A United States Coast Guard Charter Boat Captain's Credential refers to the deck officer qualifications on a Merchant Mariners Credential which is a small book that looks similar to a passport and is issued by United States Coast Guard for professional mariners in the United States commanding commercial passenger vessels up to 100 gross tons as a Master, captain or skipper.
To obtain an OUPV Credential, 360 days’ experience on Inland or Near Coastal waters is required.
It is commonly referred to as a "launch tender license," as one of its most popular uses is to ferry boaters to and from their yacht club dock to their own boat on a mooring.
To obtain an OUPV Limited Credential, one must demonstrate 90 days within the past 3 years on a vessel of appropriate tonnage and type.
The Master, 100 Ton License allows the licensee to operate Coast Guard inspected vessels of up to 100GT, or may be granted in 50GT or 25GT increments.
In order to qualify for a Master, 100/50/25 Ton license, one must demonstrate at least 720 days of service (90 within the past 3 years) on any vessel.