46 CFR 11.454: Mate of Great Lakes and inland vessels under 200 GRT

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets the requirements for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT. The main requirement is 6 months of service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels. Other paragraphs cover Great Lakes authority, sail endorsements, OUPV holders and tonnage endorsements.

Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT.

What it says

  1. An applicant must have 6 months of service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels to qualify for this endorsement.

    46 CFR 11.454(a)“The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT is 6 months of service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels.”

  2. To get authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters. Otherwise the endorsement is limited to the inland waters of the United States (excluding the Great Lakes).

    46 CFR 11.454(a)“To obtain authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters; otherwise the endorsement will be limited to the inland waters of the United States (excluding the Great Lakes).”

  3. To get an endorsement for sail or auxiliary sail vessels, the applicant must submit evidence of 3 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.

    46 CFR 11.454(b)“To obtain an endorsement for sail or auxiliary sail vessels, the applicant must submit evidence of 3 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.”

  4. A mariner holding an endorsement as Master of self-propelled vessels may be endorsed as Mate of sail or auxiliary sail vessels by providing evidence of 3 months service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.

    46 CFR 11.454(c)“A mariner holding an endorsement as Master of self-propelled vessels may be endorsed as Mate of sail or auxiliary sail vessels upon providing evidence of 3 months service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.”

  5. The holder of an MMC endorsement as Operator of Inland Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) may obtain this endorsement by successfully completing an examination on rules and regulations for small passenger vessels.

    46 CFR 11.454(d)“The holder of an MMC endorsement as Operator of Inland Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) may obtain this endorsement by successfully completing an examination on rules and regulations for small passenger vessels.”

  6. To obtain a tonnage endorsement for 100 GRT or more, the applicant must complete the additional examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part.

    46 CFR 11.454(e)“To obtain a tonnage endorsement for 100 GRT or more, the applicant must complete the additional examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part.”

Common questions

How much service do I need for a Mate of Great Lakes and inland vessels under 200 GRT endorsement?

You need 6 months of service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels.

“is 6 months of service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels.”

What do I need to serve on the Great Lakes with this endorsement?

3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters. Otherwise the endorsement is limited to the inland waters of the United States (excluding the Great Lakes).

“To obtain authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters;”

How does an OUPV holder get this endorsement?

An OUPV holder may obtain it by successfully completing an examination on rules and regulations for small passenger vessels.

“may obtain this endorsement by successfully completing an examination on rules and regulations for small passenger vessels.”

What is needed for a tonnage endorsement of 100 GRT or more?

The applicant must complete the additional examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part.

“the applicant must complete the additional examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part.”

The text of 46 CFR 11.454

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

Requirements for Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT

(a) The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT is 6 months of service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels. To obtain authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters; otherwise the endorsement will be limited to the inland waters of the United States (excluding the Great Lakes).

(b) To obtain an endorsement for sail or auxiliary sail vessels, the applicant must submit evidence of 3 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.

(c) A mariner holding an endorsement as Master of self-propelled vessels may be endorsed as Mate of sail or auxiliary sail vessels upon providing evidence of 3 months service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.

(d) The holder of an MMC endorsement as Operator of Inland Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) may obtain this endorsement by successfully completing an examination on rules and regulations for small passenger vessels. To obtain authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters; otherwise the endorsement will be limited to the inland waters of the United States (excluding the Great Lakes).

(e) To obtain a tonnage endorsement for 100 GRT or more, the applicant must complete the additional examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part.

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.