Effective Monday, May 18, 2026, all regional examination centers (RECs) and monitoring units (MUs) except for REC New Orleans and MU San Juan will return to routine operations, including availability to schedule examinations for all mariners.
REC New Orleans will remain temporarily closed to walk-in and counter service, but their examination room will reopen for scheduling and conducting mariner examinations. MU San Juan remains closed temporarily but will provide examination services on a limited basis as noted in our May 5, 2026 announcement.
Mariners are strongly encouraged to monitor the NMC website for updates regarding processing times, REC operations, and policy adjustments as operations stabilize. For ongoing updates, sign up for the NMC list server by scanning the QR code in the PDF bulletin.
For questions or assistance scheduling mariner exams, contact our Customer Service Center via the NMC online chat system on the NMC website, , or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Drayer
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard
Officer in Charge, Marine Inspections