Purpose.

The regulations in this part provide: (a) A means of determining and verifying the qualifications an applicant must possess to be eligible for certification to serve on merchant vessels; (b) A means of determining that an applicant is competent to serve under the authority of their Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC); (c) A means of confirming that an applicant does not pose a threat to national security through the requirement to hold a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC); and (d) A means of determining whether the applicant for an MMC is a safe and suitable person. [USCG-2006-24371, 74 FR 11216, Mar. 16, 2009, as amended by USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77882, Dec. 24, 2013; USCG-2021-0097, 89 FR 93054, Nov. 25, 2024]