46 CFR 11.455: Master of Great Lakes and inland vessels under 100 GRT
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section sets the service needed for a Master endorsement on Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT. An applicant needs 1 year of deck department service. Great Lakes authority needs 3 months on Great Lakes waters, and tonnage increments follow § 11.422.
Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Master of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT.
What it says
An applicant must have 1 year of total service in the deck department of self-propelled, sail, or auxiliary sail vessels to qualify for the endorsement.
46 CFR 11.455(a)“is 1 year of total service in the deck department of self-propelled, sail, or auxiliary sail vessels”
To obtain authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters.
46 CFR 11.455(a)“To obtain authority to serve on the Great Lakes, 3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters”
Without 3 months of Great Lakes service, the endorsement will be limited to the inland waters of the United States, excluding the Great Lakes.
46 CFR 11.455(a)“otherwise the endorsement will be limited to the inland waters of the United States (excluding the Great Lakes).”
To obtain an endorsement for sail or auxiliary sail vessels, the applicant must submit evidence of 6 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.
46 CFR 11.455(b)“the applicant must submit evidence of 6 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels”
The 6 months of sail or auxiliary sail service may have been obtained before the endorsement is issued.
46 CFR 11.455(b)“The required 6 months of service may have been obtained prior to issuance of the endorsement.”
All endorsements for Master or Mate of vessels of less than 100 GRT are issued in tonnage increments based on the applicant's qualifying experience, in accordance with § 11.422.
46 CFR 11.455(c)“are issued in tonnage increments based on the applicant's qualifying experience in accordance with the provisions of § 11.422.”
Common questions
How much service do I need for Master of inland vessels under 100 GRT?
The minimum is 1 year of total service in the deck department of self-propelled, sail, or auxiliary sail vessels.
“is 1 year of total service in the deck department of self-propelled, sail, or auxiliary sail vessels”
How do I get Great Lakes authority on this Master endorsement?
3 months of the required service must have been on Great Lakes waters. Otherwise the endorsement is limited to 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”
Can sail service be earned before the endorsement is issued?
Yes. The required 6 months of sail or auxiliary sail service may have been obtained before the endorsement is issued.
“The required 6 months of service may have been obtained prior to issuance of the endorsement.”
The text of 46 CFR 11.455
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 100 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 100 GRT is 1 year of total service in the deck department of self-propelled, sail, or auxiliary sail 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 6 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels. The required 6 months of service may have been obtained prior to issuance of the endorsement.
(c) All endorsements issued for Master or Mate of vessels of less than 100 GRT are issued in tonnage increments based on the applicant's qualifying experience in accordance with the provisions of § 11.422.
Sections it refers to
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.