Finger print license renewal.

[Walleye Express]

My Captains license needs to be renewed in 2008, and I know the MCBA is working on getting the license renwals grandfathered in or at least making it so you could go to your local State police and get the finger printing done. But has anybody been down to Toledo yet to get this new procedure done? And do/can you bring your renewal papers and physical results down with you and get it all renewed in one deal? Capt. Dan.

[HitMan]

I have been to Toledo and renewed. You can and should have ALL your paperwork completed and your Check to pay with then too. All you have to do is get finger printed, hand the ladies all your paperwork, and write your Check out. They will look at the paperwork in the order they receive renewals and if there are any questions or problems they will send it back to you. But, the one disadvantage is there are A LOT of people who need to be renewed and only 2 employees and computers. From my experience, plus others input, I would be there waiting in line when the door opens. Otherwise, later in the day the line builds and it takes a lot longer. It should only take 15-25 minutes while in the USCG office.

[Walleye Express]

I have been to Toledo and renewed. You can and should have ALL your paperwork completed and your Check to pay with then too. All you have to do is get finger printed, hand the ladies all your paperwork, and write your Check out. They will look at the paperwork in the order they receive renewals and if there are any questions or problems they will send it back to you. But, the one disadvantage is there are A LOT of people who need to be renewed and only 2 employees and computers. From my experience, plus others input, I would be there waiting in line when the door opens. Otherwise, later in the day the line builds and it takes a lot longer. It should only take 15-25 minutes while in the USCG office.

Jon.

By paperwork, I'm assuming you mean all the papers your doctors fills out during and after your physical every 5 years right? Then the fingerprints becomes a formailty. Do you also have to have your birth cirtificate or other I.D. with you?

[HitMan]

The paperwork is your renewal application that you will call Toledo for and they will send to you. Paperwork is the ENTIRE packet you receive in the mail, including the application, day log sheet, and physical form for the doctor, plus instructions on what to do. If you have your ENTIRE packet filled out and ready to rumble, then all you have to do is the finger printing process in the Toledo office. I believe you also need 2 government pieces of identification. I brought 3 with me, just in case; my Passport, Birth Certificate, and Driver's License. One of my buddies didn't have 2 pieces and he had to fax a copy of his Birth Certificate to them before they could continue processing his renewal. I figured it would be good to be over prepared then having to redo something and holding up the renewal process. Let me know if you have any other questions!!!

[Walleye Express]

The paperwork is your renewal application that you will call Toledo for and they will send to you. Paperwork is the ENTIRE packet you receive in the mail, including the application, day log sheet, and physical form for the doctor, plus instructions on what to do. If you have your ENTIRE packet filled out and ready to rumble, then all you have to do is the finger printing process in the Toledo office. I believe you also need 2 government pieces of identification. I brought 3 with me, just in case; my Passport, Birth Certificate, and Driver's License. One of my buddies didn't have 2 pieces and he had to fax a copy of his Birth Certificate to them before they could continue processing his renewal. I figured it would be good to be over prepared then having to redo something and holding up the renewal process. Let me know if you have any other questions!!!

Thanks.

It will be my 4th license renewal in 2008. But after every 5 years, it seem like the cob webs get thicker every time I go through this.

[captainart]

Hi guys,

I'm a little new here & just looking around. I just came back from a charter captains conference this past weekend. The Toledo Coast Guard was there. There are many new up & coming changes.......they will be phasing out Toledo for license renewal & going to a national system, one such place of all places will be in WV! Adding more cost & pain for us will be a new Twic ID for everyone on top of your licenses. You can find out more about Twic here:

http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twic/index.shtm

Lastly, they incouraged anyone within 1 1/2 years of renewal to get started on the process.

Captain Art http://www.LakeErieCaptain.com

[Walleye Express]

If I love anything about the Association I belong to (MCBA) is that they keep on top of things like this and will have a working plan laid out for it's Captains long before it's to late. I'm also hopeful and confident both them and NACO will continue lobbying for making these new laws easier for us Joe legal Blows.

[Willie Bee]

I just sent my renewal in, to Toledo. Fill out the packet they send you on request, and they have a number of locations around the Great Lakes to be fingerprinted at, but you need the card from Toledo saying they have your paperwork to make a appointment. All the info is in the packet. Good thing I started early, my card said 6 - 8 weeks before the paperwork will be processed. I heard some people sending the packets to Alaska for quicker processing, but I would hate to have to report there for fingerprinting should the off site locations be taken away. The WI DNR informed me of the TWIC program, sounds like we will hear more about this by the end of this year and have untill late summer of 2008 to be a member. Sign up early, it sounds like all workers with access to Fed. water ports will need this.

[Walleye Express]

I just sent my renewal in, to Toledo. Fill out the packet they send you on request, and they have a number of locations around the Great Lakes to be fingerprinted at, but you need the card from Toledo saying they have your paperwork to make a appointment. All the info is in the packet. Good thing I started early, my card said 6 - 8 weeks before the paperwork will be processed. I heard some people sending the packets to Alaska for quicker processing, but I would hate to have to report there for fingerprinting should the off site locations be taken away. The WI DNR informed me of the TWIC program, sounds like we will hear more about this by the end of this year and have untill late summer of 2008 to be a member. Sign up early, it sounds like all workers with access to Fed. water ports will need this.

Did this finger print packet you talk of come with your license renewal packet. Or was it requested by you for some other reason? Odd I haven't heard of or received any info from the MCBA on this new packet. They are usually prompt with E-mails for this type news.

[Walleye Express]

Mailed my MCBA bud about this. Heres his reply.

Hey Dan,

We should not need a TWIC or MMD doc.(that could change). The person who wrote the post was correct on renewal's in Toledo. Once paper work and money (C.C. preferred) is sent in they will authorize you to have your finger prints taken at other locations (Grand Haven, Soo and more). For you and I Toledo is the 1st choice. I went with Capt. Terry Walsh in April, 156 miles from my house to Toledo. Once we reach Toledo; Terry turned in his papers (they review them right there to make sure everything was correctly filled out), gave them a C.C. (preferred) Finger printed him with a finger print scanner, I stood right their and watched the whole thing (maybe 12 - 15 minutes tops) Stop at Cabela's on the way back, it was completely painless and very professional.

I would start the process at least 4 - 6 months before your license expires, since all finger prints are sent to FBI and Homeland Security has to clear you before the Coast Guard will issue you a new license. It dose say to send your application to the nearest Coast Guard Regional Examination Center (you know the military).

Here is the link for charterboat captains: http://www.uscg.mil/STCW/cb-capt.htm

Have a nice day, Larry

Dan, Received this from a captain out of Grand Haven, Larry

Roger,

Again, I apologize for not being able to attend the Grand Haven Charter Boat

Association Dinner last Saturday evening. However, as promised, I am

forwarding you my notes I was going to use to relay to you the latest info I

have concerning licensing.

1. In an effort to enhance security within the nation's maritime domain

Congress tasked the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with

implementing a single source card that would serve a twofold purpose.

I. Ensure security for port facilities that require maritime workers having

unescorted access within secure areas.

II. Ensure security on vessels regulated under the Maritime Transportation

Security Act.

Additionally, an additional aspect of this card will possibly be the

inclusion of all merchant mariner documents (MMDs) included on this same

card. This has not been confirmed yet, but is likely to happen.

2. This single source card is known as the Transportation Worker

Identification Credential or TWIC card. The TWIC provides a

tamper-resistant biometric credential for the entire maritime industry and

is currently in the early implementation stages at select ports across the

country. Because approximately 750,000 people will require a TWIC it will

take about 18 months to phase in.

3. In the past the Coast Guard Regional Exam Centers (RECs) were the source

for issuing most mariner credentials. However, under the new TWIC Program

the RECs will scale back greatly and new the new TWIC enrollment sites will

be stood up in ports all across the country. The nearest enrollment site to

Grand Haven will be in Muskegon. There will be others in Detroit, Chicago

and Escanaba, MI to service mariners in the Michigan area.

4. An additional aspect of the TWIC is that it will contain an individual's

fingerprint encoded in the card that can be read from a reader the Coast

Guard and port facilities will have in the future as an additional means of

authentication to the picture.

5. The initial security screening for all mariners' licenses is accomplished

at the National Maritime Center (NMC) in Martinsburg, West Virginia. As of

now, the fee and package for the card is sent to the local REC (Toledo in

our case) and then forwarded to Martinsburg by the REC. The NMC conducts the

background check and either mails the mariner their Card or MMD, or approval

for new mariners.

6. New mariners (or mariners that want an upgrade) have to take and pass

their required test for the license or endorsement they want. As stated

above, currently this is still done at the REC, but other test sites will be

available soon (probably here in Grand Haven).

TSA has a web site that has many FAQs concerning TWIC implementation that

can be accessed at (http://www.tsa.gov/twic). You can also find out

additional information at the Coast Guard's REC website at

(http://www.uscg.mil/STCW/mmic-regions.htm). We also have an informational

PowerPoint brief on our website at

(http://www.uscg.mil/d9/msdgh/index_files/Page618.htm).

If you have additional questions please feel free to contact me. I look

forward to working with you further in the future.

Very respectfully,

LT Michael Adams

Executive Officer

Sector Field Office Grand Haven

650 South Harbor Drive

Grand Haven, MI 49417

616-850-2503