AB Unlimited
Able Seaman
Able Seaman Unlimited is the top deck rating — qualified on any vessel, any ocean, any tonnage. Required for most deep-sea deckhand jobs and a prerequisite for the unlimited officer track. Includes the full RFPNW watch assessment.
Controlling regulation: 46 CFR 12.403
Sea service
1,080
days required
Est. cost
$925–$2,100
training + docs + fees
Timeline
~4.3 yr
at full-time pace
Sea service requirement
1080 days (3 years) of deck service on ocean or Great Lakes vessels.
Practical assessment: RFPNW onboard assessments.
Each day must be documented with a sea service letter showing vessel name, USCG Official Number, gross tonnage, route, position, dates, and total days served.
Track your sea service days free →STCW training required
Basic Safety Training
Personal survival, fire prevention, first aid, personal safety. Required for any mariner on an ocean or near coastal vessel.
Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch
Practical assessments for steering, lookout, and bridge watch duties. Earned through documented onboard assessments rather than a classroom course.
Written exam modules
Taken at a USCG Regional Exam Center. Practice each module free below.
Able Seaman Exam
Single open-book-style exam: deck seamanship, marlinespike, safety, and basic Rules of the Road. 90% on the Rules section.
Application documents
TWIC Card
$125.25 · 5-year validity · TSA application + biometrics
Physical (CG-719K)
~$100–300 · Valid 12 months from exam date · Any licensed physician
Drug Test (CG-719P)
~$60–80 · Must be within 185 days of NMC receipt · SAMHSA-certified lab
Cost breakdown
Estimates only. Excludes optional exam-prep courses, travel, and lodging. Verify current NMC fees before applying.
How to apply at the NMC
The application path is the same for every credential — only the documents and exams above change.
- 1
Complete the application form (CG-719B)
Fill out the Application for Merchant Mariner Credential (CG-719B). Small-vessel operators may document time on the Small Vessel Sea Service Form (CG-719S). List every endorsement you are applying for.
- 2
Assemble your supporting documents
Gather your TWIC, CG-719K medical certificate (within 12 months), CG-719P drug test (within 185 days), sea service letters, course completion certificates, and a copy of any current MMC. Missing or stale documents are the #1 cause of delays.
- 3
Submit to the National Maritime Center
Send the package to the NMC by email, mail, or fax, or hand it to a Regional Exam Center. Pay the applicable evaluation, examination, and issuance user fees (46 CFR 10.219) via Pay.gov.
- 4
NMC evaluation
An evaluator reviews your file against 46 CFR. If anything is missing you receive an Awaiting Information (AI) letter; once complete you get an Approval to Test (ATT) letter, valid 12 months, listing the exam modules you must pass.
- 5
Take any required exams at a REC
Schedule your modules at a Regional Exam Center within the ATT window. Each module is graded separately — passes are banked, and you retest only the modules you miss.
- 6
Issuance
Once evaluation, exams, and the safety/security (TWIC) check are all cleared, the NMC prints and mails your MMC. A credential is valid for five years.
Forms and fees are set by the U.S. Coast Guard. Confirm the current CG-719 forms and NMC user fees at the National Maritime Center before submitting.
Build your AB Unlimited plan
Track your credentials, log sea service days, and see exactly how close you are — free.