---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 C.F.R. § 11.903"
title: "46"
number: "11.903"
heading: "Officer endorsements requiring examinations."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/46/11.903"
---

# §11.903. Officer endorsements requiring examinations.

- (a) **The following officer endorsements require examinations for issuance—**
  - (1) Chief Mate of ocean or near-coastal self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage (examined at the management level).
  - (2) Third Mate of ocean or near-coastal self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage (examined at the operational level).
  - (3) **Master of ocean or near-coastal self-propelled vessels of less than 1,600 GRT.**
  - (4) **Mate of ocean or near-coastal self-propelled vessels of less than 1,600 GRT.**
  - (5) **Master of near-coastal vessels less than 200 GRT.**
  - (6) **Mate of near-coastal vessels less than 200 GRT.**
  - (7) **Master of near-coastal vessels less than 100 GRT.**
  - (8) **Mate of near-coastal vessels less than 100 GRT.**
  - (9) **Master of Great Lakes and inland vessels of unlimited tonnage.**
  - (10) **Mate of Great Lakes and inland vessels of unlimited tonnage.**
  - (11) **Master of inland vessels of unlimited tonnage.**
  - (12) **Master of river vessels of unlimited tonnage.**
  - (13) **Master of Great Lakes and inland/river vessels less than 500 GRT or less than 1,600 GRT.**
  - (14) **Mate of Great Lakes and inland/river vessels less than 500 GRT or less than 1,600 GRT.**
  - (15) **Master of Great Lakes and inland/river vessels less than 200 GRT.**
  - (16) **Mate of Great Lakes and inland/river vessels less than 200 GRT.**
  - (17) **Master of Great Lakes and inland.**
  - (18) **First-Class Pilot.**
  - (19) **Apprentice Mate of Towing Vessels.**
  - (20) **Apprentice Mate of Towing Vessels-Limited.**
  - (21) **Offshore Installation Manager.**
  - (22) **Barge Supervisor.**
  - (23) **Ballast Control Operator (BCO).**
  - (24) **Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV).**
  - (25) **Master of Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels.**
  - (26) **Mate of Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels.**
  - (27) **Master-OSV.**
  - (28) **Chief Mate-OSV.**
  - (29) **Mate-OSV.**
  - (30) **First Assistant Engineer limited or unlimited propulsion power.**
  - (31) **Third Assistant Engineer limited or unlimited propulsion power.**
  - (32) **Chief Engineer-Limited steam/motor vessels.**
  - (33) **Assistant Engineer-Limited steam/motor vessels.**
  - (34) **Designated Duty Engineer steam/motor vessels.**
  - (35) **Chief Engineer Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels.**
  - (36) **Assistant Engineer Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels.**
  - (37) **Chief Engineer-MODU.**
  - (38) **Assistant Engineer-MODU.**
  - (39) **Chief Engineer-OSV.**
  - (40) **Assistant Engineer-OSV.**
- (b) In paragraphs [(a)(1) through (4)](#a-1..a-4), and [(a)(6)](#a-6), [(7)](#a-7), [(15)](#a-15), and [(16)](#a-16) of this section, examinations will vary depending on route desired.
- (c) **The following officer endorsements do not require examinations—**
  - (1) Master of oceans or near-coastal vessels of unlimited tonnage when upgrading from MMC officer endorsements, or an endorsement as Chief Mate of oceans or near-coastal vessels of unlimited tonnage, provided the applicant has already been examined at the management level.
  - (2) Master of oceans or near-coastal vessels of unlimited tonnage when adding an endorsement as Offshore Installation Manager (OIM).
  - (3) Master of oceans or near-coastal self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT, when upgrading from Mate of near-coastal self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT. Master of oceans self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT will, however, require an examination in celestial navigation.
  - (4) Second Mate of oceans or near-coastal vessels when upgrading from Third Mate of oceans or near-coastal vessels, provided the applicant has already been examined at the operational level.
  - (5) Master of Great Lakes and inland vessels, or river vessels of less than 200 GRT when upgrading from Mate of less than 200 GRT on the same route.
  - (6) **Chief Engineer-Unlimited, provided the applicant has already been examined at the management level.**
  - (7) Chief Engineer-Limited to service on steam, motor, or gas turbine-propelled vessels of less than 10,000 HP/7,500 kW on near-coastal routes, provided the applicant has already been examined at the management level.
  - (8) Chief Engineer-Limited to service on steam, motor, and/or gas turbine-propelled vessels of less than 4,000 HP/3,000 kW on near-coastal routes, provided the applicant has already been examined at the management level.
  - (9) Second Assistant Engineer when upgrading from Third Assistant Engineer, provided the applicant has already been examined at the operational level.

## Notes

### Amendments

[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77909, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58277, Sept. 29, 2014; USCG-2021-0097, 89 FR 93097, Nov. 25, 2024; USCG-2021-0834, 89 FR 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-2014-0688, 79 FR 58277, Sept. 29, 2014; USCG-2021-0097, 89 FR 93097, Nov. 25, 2024; USCG-2021-0834, 89 FR 102336, Dec. 17, 2024]