(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) and all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) remain closed. Customer walk-in service at the RECs is suspended. Examinations and other REC appointments are canceled. To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures:
• Email submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Processing will resume once appropriations are restored.
• Additional information letters sent to mariners, training providers, designated examiners, and qualified assessors that expire on or after Oct. 1, 2025, will be extended from the date funding is restored for a period equal to the duration of the shutdown.
• Approval to test letters, drug test letters, and mariner training course certificates that expire on or after Oct. 1, 2025, will be extended from the date funding is restored for a period equal to the duration of the shutdown.
• Mariner examinations: Mariners who began but did not complete all modules of an examination prior to Oct. 1, 2025, may resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens. Testing should be completed within 60 days of reopening. Ninety-day retest periods are paused beginning on Oct. 1, 2025, and will restart upon reopening. Contact the NMC regarding waivers due to sea service.
For updates on NMC and REC operating status, monitor the NMC website. For questions, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system, by emailing IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The NMC understands the shutdown will affect industry customers and stakeholders, and it apologizes for any potential inconvenience.
– National Maritime Center
