(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) and all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) remain closed due to the federal government shutdown. Customer walk-in service at the RECs is suspended. Examinations and other REC appointments are canceled. To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures:
• Email submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Processing will resume once appropriations are restored.
• Merchant mariner credentials (MMCs, national endorsements only) and medical certificates (national and pilot expiration dates only) that expire in October and November 2025 remain valid until Jan. 31, 2026. Mariners who are actively working on expired credentials that meet the expiration criteria must carry the expired credential and a copy of the attached letter while sailing under the authority of those credentials. The NMC will not issue separate or replacement MMCs or medical certificates reflecting the extension.
• Additional information letters, approval to test letters, and mariner training course completion certificates that expire in October and November 2025 are extended until Jan. 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated letters reflecting the extension.
• Qualified assessor and designated examiner certification letters and course approvals that expired Oct. 31, 2025, remain extended to Feb. 28, 2026. Those that expire on Nov. 30, 2025, are extended until March 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated certificates/letters reflecting the extension.
• Mariner examinations: Mariners who began but did not complete all modules of an examination prior to Oct. 1, 2025, may resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens. Testing should be completed within 60 days of reopening. Ninety-day retest periods are paused beginning on Oct. 1, 2025, and will restart upon reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
• For questions regarding credentialing issues related to national defense, marine employers are advised to contact the NMC’s Customer Service Center.
For updates on NMC and REC operating status, monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact the Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, by emailing IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
– National Maritime Center
