How To Start

Mariners – What Do I Do First?

Congratulations, You’ve made the decision to be a merchant mariner!  Now What do I do?

First of all you will need a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC). This is fairly easy to get, just go online to the website. On this site look for the TWIC “Pre-enrollment” button and follow it.

Here you will put in some basic personal information, you will create a password for your account, Write It Down so you don’t forget it. After the site accepts your password it will log you off so you can log in securely with your new password. Continue entering your personal  information. The site will give you the location of the three nearest “TWIC Enrollemnt offices” to your zip code.

Pick the one that is most convenient for your to visit and up pops a calandar with available appointments. Choose the time that is best for you and then the website creates an appointment confirmation form with a barcode for your appointment. Take the form with you to your appointment.

The TWIC offices are pretty good at getting you out in under fifteen minutes. They will take a digital picture  of you, take fingerprints and then they take your money. You wil need to bring about $132.50 with you or a credit card to cover the expense. The TWIC is good for five years.

In about two weeks they call you to let you know your TWIC Card is ready for your to come pick up. If for some reason they do NOT issue you a card after conducting a federal background check on you, they will notify you. You have the right and should appeal their decision. They do have specific disqualifiers listed deep on their website. Take a look at there site if you have any specific questions. Most of the answers are listed there.

Don’t Stop Now
You still need to get a Merchant Marine Credential (MMC) from the Coast Guard! Yup another Credential. Go to the Coast Guards excellant website. This website is the home of more information than most people will ever need. But it is all here, so be patient.

Look for the “New Mariner” button on the left… Then applications. You can fill the application out on-line or save it to your computer and print it at home.

Go ahead and copy the Application, the Physical Examination form and the instructions pages. If this is your first application be aware that you will need to submit  the completed application, completed and signed physical examination form and copies of identification to the Coast Guard Regional examination centers to apply for your MMC.

We recommend that you get help through  the application process. Most of the Coast Guard approved maritime training schools around the country have people that will help you for free… some may charge a fee to help you through this process. Most new mariners say it is worth every penny to get the help.

NOTE: You will have to take a drug screening urinalasys. A positive test can disqualify you from getting a MMC. A Criminal background may ALSO disqualify you.

Don’t let this warning stop you … submit the completed application, physical and any other documents the Coast Guard lists on their instruction page to the nearest Regional Examination Center (REC). The CG website has their locations. The REC then forwards all your documants to the National Maritime Center, who will be the office issueing your MMC in about four weeks, they will mail it to you.

While your waiting for you MMC, go to your local post office and get a Passport application. The postmaster will let you know where to submit it to.  In Virginia, I was able to take mine to the County Clerks office for processing. It was pretty easy.

Well, these are the three documents that you need to get started as a merchant marine. If you get busy on them from start to finish you can get all three in about six weeks total. I would do them all at the same time rather than one after the other, just to speed up the process.

Like I said, Get Help! Do each step of the process and you can be looking for work as  merchant marine very soon.