46 C.F.R. Subpart H—Registration of Staff Officers
Title 46 - Shipping
This subpart provides for the registration of staff officers for employment on vessels documented or numbered under the laws of the United States. Staff officers must be registered if serving on most vessels in ocean service or on the Great Lakes. Staff officers are registered in the following grades: (a) Chief purser. (b) Purser. (c) Senior assistant purser. (d) Junior assistant purser. (e) Medical doctor. (f) Professional nurse. (a) The applicant for a certificate of registry as staff officer is not required to take any examination; however, the applicant shall present to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection a letter justifying the need for the certificate of registry. (b) The applicant must hold or apply for a merchant mariner's document. (c) Endorsements for a higher grade are not made on certificates of registry. An applicant for a higher grade in the staff department shall apply in the same manner as for an original certificate of registry and shall surrender the certificate upon issuance of the new certificate of registry. A person holding a certificate of registry as staff officer may serve in a lower grade of a service for which he or she is registered. (d) Title 46 U.S.C. 8302 addresses uniforms for staff officers who are members of the Naval Reserve. (e) A duplicate certificate of registry may be issued by the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection. (See §10.219.) (f) A certificate of registry is valid for a term of 5 years from the date of issuance. Procedures for renewing certificates of registry are found in §10.209. (g) Each applicant for an original certificate of registry or a higher grade of certificate of registry, as described by paragraph (c) of this section, shall produce evidence of having passed a chemical test for dangerous drugs or of qualifying for an exception from testing in §16.220 of this subchapter. An applicant who fails a chemical test for dangerous drugs will not be issued a certificate of registry. [CGD 81–059, 52 FR 38623, Oct. 16, 1987, as amended by CGD 81–059, 54 FR 144, Jan. 4, 1989; CGD 91–211, 59 FR 49300, Sept. 27, 1994; CGD 91–223, 60 FR 4525, Jan. 23, 1995; USCG-2004–18884, 69 FR 58342, Sept. 30, 2004; USCG–2004–18884, 69 FR 68089, Nov. 23, 2004] (a) The applicant for a certificate of registry as staff officer shall submit evidence of experience as follows: (1) Chief purser. Two years of service aboard vessels performing duties relating to work in the purser's office. (2) Purser. One year of service aboard vessels performing duties relating to work in the purser's office. (3) Senior assistant purser. Six months of service aboard vessels performing duties relating to work in purser's office. (4) Junior assistant purser. Previous experience not required. (5) Medical doctor. A valid license as physician or surgeon issued under the authority of a state or territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia. (6) Professional nurse. A valid license as a registered nurse issued under authority of a state or territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia. (b) Employment on shore in connection with ship's business may be accepted in lieu of service aboard vessels. Related shore employment is accepted in the ratio of two months of shore service to count as one month of service aboard vessels. (c) In computing the length of service required of an applicant for a certificate of registry, service of one season on vessels on the Great Lakes is counted as service of one year. (d) In the event an applicant for a certificate of registry, other than medical doctor or professional nurse, presents evidence of other qualifications which, in the opinion of the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, is equivalent to the experience requirements of this section and is consistent with the duties of a staff officer, the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection may issue the certificate of registry. An applicant for rating to be endorsed on a certificate of registry shall submit evidence of experience as follows: (a) Marine physician assistant. Successful completion of an accredited course of instruction for a physician's assistant or nurse practitioner program. (b) Hospital corpsman. A rating of at least hospital corpsman or health services technician, first class in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, or an equivalent rating in the U.S. Army (not less than staff sergeant, Medical Department, U.S.A.), or in the U.S. Air Force (not less than technical sergeant, Medical Department, U.S.A.F.), and a period of satisfactory service of at least one month in a military hospital or U.S. Public Health Service Hospital.
Title 46: Shipping
PART 10—LICENSING OF MARITIME PERSONNEL
Subpart H—Registration of Staff Officers
§ 10.801 Applicability.
§ 10.803 Grades of certificates issued.
§ 10.805 General requirements.
§ 10.807 Experience requirements for registry.
§ 10.809 Experience requirements for ratings endorsed on certificate of registry.
§ 10.811 [Reserved]
