(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Coast Guard remain without an appropriation providing full fiscal year 2026 funding, National Maritime Center (NMC) civilian staff have returned to work under alternative funding arrangements. As this funding stream is not a full appropriation and the duration of funding is uncertain, NMC staff have resumed normal operations with some exceptions. Applications for merchant mariner credentials (MMCs), medical certificates, and course approvals and related requests will be processed on a first-in/first-out basis. Requests for national security-related expedite requests will continue to be evaluated as they are received.
The Regional Examination Centers (RECs) remain closed to walk-in customers. Mariners that have examination appointments currently scheduled for future dates will be able to test so long as REC staff remain in an exempted status. Upon determination of continued funding availability, mariners with appointments canceled between Feb. 17 and April 18, 2026, will be contacted by the appropriate REC to reschedule those appointments.
To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures:
• The application submission portal (ASAP) for submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active.
• MMCs (national endorsements only) and medical certificates (national and pilot expiration dates only) that expire between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2026, remain valid until Aug. 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.
• International Convention Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, for MMCs and medical certificates:
– MMCs: Pursuant to Article VIII, dispensations may be granted for continued service for mariners operating on endorsements that expired on or after Jan. 1, 2026, provided a renewal application was submitted to the NMC and the employer applied to the Coast Guard for dispensation. STCW dispensations that are approved will expire up to Aug. 31, 2026. Once the STCW dispensation letter is issued, mariners shall carry the letter and a copy of this bulletin with the MMC. Requests for dispensation must be submitted via email with a subject line “STCW Dispensation” to STCWDispensations@uscg.mil and must include the following information: ship name, IMO number, ship tonnage, mariner name, mariner reference number, capacity per STCW regulations, credential issuance and expiration dates, company name, company point of contact, and valid mariner email address.
– Medical certificates: In accordance with STCW Regulation I/9, when the STCW expiration date of a medical certificate occurs during a voyage, the certificate remains valid for three months from the expiration date.
• Additional information letters, approval to test letters, mariner training course completion certificates, and drug test letters that expire between February and May 2026, are extended until Aug. 31, 2026. The NMC will not issue updated letters reflecting the extension.
• Qualified assessor and designated examiner certification letters and course approvals that expire between February and May 2026, are extended until Aug. 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 Feb. 13, 2026, may resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens. Testing should be completed within 60 days of reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
– 90-day retest periods are paused beginning on Feb. 13, 2026, 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 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
