Mariners in the flood zones of Louisiana and other stricken states can get free, expedited replacement of lost or destroyed Merchant Mariner Credentials, the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center says.
Federal regulations allow issuance of replacement credentials, and the NMC specifies steps to get new credentials quickly as possible.
Send the National Maritime Center a statement of loss by fax (1-304-433-3412) or e-mail ([email protected]), including:
Mariner’s full name.
Mariner’s date of birth.
Mariner’s Reference Number (if you don’t know the reference number, include the Social Security number).
The mailing address that the replacement credential should be sent to.
A current telephone number and/or e-mail address the NMC can use to contact the mariner with any questions.
A description of the circumstances surrounding the loss/destruction of the credential.
“We will make every effort to have duplicate credentials mailed out the next business day,” NMC officials said in a statement.
As an alternative, mariners can also submit a CG-719B application to one of the Regional Exam Centers (RECs) with the information above. If an original credential is unserviceable due to damage, or lost and subsequently found, that credential should be returned to: Commanding Officer U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center 100 Forbes Drive Martinsburg, W.V., 25404.
For questions and concerns regarding duplicate credentials, the NMC can be contacted via its online chat or ticketing system; by e-mailing [email protected], or by calling 1- 888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
