an OUPV. Lake Ouachita still sits in the world where a paying guest makes the trip passenger-for-hire work. Get the federal MMC before you take money to run the boat.
How much is a TWIC card for a six-pack application?
TSA sets the TWIC fee and publishes it on the TWIC program page. Recent new-card schedules have listed $125.25. That number can move, so confirm before you book. You enroll through a TSA universal enrollment site, not through AGFC. NMC will not issue the MMC without the TWIC status it currently requires.
Do I need a near-coastal OUPV to run the Arkansas River?
No. The Arkansas River and the highland lakes are inland waters for this credential. 46 CFR 11.467 treats near-coastal as a different route with ocean or near-coastal service mixed into the 360 days. Do not pay for a near-coastal exam set unless those saltwater days are already real and you have a Gulf plan.
What form is the USCG physical?
CG-719K, reviewed through the National Maritime Center medical program. Any physician can fill it out, but a clinic that has never seen the form often leaves boxes blank and you wait months for a bounce. Budget roughly $80 to $250. Follow the current NMC medical instructions, not a forum post about what used to work.
Can I count jon-boat guide days toward the 360?
Yes if you were actually operating and you can prove it. On vessels under 100 GRT, 46 CFR 10.107 counts 4 hours as one day. Use CG-719S or owner letters that name the boat, dates, hours, and your job. Fishing a lot with no witness is not a sea-service package. NMC can ask the owner.
Is the OUPV exam given in Arkansas?
Not as a standing Arkansas state exam. You sit at a U.S. Coast Guard Regional Exam Center or at a Coast Guard approved course allowed to test. Many Arkansas applicants use the Memphis REC. An approved school with in-house testing can save the drive if the approval code is real. Ask to see it.
Do I need a drug test for a six-pack in Arkansas?
Yes. Original officer applications need a chemical test that meets Coast Guard rules in 46 CFR part 16, reported on the current CG form. Use a proper collection site, not a cheap clinic panel that is not DOT. Time the test to the NMC checklist window so it is not stale when the file is reviewed.
How many passengers can I carry on a six-pack in Arkansas?
Not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger for hire, on an uninspected vessel under 100 gross tons. That limit comes from 46 U.S.C. 2101, not from an Arkansas brochure. The child on the cooler counts. Seven paying seats is a different vessel regime, not a friendly exception.
What is an OUPV Limited and does it cost less?
A route-limited OUPV ties you to specific waters and can fit when your sea time is local and thin. Federal user fees still follow 46 CFR 10.219. You do not get a discount state sticker. Ask the REC whether your lake and your letters support a limited endorsement before you market yourself as open-water unlimited.
Do I need vessel documentation or just AGFC registration?
Most small six-pack boats in Arkansas run on AGFC registration unless the owner chose federal documentation. That is vessel paper. It is not the captain license. Documented or registered, you still need the MMC to take passengers for hire. Check the current AGFC registration fee schedule for the hull, then keep the MMC in your kit.
Sources
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.467 OUPV endorsement requirements: Standard OUPV endorsements require 360 days of service, with inland and near-coastal routes defined separately.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.219 merchant mariner user fees: Original officer credential user fees are listed as $100 evaluation, $110 examination, and $45 issuance.
- U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel, 46 U.S.C. 2101: An uninspected passenger vessel under 100 gross tons carries not more than 6 passengers, including at least one passenger for hire.
- U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel, 46 U.S.C. 8903: An uninspected passenger vessel must be operated by an individual licensed by the Secretary under prescribed regulations.
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center credential checklists: NMC publishes the current OUPV application checklist, including supporting forms and recency items.
- Transportation Security Administration TWIC program page: TSA publishes the current TWIC enrollment fee and program rules for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential.
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center fees: NMC posts the live merchant mariner user-fee table that implements 46 CFR 10.219.
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center processing times: NMC publishes current credential processing times, which vary and are not a guaranteed mail date.
- eCFR 46 CFR 11.201 general officer endorsement requirements: Original officer endorsements require the general Part 11 items, including examination and first aid/CPR training.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.107 definitions, day of service: On vessels of less than 100 GRT, a day of service is considered as 4 hours.
- U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center medical certificate: Mariner medical certification uses form CG-719K and is reviewed through the NMC medical program.
- eCFR 46 CFR Part 16 chemical testing: Coast Guard merchant mariner chemical testing rules sit in 46 CFR part 16.
- eCFR 46 CFR 10.232 sea service: Sea service toward an MMC must be documented in the form the Coast Guard accepts.