CG-719B Form Guide: How to Complete the USCG License Application

CG-719B is the starting point for an MMC application

CG-719B is the Application for Merchant Mariner Credential. It is not a universal “captain’s license form” detached from context: the transaction, credential, endorsement, route, and supporting evidence determine how the packet should be assembled.

Start with the current NMC checklist and identify whether you are applying for an original credential, renewal, raise of grade, modification, duplicate, replacement, or another transaction. That decision should come before you download and complete the form.

Choose the transaction before choosing the attachments

The same applicant can use CG-719B for different transactions at different points in a career. The supporting documents can change when the request changes. An original application is not the same packet as a renewal, and a raise of grade is not the same as a replacement for a lost credential.

Write the exact transaction at the top of your working folder. Then save the official checklist and note the date you reviewed it. This prevents a common failure mode: completing a familiar form while following the requirements for a different transaction.

Understand the supporting forms without assuming they all apply

The NMC application page links to forms that may include:

• CG-719C: Conviction statement, when applicable.
• CG-719S: Small-vessel sea service, when applicable.
• CG-719P: Drug-test compliance, when applicable.
• CG-719K or CG-719K/E: Medical certificate applications, through the medical workflow.

The list is not a shopping list. Use the official merchant mariner credential page and the exact checklist for your credential to decide what belongs in your packet. The CG-719K guide explains why medical documents should not be sent through an ordinary MMC upload route.

Complete the PDF as a controlled document

The NMC currently instructs applicants not to complete CG-719B in the web browser. Save the form, complete it in an appropriate PDF application, and retain the final file after saving. A controlled workflow makes it easier to verify signatures, dates, names, and reference information before submission.

Run this check before exporting the packet:

1. Is the form version from a current NMC link?
2. Does the selected transaction match the checklist?
3. Are names, dates, addresses, and reference numbers consistent?
4. Are all required signatures and dates present?
5. Are the pages readable and in the requested order?
6. Did you save the completed CG-719B separately from the final packet?

Package the files according to the live instructions

The NMC application page currently states that CG-719B should be combined into a single PDF attachment, that multi-page documents should be combined as appropriate, and that password-protected files cannot be processed. It also publishes a maximum upload size. Those operational details can change, so recheck the live page immediately before submission.

Name the final files clearly and keep the submission confirmation. Do not send medical documents to an MMC portal simply because they are part of the overall credential journey; follow the medical page’s separate instructions.

CG-719B does not prove that you qualify

A complete-looking form is not evidence that you meet the professional requirements. Sea service, training, medical, TWIC, safety, and examination requirements depend on the credential and your circumstances. If a requirement is unclear, resolve it with the NMC or the appropriate Regional Examination Center rather than guessing.

Once the target credential and modules are confirmed, use USCG Prep study sessions for focused exam review. The application overview gives the broader sequence, and pricing shows the available study options.