I got an email on Monday April 14th, that I had been waiting 98 days to see. My own Merchant Mariner Credential renewal application, submitted to the Coast Guard on January 6, was approved for my open book exam. I am one of the 20,000 mariners caught in this shutdown, and seeing that status update was a relief.
I am not the only one. Since Monday, we have been seeing movement across numerous credential files that had been stalled for months. Mariners who submitted complete applications and did everything right are finally getting updates, with evaluations happening and approvals being issued.
This is because DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin recalled the entire DHS workforce last week, with back pay hitting bank accounts over the weekend. The federal employees at the NMC and the Regional Examination Centers (REC) are back at their desks, and they are working.
The DHS shutdown began on February 14, and for over two months NMC and REC staff were furloughed, sent home without pay and unable to come to work. Applications piled up while mariners waited, and through all of it, these teams had no control over when it would end.
Now they are back, facing the largest credential backlog in the history of the program, and they are getting after it. That says something about the people who work at the NMC and the RECs. They care about the mission, they care about mariners, and that is worth recognizing.
On Thursday, the NMC published Update #3, signed by Captain Patrick Drayer, with expanded credential extensions that every mariner should know about.
Merchant mariner credentials with National endorsements and medical certificates with National and Pilot expiration dates that expire between January 1 and May 31, 2026, are now valid until August 31, 2026. This expands the previous extension, which covered credentials expiring through April with validity through June 30. Mariners sailing on expired credentials under this extension must carry the expired credential and a printed copy of the Update #3 letter.
Additional information letters, approval to test letters, course completion certificates, and drug test letters that expire between February and May 2026 are also extended until August 31, and qualified assessor and designated examiner certifications and course approvals expiring in that window are extended as well.
For mariners who started but did not finish an exam before February 13, you can resume testing without penalty once the NMC reopens, with 60 days to complete. Ninety-day retest periods are paused and will restart upon reopening.
Medical certificate processing continued throughout the shutdown because most of the employees on the NMC's medical certificate team are contractors, and they kept working even when the federal staff could not. If you submitted a medical certificate application during the shutdown, there is a good chance it was processed.
The ASAP portal remains active and accepting applications. If you have been holding off on submitting, now is the time. The queue is long and every day you wait adds another day on the back end. Submit a complete, accurate application with zero deficiencies, because that is the single best thing you can do for yourself and for the staff working through this backlog.
If you have a pending application, check your email for status updates. If you need to reach the NMC, the Customer Service Center is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern, by phone at 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662), live chat, or email at [email protected]. Include "Status" in the subject line with your reference number.
These teams showed up for us, so be patient with them and be kind when you call. The work is moving and the people doing it deserve our support.
