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If you want to take up to six paying passengers on an uninspected boat — fishing charters, dive trips, small tours — you need an OUPV (“Six-Pack”) license. If you'll carry more than six passengers or run an inspected vessel, you need a Master license. Both are issued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
What's the difference between an OUPV and a Master license?
Both credentials are Merchant Mariner Credentials issued by the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center (NMC), and both let you carry passengers for hire. The dividing line is how many passengers you can carry and whether the vessel is “inspected.”
OUPV — the “Six-Pack”
- Officially the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels credential.
- Lets you carry up to six paying passengers.
- Valid on uninspected vessels up to 100 gross tons.
- Issued with an Inland, Great Lakes, or Near Coastal (up to 100 miles offshore) route.
- The standard choice for fishing charters, dive boats, and small guided tours.
Master — 25, 50, or 100 Ton
- Required to carry more than six passengers or to operate an inspected (commercial) vessel.
- Issued with a tonnage rating — 25, 50, or 100 gross tons — based on your documented experience.
- Needed for larger tour boats, dinner cruises, launch tenders, and vessels that carry seven or more passengers.
- A common upgrade path: many captains earn an OUPV first, then move up to a Master license.
How much sea time do you need?
Sea-time rules depend on the credential and the route, and the NMC is the binding authority — verify your exact requirement there before you apply. As a general guide:
- OUPV: generally about 360 days of boating experience, with at least 90 of those days in the last three years. A Near Coastal route also requires a portion of that time offshore.
- Master 100 Ton: generally about 720 days of experience, with a larger share offshore for the Near Coastal route.
What else is required for a captain’s license?
Beyond sea time, both credentials share the same federal prerequisites:
- Be at least 18 years old for an OUPV (19 for a 100-Ton Master).
- Hold a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential).
- Pass a USCG-approved physical and a drug test.
- Hold current CPR and First Aid certification.
- Pass the exam — either through a USCG-approved course or directly at the NMC.
Which captain’s license should you get?
Choose the OUPV if you plan to run charters, fishing, or dive trips with six or fewer paying passengers — it is faster to earn and covers the most common for-hire work. Choose a Master if you will carry seven or more passengers, operate an inspected vessel, or want room to grow into larger boats. If you are unsure, many mariners start with the OUPV and upgrade to a Master once they log the additional sea time.
BoatingClasses.com is an independent directory, not a certifying body. Captain’s-license requirements are set by the U.S. Coast Guard and change over time — always confirm the current rules with the National Maritime Center before applying.