An application for registration as a U.S. Registered Pilot must be made on Form CG-4509, which must be submitted via email to: [email protected]; or by physical mail to: Great Lakes Pilotage Office, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-7509. This form may be obtained from the Director.

[USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76347, Sept. 17, 2024]

(a) No person may be fully registered as a United States Registered Pilot unless:

(1) The individual holds an MMC with an officer endorsement as a Master, Mate, or Pilot, issued under the provisions of subpart B of 46 CFR part 11, and has acquired at least 24 months service as a deck officer or comparable experience on vessels or integrated tug and barge, of at least 4,000 gross tonnage, operating on the Great Lakes or oceans. Those applicants qualifying with other than Great Lakes service must have obtained at least 6 months of service as a deck officer or comparable experience on the Great Lakes. Those applicants qualifying with comparable experience must have served a minimum of 12 months as a deck officer under the authority of their MMC.

(2) The individual is a citizen of the United States.

(3) The individual is of good moral character and temperate habits.

(4) The individual is physically competent to perform the duties of a U.S. Registered Pilot and meets the applicable medical requirements and standards prescribed by the Commandant in subpart C of 46 CFR part 10.

(5) The individual has not reached the age of 70.

(6) The individual agrees to be available for service under the terms and conditions as may be approved or prescribed by the Commandant.

(7) The individual has complied with the requirements set forth in § 401.220(b) for Apprentice Pilots.

(8) The individual meets the chemical testing requirements as defined in 46 CFR part 16.

(9) The individual agrees to comply with all applicable provisions of this part and amendments thereto.

(b) Any person registered as a United States Registered Pilot pursuant to the provisions of this part whose application contains false or misleading statements furnished by the applicant in furtherance of their application will be in violation of these regulations and may be proceeded against under § 401.250(a) or § 401.500.

[29 FR 10464, July 28, 1964] Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 401.210, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.

(a) The Director will determine the number of Apprentice Pilots required to be in training by each association authorized to form a pilotage pool in order to assure an adequate number of United States Registered Pilots.

(b) No Apprentice Pilot will be selected for training unless:

(1) The individual meets the requirements and qualifications set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (4), (6), (8), and (9) of § 401.210;

(2) The individual must not have reached the age of 60; and

(3) The individual possesses a Radar Observer-Unlimited endorsement on their MMC in accordance with § 11.480.

(c) For purpose of determining whether an applicant meets the experience requirements contained in § 401.210(a)(1), not more than 12 months of “comparable experience” may be used in fulfilling the 24-month experience requirement.

(d) The Director must approve the United States Registered Pilots or Temporary Registered Pilots designated by the authorized pilot organization to provide training to those Pilots in training to be United States Registered Pilots.

(e) Persons desiring to be considered as an Apprentice Pilot must file with the Director a completed Application Form CG-4509 by email to: [email protected]; or by mail to: Great Lakes Pilotage Office, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, Mail Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-7509. Upon the request of the Director, the person desiring to be considered as an Apprentice Pilot must submit two full-face passport style photographs, signed on the photo, vertically, as close to the head as possible.

(f) Applicants meeting the minimum requirements of this section who are both selected by the association and approved by the Director will be issued a U.S. Coast Guard Apprentice Pilot Identification Card. Such Card is valid until such time as:

(1) The expiration of a term determined by the Director;

(2) The Apprentice Pilot is registered as a Pilot under § 401.210;

(3) The Apprentice Pilot withdraws from the training program; or

(4) The card is ordered withdrawn by the Director.

(g) The Apprentice Pilot must have a Director-approved individual training plan. The Apprentice Pilot, along with the pilot association, will record all their round trips, as per their individual training plan, and provide this information to the Director for review. Round trips completed as an Apprentice Pilot will count toward Full Registration.

(h) The appropriate pilot association must complete a Semi-annual Performance Evaluation Report on the Apprentice Pilot twice a year, to assess the Apprentice Pilot's progress in the approved U.S. Great Lakes pilot training and qualification program at the established pilotage pool. The evaluation must be submitted to the Director by August 15 and January 15 of each season. The report should provide a recommendation to the Director on whether to keep the Apprentice Pilot in the training program.

(i) The Apprentice Pilot must be enrolled in the association's chemical testing program. The chemical testing program must meet the requirements of 46 CFR part 16. For the purposes of this part, the association is deemed to be the Sponsoring Organization as defined in 46 CFR 16.105.

(j) To facilitate the training of the Apprentice Pilot, the Director may authorize Limited Registration to the Apprentice Pilot, upon the request from the pilot association. The Apprentice Pilot obtains a Limited Registration by completing and recording the requirements set forth in § 401.220(b)(1). Limited Registration periods will not exceed 6 months before the need to request a renewal; the specific period is determined by the Director per 46 CFR 401.110(9). The Apprentice Pilot must maintain a favorable performance evaluation via their Semi-annual Performance Evaluation Reports, and the Director must determine a need for the Pilot. At any time, this authorization may be revoked at the discretion of the Director.

(k) An Apprentice Pilot may be eligible for a Certificate of Registration, after:

(1) The mariner completes a Director-approved U.S. Great Lakes Pilot training and qualification program in one of the Great Lakes' pilot associations;

(2) The appropriate pilot association gives the mariner a positive endorsement;

(3) The mariner passes the Director's exam; and

(4) The Director determines that the association needs an additional Pilot.

[29 FR 10465, July 28, 1964] Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 401.211, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.

(a) The Director will determine the number of Applicant Trainees required to be in training by each association authorized to form a pilotage pool in order to assure an adequate number of United States Registered Pilots.

(b) No Applicant Trainee may be selected for training unless:

(1) The individual meets the requirements and qualifications set forth in paragraphs (a)(2) through (4), (6), (8), and (9) of § 401.210;

(2) The individual must not have reached the age of 60; and

(3) The individual possesses a Radar Observer-Unlimited endorsement on their MMC in accordance with § 11.480.

(c) An individual with other than Great Lakes service must obtain at least six (6) months of service as a credentialed officer, or comparable experience, on the Great Lakes with the pilot association in the District waters assigned before they are eligible to become an Apprentice Pilot. Round trips and related activities completed during this training phase will not count towards Full Registration.

(d) The Director must approve the United States Registered Pilots or Temporary Registered Pilots that are designated by the authorized pilot organization to provide training to those Pilots that are in training to be United States Registered Pilots.

(e) Persons desiring to be considered as an Applicant Trainee must file with the Director a completed Application Form CG-4509 via email to: [email protected] or by mail to: Great Lakes Pilotage Office, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, Mail Stop 7509, Washington, DC 20593-7509. Upon the request of the Director, the person desiring to be considered as an Applicant Trainee must submit two full-face passport style photographs, signed on the photo, vertically, as close to the head as possible.

(f) Applicants must meet the pre-employment chemical testing requirements as defined in 46 CFR 16.210.

(g) Applicants meeting the minimum requirements of this section who are both selected by the association and approved by the Director will be issued a U.S. Coast Guard Applicant Trainee Identification Card. Such Card is valid until such time as:

(1) The expiration of a term determined by the Director;

(2) The Applicant Trainee is registered as an Apprentice Pilot under § 401.211;

(3) The Applicant Trainee withdraws from the training program; or

(4) The card is ordered withdrawn by the Director.

[USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76348, Sept. 17, 2024]

(a) The Director must determine the number of Pilots required to be registered in order to assure adequate and efficient pilotage service in the United States waters of the Great Lakes and to provide for equitable participation of United States Registered Pilots with Canadian Registered Pilots in the rendering of pilotage services. The Director determines the number of Pilots needed as follows:

(1) The Director determines the base number of Pilots needed by dividing each area's peak pilotage demand data by its pilot work cycle. The Pilot work cycle standard includes any time that the Director finds to be a necessary and reasonable component of ensuring that a pilotage assignment is carried out safely, efficiently, and reliably for each area. These components may include, but are not limited to—

(i) Amount of time a Pilot provides pilotage service or is available to a vessel's Master to provide pilotage service;

(ii) Pilot travel time, measured from the Pilot's base, to and from an assignment's starting and ending points;

(iii) Assignment delays and detentions;

(iv) Administrative time for a Pilot who serves as a pilot association's president;

(v) Rest between assignments, as required by § 401.451;

(vi) Ten days' recuperative rest per month from April 15 through November 15 each year, provided that lesser rest allowances are approved by the Director at the pilot association's request, if necessary to provide pilotage without interruption through that period; and

(vii) Pilotage-related training.

(2) Pilotage demand and the base seasonal work standard are based on available and reliable data, as so deemed by the Director, for a multi-year base period. The multi-year period is the 10 most recent past years, and the data source is a system approved under 46 CFR 403.300. Where such data are not available or reliable, the Director also may use data, from additional past years or other sources, that the Director determines to be available and reliable.

(3) The number of Pilots needed in each district is calculated by totaling the area results by district and rounding them to the nearest whole integer. For supportable circumstances, the Director may make reasonable and necessary adjustments to the rounded result to provide for changes that the Director anticipates will affect the need for Pilots in the district over the period for which base rates are being established.

(b) Registration of Pilots must be made from among those Apprentice Pilots who have:

(1) Completed the minimum number of round trips prescribed by the Director over the waters for which application is made on oceangoing vessels, in company with a United States Registered Pilot or Temporary Registered Pilot, and in accordance with the Apprentice Pilot's approved individual training plan;

(2) Completed the approved course of instruction for Apprentice Pilots prescribed by the association authorized to establish the pilotage pool; and

(3) After completing the requirements in paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section, satisfactorily completed a written examination prescribed by the Director, evidencing their knowledge and understanding of the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960, Great Lakes Pilotage Regulations, Rules and Orders; the Memorandum of Understanding, Great Lakes Pilotage, between the United States and Canada; and other related matters including the working rules and operating procedures of the district, given at such time and place as the Director may designate within the pilotage district of the Apprentice Pilot.

(c) The pilot association authorized to establish a pilotage pool in which an Apprentice Pilot has qualified for registration under paragraph (b) of this section must submit to the Director, in writing, its recommendations together with its reasons for or against the registration of the Apprentice Pilot.

(d) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section, an Apprentice Pilot found to be qualified under this subpart may be considered fully registered and issued a Certificate of Registration, valid for a term of five (5) years or until the expiration of their Master, Mate, or Pilot endorsement, or until the Pilot reaches age 70, whichever occurs first.

[29 FR 10465, July 28, 1964] Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 401.220, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.

(a) The Director may, when necessary to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable pilotage service for maritime commerce, issue a Temporary Registration to any person found qualified under this subpart who:

(1) Holds a valid MMC;

(2) Meets the requirements of 46 CFR 401.210 (except paragraph (a)(5));

(3) Has previously held a Full Registration;

(4) Meets the requirements of 46 CFR part 16; and

(5) Either:

(i) Has reached the age of 70 and desires to continue providing pilotage services; or

(ii) Has retired from pilotage service and desires to provide pilotage services.

(b) A Temporary Registration is valid for a length of time to be determined by the Director, but not to exceed 1 year from the date of issuance.

[USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76349, Sept. 17, 2024]

(a) A Certificate of Registration must describe the areas and routes of the Great Lakes within which the Pilot is authorized to perform pilotage services, and such description must be consistent with the terms of the pilotage authorization in their Master, Mate, or Pilot endorsement issued under the authority of Title 46 of the United States Code.

(b) A Certificate of Registration does not authorize the holder to board any vessel, or to serve as a Pilot of any vessel, without the permission of the owner or Master. A Certificate of Registration must be in the possession of a Pilot at all times when they are in the service of a vessel, and must be displayed upon demand of the owner or Master, any United States Coast Guard officer or inspector, or a representative of the Director.

(c) A Certificate of Registration evidencing registration of the holder is the property of the U.S. Coast Guard, and it may not be pledged, deposited, or surrendered to any person except as authorized by this part. A Certificate of Registration may not be copied or digitally reproduced, or be used to make a facsimile or Photostat. A Certificate which has expired without renewal, or renewal of which has been denied under the provisions of this section, must be surrendered to the Director upon demand.

(d) An application for a replacement of a lost, damaged, or defaced Certificate of Registration must be submitted to the Director, on a Form CG-4509, together with two full-face passport style photographs, signed on the photo, vertically, as close to the head as possible. A replacement fee of five dollars ($5) by check or money order, drawn to the order of the U.S. Coast Guard, must accompany any such application. A Certificate issued as a replacement for a lost, damaged, or defaced Certificate will be marked so as to indicate that it is a replacement. Upon receipt of a Certificate issued as a replacement, the damaged or defaced Certificate must be surrendered to the Director.

(e) A Certificate of Registration may be voluntarily surrendered to the Director by a U.S. Registered Pilot at any time such Pilot no longer desires to perform pilotage services; however, in the event such U.S. Registered Pilot has been served with a notice of hearing pursuant to § 401.250, a voluntary surrender of the Certificate of Registration will be at the option of the Director.

[USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76349, Sept. 17, 2024]

(a) An application for renewal of a Certificate of Registration must be submitted to the Director, on a Form CG-4509, together with two full-face passport style photographs, signed on the photo, vertically, as close to the head as possible, at least 15 days before the expiration date of the existing Certificate. The form for renewal of Certificates of Registration may be obtained from the Director. A renewal fee of five dollars ($5) by check or money order, drawn to the order of the U.S. Coast Guard, must accompany an application for renewal of registration, which will be refunded if registration is not renewed. Failure of a U.S. Registered Pilot to comply with these requirements or file a complete and sufficient application may constitute cause for denying renewal of the Certificate of Registration.

(b) No Certificate of Registration will be renewed unless the applicant for renewal meets the requirements and qualifications set forth in § 401.210 for issuance of an original Certificate of Registration, excepting that compliance with § 401.210(a)(4) is not required if the examination was satisfactorily passed on a previous application for registration within six (6) months next preceding the date of application for renewal.

(c) If the Director determines that there is good cause for denying renewal of a Certificate of Registration, the applicant must be notified in writing of such determination and the cause thereof. The applicant may thereupon apply within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of such notice for a hearing in regard to the cause for the denying of a renewal of the Certificate, which hearing must be granted.

(d) In any case in which the applicant has made timely and sufficient application for renewal of their registration, no such registration will expire until such application has been finally determined by the Director unless the public health, interest, or safety requires otherwise.

(e) Upon receipt of a renewal Certificate of Registration, the expired Certificate must be surrendered to the Director.

[USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76350, Sept. 17, 2024]

(a) A Certificate of Registration issued pursuant to the provisions of this part may be suspended or revoked upon a determination on the record, after opportunity for a hearing in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 551 through 559), that the Pilot (holder) has violated any provision of this chapter or is no longer eligible for registration.

(b) When a Certificate of Registration which is about to expire is suspended, the renewal of such certificate may be withheld until the expiration of the period of suspension.

(c) Whenever the public health, interest, or safety requires, the Director may deny a Registered Pilot dispatch for a period not to exceed 30 days pending investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard or other agency having jurisdiction in the matter.

(d) Every U.S. Registered Pilot must, whenever their MMC officer endorsement is revoked or suspended under the provisions of part 5 of this title, deliver their Certificate of Registration simultaneously with their MMC to the U.S. Coast Guard. If the officer endorsement is suspended, the Certificate of Registration will be held with the suspended officer endorsement and returned to the holder upon expiration of the suspension period.

[32 FR 14221, Oct. 13, 1967, as amended by CGFR 68-57, 33 FR 6478, Apr. 27, 1968; 61 FR 5721, Feb. 14, 1996. Redesignated at 61 FR 32655, June 25, 1996, and further redesignated and amended by USCG-1998-3976, 63 FR 35139, 35140, June 29, 1998; USCG-2002-13058, 67 FR 61279, Sept. 30, 2002; USCG-2006-24371, 74 FR 11267, Mar. 16, 2009; USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76350, Sept. 17, 2024]

(a) A marine accident that occurs while a United States Registered Pilot, Apprentice Pilot, Apprentice Pilot with Limited Registration, or Temporary Registered Pilot is providing pilotage service to a vessel in United States or Canadian waters of the Great Lakes must be reported in writing by the Pilot to the Director as soon as possible, but not later than 15 days after the accident. The written report must include:

(1) Name and description of the vessel or vessels involved;

(2) Description of the accident;

(3) Type of accident;

(4) Location;

(5) Time of occurrence;

(6) Prevailing weather;

(7) Results of the Pilot's post-casualty drug and alcohol test, if required;

(8) Damage to the vessel or vessels or property; and

(9) Injury to persons or lives lost.

(b) The report in paragraph (a) of this section does not relieve the Pilot or others of responsibility for submitting any report required by other Coast Guard regulations or other government agencies of the United States or Canada.

(c) Every United States Registered Pilot, Apprentice Pilot, Apprentice Pilot with Limited Registration, and Temporary Registered Pilot must file with the Director any change of their mailing address, email address, or phone number within 15 days after the change.

[USCG-2022-0025, 89 FR 76350, Sept. 17, 2024]