46 CFR 11.459: National Master or Mate endorsements on rivers
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section covers service requirements for national endorsements as Master of river self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage, and as Master or Mate of river self-propelled vessels with a limitation of 25 to 1,600 GRT. Each is tied to the matching inland or Great Lakes and inland endorsement. Great Lakes service is not required for the 25 to 1,600 GRT river endorsements.
Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Master of river self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage, or as Master or Mate of river self-propelled vessels with a limitation of 25 to 1,600 GRT.
What it says
An applicant for an endorsement as Master of river self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage must meet the same service requirements as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage.
46 CFR 11.459(a)“An applicant for an endorsement as Master of river self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage must meet the same service requirements as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage.”
An applicant for an endorsement as Master or Mate of river self-propelled vessels with a limitation of 25 to 1,600 GRT must meet the same service requirements as those required by this subpart for the corresponding tonnage Great Lakes and inland self-propelled endorsement.
46 CFR 11.459(b)“must meet the same service requirements as those required by this subpart for the corresponding tonnage Great Lakes and inland self-propelled endorsement.”
Service on the Great Lakes is not required for the river endorsement with a limitation of 25 to 1,600 GRT.
46 CFR 11.459(b)“Service on the Great Lakes is not, however, required.”
Common questions
What service is required for unlimited tonnage river Master?
The applicant must meet the same service requirements as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage.
“must meet the same service requirements as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage.”
Do I need Great Lakes service for a river Master or Mate endorsement of 25 to 1,600 GRT?
No. The text says service on the Great Lakes is not required for this endorsement.
“Service on the Great Lakes is not, however, required.”
The text of 46 CFR 11.459
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Requirements for national endorsement as Master or Mate on rivers
(a) An applicant for an endorsement as Master of river self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage must meet the same service requirements as Master of inland self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage.
(b) An applicant for an endorsement as Master or Mate of river self-propelled vessels, with a limitation of 25 to 1,600 GRT, must meet the same service requirements as those required by this subpart for the corresponding tonnage Great Lakes and inland self-propelled endorsement. Service on the Great Lakes is not, however, required.
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.