---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 C.F.R. § 11.805"
title: "46"
number: "11.805"
heading: "General requirements."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/46/11.805"
---

# §11.805. General requirements.

- (a) The applicant for an endorsement as staff officer is not required to take any examination; however, the applicant must provide to the Coast Guard a letter justifying the need for the endorsement.
- (b) An applicant for a higher grade in the staff department must apply in the same manner as for an original endorsement and must surrender the previous Coast Guard-issued credentials upon issuance of the new MMC. A staff officer may serve in a lower grade of service for which they are registered.
- (c) [Title 46](/cfr/46.md) U.S.C. 8302 addresses uniforms for staff officers who are members of the Naval Reserve.
- (d) A duplicate MMC may be issued by the Coast Guard. (See [§ 10.229](/cfr/46/10.229.md) of this subchapter.)
- (e) **An MMC is valid for a term of 5 years from the date of issuance.** Procedures for renewing endorsements are found in [§ 10.227](/cfr/46/10.227.md) of this subchapter.
- (f) Each applicant for an original or a higher grade of endorsement, as described in [paragraph (b)](#b) of this section, must produce evidence of having passed a chemical test for dangerous drugs or of qualifying for an exception from testing in [§ 16.220](/cfr/46/16.220.md) of this subchapter. An applicant who fails a chemical test for dangerous drugs will not be issued an MMC.

## Notes

### Amendments

[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77909, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2021-0834, 89 FR 102334, 102336, Dec. 17, 2024]

### Authority

Authority: 14 U.S.C. 503; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 46 U.S.C. 2101, 2103, and 2110; 46 U.S.C. chapter 71; 46 U.S.C. 7502, 7505, 7701, 8903, 8904, 8906, and 70105; E.O. 10173; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.4. Section 11.107 is also issued under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 3507.

### Source

Source: USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77909, Dec. 24, 2013, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77909, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2021-0834, 89 FR 102334, 102336, Dec. 17, 2024]