What's the Timeframe for My USCG License After Submitting All of the Paperwork? October 2022 Update

We are seeing license applications speeding up over the summer. We saw mmseas.com customers applications submitted in August have an average of 5.9 weeks from REC to in our customers hands which is way better than the large slow down for applications submitted in the month of May with an average of 9.5 weeks.

These averages are with a perfect application that is flawless with everything in the order the USCG REC and National Maritime Center evaluators prefer. The fastest we had in the month of August was 5 weeks and the slowest was 7.

MM-SEAS recommends planning for 90 days to get your new USCG license and then be pleasantly surprised when it comes faster!

There is absolutely no way to speed up the process other than ensuring your application is perfect.

First USCG License

If this is your first USCG License we recommend following the USCG National Maritime Center Guidance and not planning on getting your MMC until 90 days after you submit your application. If you submit a perfect application with MM-SEAS, it will probably be closer to 5 - 8 weeks instead of the 13 weeks with the USCG Guidance but as a mariner you should get ready to plan for the worst and be pleasantly surprised sometimes.

Renewing your USCG License

We always recommend applying for your renewal 8 months before it expires to get it out of the way. Your new MMC becomes valid the day your old one expires.

You need a valid USCG license to work so make sure it is always valid. You are allowed to start the renewal process WAY in advance so make sure you do!

What about Expedited Shipping?

We believe this is a waste of your time and money. We have found that the USPS has been really fast at delivering MMCs and Medical Certificates. You can do this on your own but the mmseas.com team never wants to be part of wasting any of your time or money.

Do you think the process will get faster?

Yes, we have watched it this year but we are not expecting this 5-8 week time frame to go down any time soon. We have been told that the USCG National Maritime Center has implemented some new procedures which has helped to keep this pace but we're expecting applications to increase as people are shifting back to inside activities which could overload USCG National Maritime Center.

We are still seeing average times for Regional Exam Center reviews and Background Checks staying consistent. We've also seen the average wait time to get your USCG license package to a Professional Evaluators desk go down which is speeding the process up.

How do I get my application through the fastest?

The best way to get your new USCG License in you hand the fastest is to have a perfect application that is flawless and putting everything in the order the REC and NMC prefers.

This is exactly what MM-SEAS does! MM-SEAS software looks for all of the common errors such as missing both signatures and providing proper proof of ownership on the CG-719S and making sure you provide verification of identity for you original application.

We then pay your federal fees for you (second most common mistake we see), a USCG licensing specialist double checks everything on your application and then we create a perfect USCG MMC application in the order the REC and NMC prefers to make their lives easier as well.

After submission, we are also constantly keeping tabs on your application as it goes through the process and reach out to the USCG on your behalf to find out why the application is being slower than our other ones in the system.

The end result is the most stress free USCG licensing experience you will ever have.  

Should I use MM-SEAS?

That is totally up to you! If you think everything is GTG and you don't need us then we encourage you to submit it to the REC and not use us.

If you want to make sure your application is perfect and want us to have your back through the process then we are a perfect fit!

We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!

MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Pro inside of the site.

No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application, you can choose to have the MM-SEAS staff create a perfect application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $349 or you can choose to submit on your own.

Pro MM-SEAS members get access to unlimited live 1 on 1 calls with one of our USCG Licensing Specialists. We've found that answering questions live with screen sharing in a video call makes both of our lives easier. Pro MM-SEAS members can access these features inside of MM-SEAS under License Guidance.