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Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73

§7509 Medical certification by trusted agents

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Vessels and Seamen › Part Part E— - Merchant Seamen Licenses, Certificates, and Documents › Chapter CHAPTER 75— - GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, AND DOCUMENTATION › § 7509

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Trusted agents may give medical certificates to people who need one to get a mariner license, a certificate of registry, or a merchant mariner’s document or endorsement. The trusted agent must decide the person meets the required vision, hearing, and physical-health standards to do the job. The Secretary will write the rules for this program. The final rules must let the Secretary who oversees the Coast Guard issue certificates if a mariner applies to the Secretary and must let a trusted agent defer the decision to the Secretary. A trusted agent is a medical practitioner the Secretary approves to do these exams.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §7509

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law and pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary, a trusted agent may issue a medical certificate to an individual who—
(1)must hold such certificate to qualify for a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document, or endorsement thereto under this part; and
(2)is qualified as to sight, hearing, and physical condition to perform the duties of such license, certificate, document, or endorsement, as determined by the trusted agent.
(b)A final rule implementing this section shall include a process for—
(1)the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue medical certificates to mariners who submit applications for such certificates to the Secretary; and
(2)a trusted agent to defer to the Secretary the issuance of a medical certificate.
(c)In this section the term “trusted agent” means a medical practitioner certified by the Secretary to perform physical examinations of an individual for purposes of a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document under this part.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Implementation Deadline Pub. L. 114–120, title III, § 309(b), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 57, provided that: “Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Feb. 8, 2016], the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall issue a final rule implementing section 7509 of title 46, United States Code, as added by this section.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 7509

Title 46 — Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73