46 CFR 11.457: Master of inland self-propelled vessels under 100 GRT

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets the experience needed for a Master endorsement on inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT. An applicant must provide 1 year of service on any waters. It also covers sail or auxiliary sail endorsements and tonnage increments.

Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT, and applicants for Master or Mate endorsements of vessels of less than 100 GRT for the tonnage increments in paragraph (c).

What it says

  1. An applicant for an endorsement as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT must provide 1 year of service on any waters.

    46 CFR 11.457(a)“An applicant for an endorsement as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT must provide 1 year of service on any waters.”

  2. To raise the tonnage limitation to more than 100 GRT, the applicant must complete the examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part, in addition to satisfying the experience requirements of § 11.452(a).

    46 CFR 11.457(a)“In order to raise the tonnage limitation to more than 100 GRT, the examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part must be completed in addition to satisfying the experience requirements of § 11.452(a).”

  3. 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 11.457(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.”

  4. The required 6 months of service may have been obtained prior to issuance of the MMC endorsement.

    46 CFR 11.457(b)“The required 6 months of service may have been obtained prior to issuance of the MMC endorsement.”

  5. 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.

    46 CFR 11.457(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.”

Common questions

How much service do I need for a Master of inland self-propelled vessels under 100 GRT endorsement?

The applicant must provide 1 year of service on any waters.

“must provide 1 year of service on any waters.”

How much service is needed for a sail or auxiliary sail endorsement?

The applicant must submit evidence of 6 months of service on sail or auxiliary sail vessels. That service may have been obtained before the MMC endorsement was issued.

“The required 6 months of service may have been obtained prior to issuance of the MMC endorsement.”

What is needed to raise the tonnage limitation to more than 100 GRT?

The applicant must complete the examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part. The applicant must also satisfy the experience requirements of § 11.452(a).

“the examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part must be completed in addition to satisfying the experience requirements of § 11.452(a).”

The text of 46 CFR 11.457

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

Requirements for Master of inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT

(a) An applicant for an endorsement as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT must provide 1 year of service on any waters. In order to raise the tonnage limitation to more than 100 GRT, the examination topics indicated in subpart I of this part must be completed in addition to satisfying the experience requirements of § 11.452(a).

(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 MMC 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.