REGULATORY UPDATES

Update, 29 SEP 2026: On September 25, 2026, the Coast Guard published Policy Letter 01-26 "AMENDMENTS TO STCW BASIC TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONAL SAFETY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES". It requires a separate, Coast Guard-approved Prevention of Violence and Harassment course. This article originally said our PSSR course (MARTPT-359) already includes this training. That statement is now out of date. Our PSSR course introduces the topic but does not replace the separate course. If you completed PSSR or BT Refresher, you still meet today's requirement. You will need the new course for an original BT endorsement starting October 1, 2029, or at your first renewal (either BT Refresher OR BT Revalidation) after September 30, 2029.  IMO Issues New Training Requirement on Violence and Harassment...

In response to the overwhelming burden placed on the US mariner by COVID-19 and the myriad of travel and other restrictions currently in place, the USCG has implementing TEMPORARY guidelines, relaxing some of the requirements for revalidation training for mariners with Merchant Mariner Credentials expiring between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.   For applications for renewal of MMCs expiring from March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, that are received by the Coast Guard before July 1, 2021, the Coast Guard will accept one year (360 days) of relevant service within the past five years as meeting the requirements for continued competence for all of the components of PSC, FRB, PSC-Ltd, BT, and AFF. All 16721 CG-MMC Policy Letter No. 03-20 3 mariners currently holding endorsements as PSC, PSC-Ltd,...

Update Note: Expiration dates of mariner credentials and approvals have been updated to reflect an extension to December 31, 2020. Extension of Merchant Mariner Credential Endorsements and Medical Certificates The Coast Guard has published MSIB 08-20 (Change 2) to update guidance...

COVID 19 – Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC®) Operations The uninterrupted flow of commerce on our Marine Transportation System (MTS) is critical to both National Security and National economic well-being. During this National emergency for COVID-19 it is paramount that...

The Coast Guard has published MSIB 08-20 to provide guidance concerning mariner credentials and medical certificates and the action being taken by the Coast Guard due to the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes (COVID-19).

In June 2010, a Conference of Parties was held by the International Maritime Organization in Manila, Philippines. The result is what we now call the Manila Amendments to STCW. With these amendments, which went into force in 2012, came the requirement that STCW assessment of competencies must be signed...

MCA OOW Officer of the Watch 31 March 2015: ECDIS Deadline Several articles have been published since the Manila 2010 Amendments to STCW in relation to the requirement for ECDIS training for all deck officers (II/1, II/2, II/3) on vessels equipped with Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems....

The wait is "finally" over. The United States Coast Guard has published it's final ruling titled, "Implementation of the Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW) as Amended, and Changes to National Endorsements. ...

Due to recent communication we have received from seafarers, we (MCA) would like to clarify the following. Seafarers completing a Chief Mate (Y) <3000gt Unlimited with Officer of the Watch (Y) <3000gt Unlimited must complete both HELM Management and HELM Operational.   For those who completed...

Global Vessel Security Training Deadline approaching! The global deadline for all seafarers to have met the level of training appropriate to their duties onboard for security training is 1 January 2014. It has always been known that for a vessel to truly have security, everyone in the crew must be vigilant. Over a decade ago now, formal training requirements were put into place globally for Vessel/Ship Security Officer, Company Security Officers and Port/Facility Security Officers based on the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS) and in the United States we also had to meet the additional domestic regulations known as MTSA or the Maritime Transportation and Security Act. So what is new? Regulation VI/6 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and...