Submitted by the Chief, Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing.

The Director, Commercial Regulations and Standards (CG-5PS), in conjunction with the Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing (CG-MMC-2), continues to receive and process mariner appeals that are submitted in accordance with Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1.03-40. However, due to ongoing COVID-19 safety and health concerns and technical constraints that operating in the COVID-19 environment present, the processing of appeals have been delayed.

Appeals are being processed in the order that complete appeal submissions are received. Incomplete appeals will be held in abeyance until the mariner finishes supplying information for an appeal. All appeals will be thoroughly reviewed and evaluated based upon the information submitted, the information in the application and reconsideration files and any additional information necessary to complete the appeal. We will pursue this evaluation as quickly as possible while conducting the complete evaluation. Mariners are encouraged to submit appeals documents via e-mail to MMCPolicy@uscg.mil ; documents should be in a readable format (avoid .gif, .zip, or camera images). Mailed or faxed appeals may be subject to further delays due to reduced manning within CG-MMC-2 office spaces.

Lastly, but most importantly, the Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing wants to assure our industry customers and stakeholders that their appeals are a high priority. We apologize for any potential inconvenience that a delay in processing an appeal may cause.

Mariners and other interested parties should contact the Mariner Credentialing Program at (202) 372-2357 or MMCPolicy@uscg.mil with any questions or concerns.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.