46 CFR 11.446: Master of Great Lakes and inland vessels under 500 GRT

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets the minimum service an applicant needs for an endorsement as Master of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT. The main requirement is three years of total service on vessels, including one year in a senior position. Paragraph (b) gives a separate route for applicants who hold a towing vessel Master endorsement.

Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Master of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT.

What it says

  1. An applicant needs three years of total service on vessels to qualify for this endorsement.

    46 CFR 11.446(a)(1)“Three years of total service on vessels.”

  2. One year of the required service must have been as a Master, Mate, or equivalent position on vessels of 50 GRT or more, while holding an MMC endorsement as Master, Mate, or OUPV.

    46 CFR 11.446(a)(1)“One year of the required service must have been as a Master, Mate, or equivalent position on vessels of 50 GRT or more while holding an MMC endorsement as Master, Mate, or OUPV.”

  3. An applicant holding an MMC endorsement as Master of ocean, near-coastal, or Great Lakes and inland towing vessels is eligible after 6 months of service as Master of Towing Vessels and completion of a limited examination.

    46 CFR 11.446(b)“is eligible for this endorsement after 6 months of service as Master of Towing Vessels and completion of a limited examination.”

  4. The towing vessel route requires 3 1/2 years of service.

    46 CFR 11.446(b)“This requires 3 1/2 years of service.”

  5. Two years of that service must have been served while holding an MMC endorsement as Master or Mate (Pilot) of Towing Vessels, or Mate.

    46 CFR 11.446(b)“Two years of this service must have been served while holding an MMC endorsement as Master or Mate (Pilot) of Towing Vessels, or Mate.”

Common questions

How much service do I need to be Master of inland vessels under 500 GRT?

The minimum is three years of total service on vessels. One year of it must have been as Master, Mate, or equivalent on vessels of 50 GRT or more.

“Three years of total service on vessels.”

What is the route for a towing vessel Master to get this endorsement?

An applicant holding an MMC endorsement as Master of ocean, near-coastal, or Great Lakes and inland towing vessels is eligible after 6 months of service as Master of Towing Vessels and a limited examination. This route requires 3 1/2 years of service.

“is eligible for this endorsement after 6 months of service as Master of Towing Vessels and completion of a limited examination.”

How much total service does the towing vessel route require?

The towing vessel route requires 3 1/2 years of service.

“This requires 3 1/2 years of service.”

The text of 46 CFR 11.446

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Requirements for Master of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT

(a) The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Master of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT is—

(1) Three years of total service on vessels. One year of the required service must have been as a Master, Mate, or equivalent position on vessels of 50 GRT or more while holding an MMC endorsement as Master, Mate, or OUPV.

(2) [Reserved]

(b) An applicant holding an MMC endorsement as Master of ocean, near-coastal, or Great Lakes and inland towing vessels is eligible for this endorsement after 6 months of service as Master of Towing Vessels and completion of a limited examination. This requires 3 1/2 years of service. Two years of this service must have been served while holding an MMC endorsement as Master or Mate (Pilot) of Towing Vessels, or Mate.

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.