After reading this forum for several weeks and having just gotten my license renewed would like to share my observations.
Start the process early. CFR’s allow renewal 12 months before expiration date. If you have a medical condition better start 12 months before.
Drug test. Have this done on the proper form signed by MRO.
Fill out all forms completely and signed.
Two passport photos. I tried to do this on home computer and was unacceptable.
Submit all original class certificates for courses taken.
Turn in package to local REC. Don’t know too many mariners living in WV.
1-2 week wait for application to be received by WV.
MEB could take 6-8 weeks if you are over 50.
Check status on NMC website.
If you have a question- email. Believe it or not the people responding to my email were very courteous.
Very difficult to get through to a real person via phone.
If you have any problems contact your congressman. Guaranteed to get results and especially if your congressman is on the House Ways and Means committee. (Money!)
We will disregard this number. I am a little superstitious and won’t whistle on a boat or ship either.
14.Get MMD, STCW and license within 90 to 120 days if no problems.
Ok, what did I miss?
BTW: JD Cavo has been very helpful. The CG needs more like him.
This may be moot at this point, but did you have to turn in your MMD at the time of application at the REC, or could you hold on to it and surrender it later?
NMC received my upgrade app 3/10/09 & I was told 4 weeks to be assigned an evaluator. Cleared medical & security within 3 days but I’m still waiting for an evaluator. I’m now being told that due to a software upgrade it will be 6-7 weeks from date received before it will be assigned to an evaluator.
4 weeks just to be assigned an evaluator? What is going on here? Good thing you don’t have to turn in old documents at time of application. You could miss half a years work, or more. So far, I’m not overly pleased or impressed with the NMC’s performance.
You haven’t seen anything yet. The USCG had their administrative law courts stripped from their authority. Now any charge against your license must go through a third party that they, Uncle Sam’s Confused Group, do not control. Now they are using the license renewal program in a punitive manner with little or no appeal. They can arbitrarily deny renewal and delay the appeal process indefinitely. The same applies to very old arrest records (not convictions) that even the local jurisdictions have destroyed. I am probably on the beach for another year waiting on the appeal process.
“Now any charge against your license must go through a third party that they, Uncle Sam’s Confused Group, do not control. Now they are using the license renewal program in a punitive manner with little or no appeal.”
That the USCG would think of imposing background requirements on civilian mariners that are more stringent than the requirements of their own recruits and officers is hard to believe, though not inconceivable.