Final Rule: Electronic Submission of Mariner Course Completion Data and Changes to Endorsement Titles

The Coast Guard has published a Final Rule requiring Coast Guard approved training providers to electronically submit student course completion data to the Coast Guard within 5 business days of completion. Training providers have until January 17, 2027, to develop administrative procedures and establish a Homeport account to comply with this final rule. The National Maritime Center will use this information to validate mariner course completion information submitted as part of an application for Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC).  The Coast Guard expects these changes to improve the process for verifying information submitted as part of an MMC application.

Under current processes, a Homeport account is required to electronically submit course completion data to the Coast Guard. Information on registering for a Homeport account can be found here.   

Additionally, this final rule updates gendered titles for certain officer and rating endorsements in keeping with the Coast Guard policy of using gender-neutral language wherever possible.  Changes to the following endorsement titles are described in the table below:

Starting January 17, 2025, the Coast Guard will no longer issue endorsements using the current endorsement titles. MMC endorsement titles will be updated for all credentials printed on and after this date.

For approved maritime training providers these changes are not considered significant in accordance with 46CFR 10.403(a)(7). Training providers may begin making changes to their approved curricula and recording them in the required record of change for each course or program. When making these changes, training providers are cautioned to review the impact on all aspects of the curriculum including quizzes, student guides, practical assessments, and examinations.  If these changes result in a change to the Course Completion Certificate, training providers must submit a modification request with an updated sample to NMCCourses@uscg.mil to ensure continuity of the credential process. Course and program requests submitted to the National Maritime Center prior to the implementation date of this rule will be evaluated as submitted. Requests submitted on or after the implementation date of this rule will be evaluated using the updated gender-neutral titles. 

For more information, the Final Rule is available here or on the Federal Register at www.regulations.gov and searching under Docket Number USCG-2021-0097.

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