Printer Friendly Page

MarAd issues TWIC memo (4/3)

The U.S. Maritime Administration recently issued the following memo concerning the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. Date: March 27, 2008 From: U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) To: U.S. Merchant Mariners Subject: Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Requirement By September 25, 2008, all USCG credentialed mariners will be required to hold a TWIC in order for their license, MMD, COR, or STCW endorsement to remain valid. Until then, if the vessel or facility has started TWIC compliance and enforcement, mariners may present an alternate identification (MMD or USCG license and valid photo identification or USCG COR and valid photo identification) to be eligible for unescorted access to secure areas of the vessel or facility. Failure to obtain a TWIC may result in suspension or revocation of a mariner’s credential under 46 U.S.C 7702 and 7703. TWIC was established by Congress through the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and is administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). TWICs are tamper-resistant biometric credentials that will be issued to workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports, vessels, outer continental shelf facilities and all credentialed merchant mariners. It is anticipated that more than 750,000 workers including longshoremen, truckers, port employees and others will be required to obtain a TWIC. To obtain a TWIC, an individual must visit an enrollment center where they will pay the enrollment fee, complete a TWIC Application Disclosure Form, provide biographic information and a complete set of fingerprints, and sit for a digital photograph. Pre-enrollment is recommended as it is designed to save the applicant time by enabling them to provide their biographical information and make an appointment for in-person enrollment. The cost for a TWIC is $132.50 and it is valid for five years. Mariners who already hold a USCG credential may pay a reduced fee of $105.25 however, their TWIC will then expire when their USCG credential expires. All of the information you will need to obtain a TWIC is available on TSA’s websites: - TSA TWIC Deployment website http://www.twicinformation.com/twicinfo/index.jsp o Schedule of when each Enrollment Center will commence operations o Enrollment Center addresses including maps, directions and hours of operation o Frequently Asked questions (including the TWIC Application Disclosure Form) o Link to the Pre-enrollment website (You are strongly recommended to Pre-Enroll) o Check card status and schedule pickup - TSA TWIC Homepage website http://www.tsa.gov/twic. o Small Entity Guide for Applicants o U.S. Coast Guard Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 03-07 o Link to the Pre-enrollment website (You are strongly recommended to Pre-Enroll) Both TSA and USCG have established Help Desks to address questions and concerns. - TSA's TWIC Program Help Desk 1-866-DHS-TWIC Credentialing@dhs.gov - USCG's TWIC Help Desk 1-877-MTSA-AID uscg-twic-helpdesk@uscg.mil ###