First-Class Pilot
Route-Specific
A First-Class Pilot endorsement authorizes you to pilot vessels over one specific route — a named bay, river, or harbor approach. Unlike tonnage endorsements it is earned by demonstrating intimate local knowledge of a single route: recent round trips, a chart drawn from memory, and a route exam. A pilot adds a separate endorsement for each waterway they wish to pilot.
Controlling regulation: 46 CFR 11.701
Sea service
None
no minimum
Est. cost
$425–$800
training + docs + fees
Timeline
Course
course-based
Sea service requirement
No tonnage-based sea time. Instead you must complete a minimum number of round trips over the route sought within a recent period (commonly within the last 5 years, with a portion in the last 6 months), observing tides, currents, aids to navigation, and dangers. The number of trips scales with the length of the route.
Practical assessment: Draw the route from memory (chart sketch exam) showing courses, distances, depths, aids to navigation, and dangers, plus a USCG route examination. A separate endorsement is required for each route.
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
Written exam modules
No additional written exam — this endorsement upgrades on documented service and a practical assessment.
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 First-Class Pilot plan
Track your credentials, log sea service days, and see exactly how close you are — free.