Itemized 2026 cost breakdown
How much does a USCG captain’s license actually cost?
Most sites quote the course price and stop there. Here is every fee a six-pack or Master applicant pays — evaluation, exam, issuance, TWIC, medical and drug test — each one sourced to the Coast Guard fee schedule or the TSA, and dated.
A USCG captain’s license costs the course plus $269 in federal fees. A six-pack (OUPV) course is about $695 and a Master about $895; the Coast Guard charges $100 to evaluate your application and $45 to issue the credential, and the TSA charges $124 for the TWIC card you must hold. A medical exam and a drug test are required too, and neither carries a government fee — your clinic sets those.
What does a captain's license cost, line by line?
Every row is either a published federal fee or a published course price. Where no official figure exists — the medical exam and the drug test — we say so instead of quoting an average nobody can stand behind.
| Cost | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| OUPV / “Six-Pack” courseMariners Learning System’s published OUPV price, which “Includes online course and exam”. Other schools price differently — this is the one we link to. | $695 | Mariners Learning System |
| 25/50 or 100-Ton Master courseMariners’ published Master price, also including the course exam. Your 25, 50 or 100-ton rating comes from the sea time you document — it is not a more expensive course. | $895 | Mariners Learning System |
| USCG evaluation feePaid to the National Maritime Center when you submit the application. The figure is the “Lower level” original officer endorsement rate, which covers OUPV and Master up to 100 GRT. | $100 | 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 |
| USCG examination feeDue “before the first examination section is taken”. The Coast Guard’s approved-course list says finishing an approved course within a year of applying “satisfies the examination requirements” — so you don’t sit a Coast Guard exam — but the listing does not address this fee, and we have found no published waiver. Confirm with the National Maritime Center whether it applies to you. | $95 — confirm with the NMC whether it applies | 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 and (b)(2)(ii) |
| USCG issuance feePaid before the credential is issued. One issuance fee per credential, however many endorsements it carries. | $45 | 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 |
| TWIC card (TSA)Required to hold a Merchant Mariner Credential. TSA describes it as “a single fee valid for five years”. A $93.00 reduced rate applies to some applicants, online renewal is $116.00, and a replacement card is $60.00. | $124.00 — new applicant | TSA |
| Medical certificate exam (CG-719K)A physician completes the CG-719K. The Coast Guard fee schedule carries no line for it, so there is nothing to pay the government — the clinic sets the price, and no official source publishes a national figure. Ask your clinic for theirs. | No government fee — the clinic sets the price | 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 (no medical fee listed) |
| Drug test (CG-719P)A DOT-style five-panel test from a testing provider or consortium. Again absent from the Coast Guard fee schedule, and with no official national figure published, so we do not invent one. | No government fee — the testing provider sets the price | 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 (no drug-test fee listed) |
| Sea service documentation (CG-719S)The form itself costs nothing. The cost is your time assembling it, and the Coast Guard fee schedule carries no line for it — budget effort, not money. | No fee | 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 (no such fee listed) |
| Federal fees, before any exam fee | $269 | Evaluation + issuance + TWIC |
The course is the one cost you choose
The federal fees above are the same wherever you study. Mariners Learning System publishes $695 for the OUPV and $895 for the Master, each including the course exam.
10% off at Mariners with code
About $70 off the $695 OUPV course
BOATINGCLASSESEnter it at Mariners Learning System's checkout. We earn a commission when this code is used, at no extra cost to you — it never changes how we rank or review courses.
We may earn a commission if you enroll, at no cost to you. It never changes what we publish here — the fees above come from the Coast Guard and the TSA, not from a school.
How do you get a captain's license?
Two paths — OUPV and Master — converge on the same six steps. The course and exam are where the cost starts, so here's the full process before the price breakdown.
- OUPV path
- Master path
- Course & exam
- USCG license
- Admin steps
Build your itemized total
Pick your license level and toggle the add-ons that apply. The total updates as you go — and unlike most estimates, it includes the federal fees you can’t skip.
Your honest, itemized total
| OUPV / “Six-Pack” course tuition | $695 |
|---|---|
| USCG application fees | $145 |
| TWIC card (TSA) | $124 |
| Medical exam + drug test (est.) | ~$175 |
| Estimated all-in total | ~$1,139 |
Think of it as an investment, not a bill
A captain’s license is what lets you legally get paid to run charters, fishing trips, and boat deliveries. At a conservative $400 per for-hire day, the $1,139 all-in pays for itself in about 3 trips — often a single busy weekend.
$400/day is an illustrative rate you set yourself, not a guarantee of income or work.
Ready to start? Mariners Learning System publishes every price up front — no surprises at checkout.
10% off at Mariners with code
About $70 off the $695 OUPV course
BOATINGCLASSESEnter it at Mariners Learning System's checkout. We earn a commission when this code is used, at no extra cost to you — it never changes how we rank or review courses.
We may earn a commission if you enroll, at no cost to you.
Why the real cost is higher than the course price
The course tuition is only part of the picture. To actually hold the credential, the U.S. Coast Guard requires a few things almost every “cost” article forgets: a TWIC card from the TSA ($124), application fees paid to the National Maritime Center ($100 evaluation + $45 issuance), and a medical exam and drug test. We surface all of them up front because hidden fees erode trust — and transparent pricing is exactly what a school like Mariners Learning System is built on.
Last updated:
Sources: USCG evaluation, examination and issuance fees per 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 (read on govinfo.gov, because ecfr.gov refuses automated requests); TWIC fee per the TSA; course prices from Mariners Learning System. All re-verified September 22, 2026. This is an independent guide, not legal advice — confirm current fees with the agencies before you apply.
Captain’s license cost — FAQ
- How much does a captain’s license cost?
- Budget the course plus $269 in federal fees — a $100 Coast Guard evaluation fee, a $45 issuance fee and a $124 TWIC card. A six-pack course runs about $695 and a Master about $895. A medical exam and a drug test are also required, and your clinic sets those prices.
- How much does a USCG captain’s license cost in fees alone?
- $269 before any course tuition: $100 evaluation and $45 issuance to the National Maritime Center, both set by 46 CFR 10.219, plus $124 to the TSA for the TWIC card. A $95 examination fee applies on top if you sit a Coast Guard exam.
- How much does a 6-pack captain license cost?
- A six-pack licence is the OUPV, and it is the cheaper of the two courses — about $695 at the school we link to, including its exam. Add $269 of federal fees plus a clinic-priced medical exam and drug test. The paperwork is the same as a Master; the sea time you document is what differs.
- How much does a boat captain license cost compared with a Master?
- The course is the main difference — about $695 for the six-pack OUPV against $895 for the 25/50 or 100-Ton Master. Every federal fee is identical, so the Master costs roughly $200 more overall. Your tonnage rating comes from documented sea time, not from buying a pricier course.
- Do I have to pay the USCG’s $95 exam fee?
- Possibly — confirm with the National Maritime Center. 46 CFR 10.219 sets a $95 examination fee for a lower-level original endorsement, payable “before the first examination section is taken”. The Coast Guard’s approved-course list says finishing an approved course within a year of applying satisfies the examination requirement, so you don’t sit a Coast Guard exam — but the listing doesn’t address the fee and we found no published waiver, so check with the NMC before leaving it out of your budget.
- How much is a TWIC card?
- $124.00 for a new applicant, which the TSA describes as a single fee valid for five years. Some applicants qualify for a $93.00 reduced rate, online renewal is $116.00 and a replacement card is $60.00. A TWIC is required to hold a Merchant Mariner Credential, so it is unavoidable rather than an optional extra.
- What do the medical exam and drug test cost?
- There is no government fee for either. The Coast Guard fee schedule lists no line for the CG-719K medical certificate exam or the CG-719P drug test, so the price is whatever your clinic or testing provider charges. No official source publishes a national average, which is why this page does not quote one.
- Is a captain’s license worth the cost?
- For anyone earning from the water, yes. The licence is what legally lets you carry paying passengers or deliver boats for hire. At a typical for-hire day rate, the all-in cost often pays back within a handful of trips — it is an investment in earning, not just a fee.
Sources (4)
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of these. The date is when we last checked it against the source.
- 46 CFR 10.219, Table 1 — checked 2026-09-22
- Mariners Learning System — checked 2026-09-22
- TSA — checked 2026-09-22
- USCG National Maritime Center approved courses — checked 2026-09-23
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