46 CFR 11.555: Assistant Engineer-OSV endorsement service requirements

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets the minimum service needed for an Assistant Engineer-OSV endorsement. The amount of service depends on the propulsion power of the endorsement. It also covers STCW endorsements and possible Coast Guard exemptions.

Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV, and people who hold one.

What it says

  1. For an Assistant Engineer-OSV endorsement of unlimited propulsion power, an applicant needs three years of engineroom service, and eighteen months of it must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.

    46 CFR 11.555(a)(1)“Three years of service in the engineroom. Eighteen months of this service must have been as a Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED) or equivalent position; or”

  2. As an alternative for unlimited propulsion power, an applicant may show one year of total service as part of an approved or accepted Assistant Engineer-OSV training program.

    46 CFR 11.555(a)(2)“One year of total service as part of an approved or accepted Assistant Engineer-OSV training program.”

  3. For an endorsement of less than 4,000 HP/3,000 kW, the minimum is 2 years of engineroom service, and one year of it must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.

    46 CFR 11.555(b)“is 2 years of service in the engineroom. One year of this service must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.”

  4. For an endorsement of less than 1,000 HP/750 kW, the minimum is 1 year of engineroom service, and six months of it must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.

    46 CFR 11.555(c)“is 1 year of service in the engineroom. Six months of this service must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.”

  5. A person holding an Assistant Engineer-OSV endorsement may qualify for an STCW endorsement according to §§ 11.329 and 11.333.

    46 CFR 11.555(d)“A person holding an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV may qualify for an STCW endorsement, according to §§ 11.329 and 11.333.”

  6. The Coast Guard may exempt an applicant from any STCW Regulation III/1 requirement that it finds inappropriate or unnecessary for OSV service, or that the applicant meets under Article IX of STCW equivalency provisions.

    46 CFR 11.555(e)“The Coast Guard may exempt an applicant from meeting any requirement under STCW Regulation III/1”

Common questions

How much service do I need for an unlimited Assistant Engineer-OSV endorsement?

You need three years of engineroom service, with eighteen months as a QMED or equivalent position. Alternatively, you need one year of total service in an approved or accepted Assistant Engineer-OSV training program.

“Three years of service in the engineroom. Eighteen months of this service must have been as a Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED) or equivalent position; or”

What service is required for Assistant Engineer-OSV under 1,000 HP/750 kW?

The minimum is 1 year of engineroom service. Six months of that must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.

“is 1 year of service in the engineroom. Six months of this service must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.”

Can an Assistant Engineer-OSV get an STCW endorsement?

Yes, a holder may qualify for an STCW endorsement according to §§ 11.329 and 11.333.

“A person holding an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV may qualify for an STCW endorsement, according to §§ 11.329 and 11.333.”

The text of 46 CFR 11.555

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of October 1, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Assistant Engineer-OSV

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 60883, Sept. 25, 2026.

(a) The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV of unlimited propulsion power is—

(1) Three years of service in the engineroom. Eighteen months of this service must have been as a Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED) or equivalent position; or

(2) One year of total service as part of an approved or accepted Assistant Engineer-OSV training program.

(b) The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV of less than 4,000 HP/3,000 kW, is 2 years of service in the engineroom. One year of this service must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.

(c) The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV of less than 1,000 HP/750 kW is 1 year of service in the engineroom. Six months of this service must have been as a QMED or equivalent position.

(d) A person holding an endorsement as Assistant Engineer-OSV may qualify for an STCW endorsement, according to §§ 11.329 and 11.333.

(e) The Coast Guard may exempt an applicant from meeting any requirement under STCW Regulation III/1 (incorporated by reference, see § 11.102 of this part) that the Coast Guard determines to be inappropriate or unnecessary for service on an OSV, or that the applicant meets under the equivalency provisions of Article IX of STCW.

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 October 1, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.