Filing your paperwork with the US Coast Guard

In 2006 the government has ruled that all individuals applying for a CG license must do so in person at one of the 17 regional examination centers. The closest to us is in New York City. We had some trepidation about filing our paperwork because we'd heard that incomplete or incorrect filings are returned, after which you have to start over which can cause delays and additional expense. We were very diligent about filling our forms in properly, checking and double checking the information, and making sure our package was complete. It turned out to be a piece of cake.

I arrived in lower Manhattan with my papers in tow, but the taxi driver did not know where the building was as it does not have a street address. Luckily, I just got out on State Street right at Battery Park and asked a construction workman where the building might be. He directed me to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, a rather obvious green glass structure at the tip of Manhattan, but it turned out to be in the unassuming brick building right next door. US Department of Homeland Security, USCG Station New York!

USCG Activities New York at the tip of the Battery in Manhattan next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

I entered and was checked in by the guard at the reception desk. You must show your driver's license, your name is added to the list, and you wait your turn in the seating area. There were three ahead of me. The gentlemen next to me asked what I was there for. I told him to submit my paperwork for an OUPV license. His eyes widened into a shocked expression and he exclaimed, "Oh my, my, my!", just as his name was called. It only took about 5 minutes to be called in.

A young lady asked to see my documents. She input my information into a computer, then went through each of the documents, checking off the form as she progressed down the list. She checked each document to make sure it was complete and created a file for the reviewer. She made copies of my passport, driver's license, and social security card. She also made copies of my CPR, first aid, and OUPV course certificates. She went through the Sea Service forms and backup documents. She called another staff member over to administer my oath, and we both signed. Then she put it all together, asked how I would be paying, but told me to hang onto the check until my reviewer approved the submission. Back to the waiting room.

About 15 minutes later, I was called in for fingerprinting. The unit is digital so ink is no longer involved. The young lady scanned in my prints and uploaded them to a database. She provided a receipt for the check and introduced me to my reviewer, who told me my submission was approved! All that was left now was the background check. If there was nothing complicated in it, I would have my license delivered to me within 2 weeks; 4 weeks for more complex checks. A young man exclaimed that he had heard that the backlog was 6 months. The staff had a good chuckle about that and said no there was no backlog any more and things progress quickly as long as your record is clean.

I had filled out my application online so it would be neat. I had three letters of character reference, notarized. I had my social security card, passport, and driver's license. I had my physical report, filled out completely by my doctor and signed by me (apparently alot of people forget to sign it) and my drug testing certificate. I had my current CPR and First Aid cards. I had all the Sea Service forms for every boat I could document time on, signed by the owners of the vessels, and filled in completely with Gross Tonnage, propulsion (with horsepower - this is apparently important and something people forget to put in), registration/documentation numbers and contact information for the owners. I also had every extra bit of support documentation I could muster - birth and marriage certificates for name changes, ownership documentation for boats listed on Sea Service forms, and anything else I could think might be of benefit. I did not need any of the additional documentation.

I had the pleasure of witnessing just how wrong a submission can go. An older gentlemen came in with his application form partially filled out. He had no character letters, his CPR certificate was expired, his First Aid certificate was about to expire and considered too old, he had photocopies of his passport rather than the original, and he had several charters listed on a Sea Service form without any signatures or documentation. The reviewer was quite patient with him and explained step-by-step what he would need to do, and then wished him luck in putting it together.

Overall, it was not a bad experience at all. On the way back, I decided to take the subway uptown to where my car was parked. The subway station for the 4 and 5 trains is right there. But I noticed that across the street was the Smithsonian's American Indian Museum of New York and I decided to do a pleasant little detour. An hour later, I was back uptown and headed out of the city.

Alex had a slightly different experience three days later. He arrived at about 8 in the morning, having been stuck in traffic on the West side. There were three guys ahead of him. Two of whom were there only for fingerprinting and the oath. Alex was done at about 1:00 pm when he was told he'd been approved for the 50 ton Master's Near Coastal with sailing and towing endorsements, pending security clearance, of course. The other three guys took just as long. One other applicant who had come in while they were being processed had an incomplete submission - had forgotten his drug testing documents at home. His package was accepted but he would have to return with the remaining forms. Alex's conclusion was that having someone else deliver your paperwork in advance does little good if you still have to go in in person unless you have not been diligent in reviewing your submission to make sure it is perfect.

Daria's Experience	Alex's Experience
Hard to find building, parking, subway, etc Staff was highly efficient and courteous The entire process took about an hour (Monday afternoon). No additional backup documentation was required. It took less than two weeks from the time of submission to receipt of the license....but 3 days longer than Alex's	Easy to find parking, building, etc after having directions from someone who had been there The process took four hours although it was no more complicated or crowded on this day (Thursday morning) Additional backup documentation was required due to a name change It took just over a week to receive the license...it arrived 3 days sooner than Daria's despite having been submitted three days later

Important things to note about USCG Station New York:

• Look for the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at the base of the Battery. The USCG Station is the brick building right next door.
• Hours are 7:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday
• You must have your driver's license with you along with the other IDs specified.
• The subway stop for the 4 and 5 trains is half a block away at Bowling Green.
• There are two parking lots nearby if you drive. One is the other side of the ferry terminal and the other is around the block to the right past the Smithsonian's American Indian Museum where a guy stands all day waving a flag to get cars into the lot. Parking is expensive so be prepared. Street parking is very hard to find down here and there is much construction. Also note that there are cameras at critical intersections in Manhattan which can catch your car in the "box" of the intersection after the light has turned red. You will receive a ticket by mail if you are not outside that box when it changes as can happen in traffic.
• If you don't have everything you need, you will be turned away. Review the checklist available online to make sure you have everything. (You do not need passport photos, a camera setup form, or fingerprint cards for an OUPV or Master's license.)
• You can pay by check or credit card. They will tell you on site what your total is if you're not sure.
• Bring photocopies of all your paperwork and identification sources. It saves time because the staff does not have to make individual copies of each item as they check them. Also, don't staple things together; they will just have to spend time removing the staples because they insert everything into a binder that becomes your permanent record.
• Review the Top Ten Reasons why licenses are delayed.

Alert: Proposed Changes to the Licensing Procedures: Consolidation of Merchant Mariner Qualification Credentials (Docket number USCG-2006-24371 Federal Register Vol 71, Number 98, May 22, 2006)

There is a proposed change to how this whole system will work, with the potential for the requirement of a new document called the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This document would require appearing before the TSA for security clearance, which would then be shared with the USCG. The USCG is concurrently revamping their whole credentialing system into a single document called a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) which would combine the information currently on the Merchant Mariner Document, License, Certificate of Registry and STCW Endorsement. This has unleashed a furor of comment from the maritime industry including other government agencies. To learn more about it, follow the links below:

• http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/p85/398972.pdf has the full proposed rule (75 pages!)
• http://dms.dot.gov (click on "Simple Search", enter the docket number "24371", then click search to view public comments).