The short answer
An OUPV endorsement, better known as a "six-pack" license, lets you carry up to six paying passengers on an uninspected vessel of less than 100 GRT. You need at least 360 days of experience operating vessels, a medical certificate, drug-test compliance, First Aid and CPR, and a passed exam or Coast Guard-approved course 46 CFR 11.467. For most people, that time comes from their own recreational boating.
Who it's for, and who should choose Master instead
OUPV fits fishing and sightseeing charters, water taxis on small boats, and anyone starting a small charter business. It's also the usual first step for recreational boaters who want to get paid on the water.
Consider Master 25/50/100 instead if you'll ever carry more than six passengers on an inspected vessel, want to work for a company running larger boats, or plan to move up toward bigger tonnage. Master needs more time for Near Coastal and is a year older on age, but it opens far more work. See Master 100 Ton.
Sea time by route
| Route | Service required |
|---|---|
| Inland | 360 days in the operation of vessels |
| Great Lakes & Inland | 360 days, including 90 days operating on the Great Lakes |
| Near Coastal | 360 days, including 90 days on ocean, near-coastal or Great Lakes waters. Limited to 100 miles offshore. |
Recent sea service: understand the current policy
You must meet the total sea-service requirement and have at least 90 days of qualifying recent service. The regulation has historically described recent service as the past three years 46 CFR 11.201. However, CG-MMC Policy Letter 02-25, issued September 12, 2025, sets a seven-year recency period for applicable national officer-endorsement transactions, including initial and raise-of-grade applications covered by the policy.
For an OUPV applicant, that means the 90 recent days may generally fall within the seven years before you apply, provided you meet the policy's terms and every other OUPV requirement. It does not lower the total sea time required. Older NMC checklists, study guides and summaries may still show three years. Policy letters can change or be superseded, so verify the current policy with the National Maritime Center before you apply.
What counts as a day. On smaller vessels, a creditable day can be as little as 4 hours underway 46 CFR 10.107. Time on your own boat counts, but you'll need proof of ownership. See Documenting Sea Time.
Step by step
Check the medical and drug-test questions first
Before you pay for a course, make sure you can get a medical certificate and pass a DOT drug test. See Before You Spend Money.
Pick your route
Inland is the quickest. Near Coastal and Great Lakes need 90 days on those waters.
Document every vessel on its own form
Use the Small Vessel Sea Service Form (CG-719S), one form per vessel. List only days that meet the standard.
Get First Aid and CPR
For an original credential, First Aid must be completed within one year of applying, and CPR must be current.
Take the exam or an approved course
Most candidates take a Coast Guard-approved OUPV course in lieu of the NMC exam. Confirm the course is currently approved before you enroll.
Apply
Apply through Navita with your sea-service forms, course certificate, drug-test proof, First Aid and CPR, and fees. See TWIC & First MMC for the application package.
Other requirements
Citizenship. Non-citizens can hold an OUPV endorsement, but it's limited to undocumented vessels.
Do six-pack operators need a TWIC?
An OUPV endorsement does not, by itself, decide whether you must hold a current TWIC. Under Coast Guard Policy Letter 11-15, mariners may qualify for an MMC TWIC exemption when they operate only aboard vessels that are not required to have a Coast Guard-approved security plan. That can apply to many six-pack charter operators, but it depends on the vessel and your actual service or employment. To claim it, submit the required TWIC exemption statement with your application or renewal. It isn't automatic.
A TWIC may still be needed if you:
- Work aboard a vessel that has a Coast Guard-approved security plan
- Take a job or assignment that requires a TWIC
- Need unescorted access to a regulated maritime facility or port area
An exemption from holding a current TWIC isn't necessarily an exemption from Coast Guard screening or the safety and suitability review. If you've never enrolled in TWIC, follow the current NMC TWIC instructions before assuming no TSA enrollment, identity verification or fingerprinting is required.
Limited OUPV. A limited endorsement exists for operators at camps, yacht clubs, marinas and similar organizations, with only 3 months of service on the type of vessel plus an approved boating course. It's restricted to that organization's waters and activities.
Traps that slow down OUPV applications
- Several boats on one CG-719S. One vessel per form, every time.
- Rounding up casual trips. An hour out to the sandbar isn't a creditable day. Padding invites a closer look at everything else.
- Missing ownership proof for time on your own boat.
- An old First Aid card. For an original, it must be within one year.
- Getting OUPV when you'll need Master. If your plans include more than six passengers, check whether Master is the better first credential.
Who may not need it?
- Recreational boaters who never carry passengers for hire. Running your own boat with friends and family who don't pay doesn't require an OUPV. If anyone contributes money or anything of value for the trip, the rules can change, so check before you accept it.
- Deckhands and crew who don't operate the vessel.
- Anyone who will carry more than six passengers or work on inspected vessels. You need Master instead. Master 100 Ton →
The course
Most OUPV candidates take a Coast Guard-approved course whose final exam is accepted in place of the Coast Guard examination. 46 CFR 10.403 Typical topics are the Rules of the Road, chart plotting and navigation, and deck general and safety. Some schools combine OUPV with a Master upgrade module.
- The course covers the exam only. It doesn't replace your sea time, medical certificate, drug test, First Aid or CPR.
- Check that the specific course is approved for OUPV on the route you want. How to check a course →
What happens after the course?
- Keep the course completion certificate. Check the NMC checklist for how recent it must be when you apply.
- Submit your full application to the National Maritime Center (NMC). Passing the course doesn't give you the license. You hold it only when the OUPV endorsement is on your MMC.
- Renew every five years. Your MMC and its endorsements are valid for five years. To renew an officer endorsement like this one, you'll show one of: at least 1 year of sea service in the last 5 years; a passed open-book renewal exercise; an approved refresher course; or qualifying closely related work or instructing. 46 CFR 10.227 Renewal & Continuity →
Start logging your days now, one vessel per form, before you sign up for anything. The course is the easy part. Proving your sea time is where most applications stall. And if there's any chance you'll want to carry more than six people, look hard at Master before you pay for OUPV.
Your OUPV credential is only one part of operating
| Activity | What it covers | Common misunderstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Getting an OUPV endorsement | NMC sea service, exam or training, medical, application and other credential requirements | "I passed the course, so I'm ready to run a charter." |
| Keeping the MMC valid | Renewal, and staying eligible under medical, disclosure and suitability rules | "It doesn't expire for years, so there's nothing to watch." |
| Operating a charter business | Vessel, passenger, insurance, tax, state and local, safety equipment, operational and drug-testing requirements | "The Coast Guard credential alone authorizes the business." |
Passing an approved course or exam and receiving an OUPV endorsement doesn't, by itself, mean a passenger charter is ready to operate legally. The credential qualifies you as a mariner; the vessel, route, business, crew, safety equipment, drug-testing program, insurance and local rules can each bring separate obligations.
Running your own six-pack charter: random drug testing
Federal drug-testing rules cover crewmembers on uninspected vessels, including self-employed individuals. If you own the boat and are its only captain, don't assume ownership or self-employment exempts you. Under 46 CFR 16.230, covered personnel must take part in a compliant random chemical-testing program. Most independent operators meet this by joining a Coast Guard/DOT-compliant drug-testing consortium, which handles random selection, collection, recordkeeping and paperwork. A consortium is the common method, not necessarily the only one; what's required is a compliant program.
Don't confuse an application drug test with a random-testing program
The drug test you submit with your MMC application and your ongoing random-testing obligations are related but separate. The application test does not cover you once the credential is issued.
Related guides
- Documenting sea time: what counts and how to prove it
- Master 100 Ton: when Master fits your operation better
- TWIC and your first MMC application
- The CG-719K medical certificate
- Drug testing, alcohol and DUI
- About Captain Mike
Your record requires an individual review
A past DUI, criminal conviction, drug-related matter, prior test result, prescription medication, or driving-record issue does not automatically mean you cannot become a mariner. It may, however, affect timing, documentation, safety-and-suitability review, credential issuance, renewal, or employment.
Mariners Online cannot determine your eligibility. Read the current Coast Guard application carefully, answer every question truthfully, obtain official records, and consult current NMC guidance or qualified individualized advice before applying if your history is complicated. See Drugs, Alcohol, DUI & Your Coast Guard Credential.
Editorial and educational notice: Mariners Online explains general credential and operational-compliance concepts using current publicly available Coast Guard, National Maritime Center, and federal regulatory sources. It does not make individual MMC, medical, TWIC, drug-testing, legal, safety-and-suitability, employer, or charter-business determinations. Requirements and policies can change. Confirm current requirements through the official sources linked on this page before acting.
Official sources
- NMC checklist: National Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV)
- NMC checklist: National Limited and Restricted Master & OUPV
- 46 CFR 11.467: OUPV requirements
- 46 CFR 11.201: General officer requirements, including recent service
- NMC: TWIC requirements and exemptions
- 46 CFR 10.107: Definitions, including day of service
- CG-MMC Policy Letter 02-25: Recent sea service
- CG-543 Policy Letter 11-15: TWIC exemption
- NMC: TWIC exemption sample statement
- NMC: TWIC FAQ
- 46 CFR 16.230: Random testing requirements
- NMC guide: Crediting sea service and the small vessel form
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