---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 C.F.R. § 12.201"
title: "46"
number: "12.201"
heading: "General requirements for national and STCW rating endorsements."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/46/12.201"
---

# §12.201. General requirements for national and STCW rating endorsements.

- (a) **General.**
  - (1) An MMC issued to a deck or engineer officer will be endorsed for all entry-level ratings and any other ratings for which they qualify under this part. An applicant for any STCW endorsement must hold the appropriate national endorsement, unless otherwise specified.
  - (2) The authorized holder of any valid rating endorsement may serve in any capacity in the staff department of a vessel, except in those capacities requiring a staff officer; except that whenever the service includes the handling of food, no person may be so employed unless their credential bears the Food Handler's endorsement indicated by the notation “(F.H.)”.
  - (3) When an applicant meets the requirements for certification set forth in this part, the Coast Guard will issue the appropriate endorsement.
- (b) **Physical and medical requirements.** The physical and medical requirements applicable to the endorsements in this subpart are found in [46 CFR part 10](/cfr/46/part10.md), subpart C.

## Notes

### Amendments

[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77975, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2021-0097, 89 FR 93099, Nov. 25, 2024; USCG-2021-0834, 89 FR 102336, Dec. 17, 2024]

### Authority

Authority: 31 U.S.C. 9701; 46 U.S.C. 2101, 2103, 2110, 7301, 7302, 7503, 7505, 7701, and 70105; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.4.

### Source

Source: USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77975, Dec. 24, 2013, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77975, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2021-0097, 89 FR 93099, Nov. 25, 2024; USCG-2021-0834, 89 FR 102336, Dec. 17, 2024]