It could take as many as 21 days for mariners to receive their completed credentials through the mail from the National Maritime Center, and without being able to track them, credentials could be lost or returned.
In a March 20 announcement, the National Maritime Center reminded mariners of ways to lower the risk of lost credentials.
One is to check the mariner’s address for accuracy and legibility. If the address changes after submitting the application, call the Customer Service Center at 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662) as soon as possible.
Another is to look into expedited mailing options. E-mailing one’s application is preferable, but be mindful about size limits before sending. The Coast Guard can accommodate emails with attachments up to 35 MB in size.
If the credential is lost in the mail, a replacement can be issued for free to mariners.
Here are some ways to ensure a quick replacement:
- Use the Credential Application Status tool to make sure that NMC sent the credential by mail.
- If a mariner hasn’t received his/her credentials after 21 days, “provide a CG-719B application for a Merchant Mariner Credential and affidavit of loss to the NMC within 60 days of mailing of the original credential in person or via e-mail to your servicing Regional Examination Center.”
The affidavit needs to have the mariner’s full name, date of birth, reference number, the mailing address where the replacement credential should be sent, phone number and/or email for follow-up questions and details of the circumstances of the loss.
For more information, contact the NMC Customer Service Center at 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The NMC has also said that due to an increase in application volume and technical difficulties with its credential production equipment, mariner applicants will likely experience issuance delays.
For the most up-to-date status information, the Maritime Center is asking mariners to use an online tool at https://tinyurl.com/mrx8xhyn to check an application’s status.