License Deferment

**jmack383** · July 20th, 2011, 12:51 AM

I know have seen it on here before but I need help finding out to delay the mailing of a license until my current one is expired.

**Cal** · July 20th, 2011, 05:31 AM

Delayed Issuance Bulletin

**Jolly Tar** · July 20th, 2011, 02:31 PM

STAY on top of this. I opted for the delayed issuance and had even asked how well it was working out KNOWING The Bureacracy involved...."All Good, it's been happening smoothly"
Fast forward to TWO weeks before expiration: "Not fer nothing but I still got no credential in my hands, just saying" Further inquiry wold reveal that it was on target for a MAY issuance instead of the required MARCH issuance. Good thing I followed up on it.

**Capt. Phoenix** · July 20th, 2011, 03:04 PM

Because this Deferment process is just sooo much simpler than just issuing a new license with an expiration date 5 years after the old one. So what if you get 5 years and 3 months? Big deal, if you apply in July for a renewal of a license that expires in October then they should just issue your new license to expire in October five years in the future. Apparently the simple solution is too complex for the NMC...

**jdcavo** · July 20th, 2011, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Capt. Schmitt

Because this Deferment process is just sooo much simpler than just issuing a new license with an expiration date 5 years after the old one. So what if you get 5 years and 3 months? Big deal, if you apply in July for a renewal of a license that expires in October then they should just issue your new license to expire in October five years in the future. Apparently the simple solution is too complex for the NMC...

It ain't that simple, and it's not up to the NMC. First, Congress has said a license is good for five years,so a change to the US Code is needed. Congress did give the authority to extend the date of an expiring license, but not to issue one with an expiration date of more than 5 years.

There's also a legal issue, one that may confirm many' people's opinions of lawyers. To revoke a license for negligence, the mariner has to be "operating under the authority" of the license. So if someone screws up bad in the last few days of their old license, we can't take the new one away. Or so the lawyers have opined...

**Jeffrox** · July 20th, 2011, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by jdcavo

It ain't that simple, and it's not up to the NMC. First, Congress has said a license is good for five years,so a change to the US Code is needed. Congress did give the authority to extend the date of an expiring license, but not to issue one with an expiration date of more than 5 years.

There's also a legal issue, one that may confirm many' people's opinions of lawyers. To revoke a license for negligence, the mariner has to be "operating under the authority" of the license. So if someone screws up bad in the last few days of their old license, we can't take the new one away. Or so the lawyers have opined...

last time I applied for renewal early, I had about a 4 month period where I held 2 licenses, 2 STCW Certs and 2 MMDs; all were valid and all showed-up on the USCG website.