What You Need To Understand About Getting Your Captain License If you want to operate a boat professionally in the United States, the first steps must be to get a US Coast Guard captain license. This license is usually a legal requisite for carrying paid passengers, also referred to as "passengers for hire," on your boat. Whether your business is full time or seasonal, for fishing, transportation, sightseeing or any other boat chartering, you'll need to meet the Coast Guard's requirements to be licensed. Before you begin, you need to first consider which license you actually need. Similar to how the Department of Motor Vehicles has different classes of driving licenses for different forms of vehicles, the Coast Guard offers two major licenses pertaining to boat captains. The Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel, also called the OUPV license would be the first option. This license qualifies you for boats up to 100 feet that has the total capacity to carry up to six passengers and is commonly called a Charter boat Captain's License or a "6 pack." Such watercraft are called "uninspected" because they're less tightly regulated. The license that has more stringent requirements as compared to an OUPV will be the Master license however it allows you to captain larger vessel that has a higher capacity for passengers so therefore will need to pass the USCG standards for commercial ships. Both types of licenses are issued for particular routes, either the Great Lakes, Inland routes (any other lakes, in addition rivers, sounds, and any other inland waters), or Near Coastal routes, covering anywhere within 100 miles offshore of the US coastline. You'll be required to have at least 360 days of service on a boat to get a captains license, which includes 90 days on a particular route. You likewise need 90 days of service in the last three years on a boat of the appropriate size, based on which license you're applying for. This service doesn't necessarily have to be paid; if you own your own craft, you can count your time on it. For a sailing endorsement on your master license, you need experience on a sailing vessel too. There are several other requirements to apply for a license such as this besides the hours spent on the water. Applicants have to document a physical within the previous year plus a drug test within the last six months. First aid training in addition to a CPR certification is needed on top of that. The last and probably the most difficult part is the tests. Applicants must pass a battery of written exams to prove they have the knowledge essential to safely operate a vessel that holds passengers to qualify for a license. A wide array of subjects are covered with these tests all relevant to seamanship such as the rules and regulations to navigate a vessel, chart reading and handling a boat. At the Coast Guard Regional Exam Center or another authorized site, the examinations are administered and will take hours to complete. To pass the test, it is recommended that prospective applicants choose a license exam study course offered by private companies and accepted by the Coast Guard. The study curriculums give license exam qualifications and will provide checklists and information on completing the rest of the application. Once you have everything you need in order, you send the Coast Guard the
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