Contact: National Maritime Center
(202) 493-1000

UPDATED:

COAST GUARD RESTORES SERVICES TO MARINERS FROM GULF COAST
WITHIN 30 DAYS OF HURRICANE KATRINA

WASHINGTON -- The Coast Guard has opened temporary offices in Morgan City, La., and Memphis, Tenn., to provide services to mariners affected by the closure of the Regional Examination Center in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The Morgan City office accepts completed applications and offers fingerprinting services, identity verification, and administration of oaths for mariners.

The Coast Guard's temporary full-service REC in Memphis is staffed by employees from the REC in New Orleans that flooded after Katrina. This office is dedicated to restoring services to mariners from the Gulf Coast who were affected by Katrina.

These new offices were opened to quickly restore services to mariners from the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. When recovery efforts in New Orleans permit unlimited entry into the city, a new office will open in the New Orleans area.

In a further effort to assist mariners affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Commandant of the Coast Guard has waived user fees for duplicate credentials to replace those lost as a result of the hurricane. The waiver only applies to mariners whose homes of record are in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama and who apply for a duplicate credential before Feb. 28, 2006. The duplicate document will show the same qualifications and bear the same expiration date as the original credential. All other regulatory requirements for issuance of a duplicate credential remain in effect. Mariners meeting the criteria who have already paid the user fee for a duplicate credential may apply to the issuing REC for a refund. A notice of the above waiver will be published in the Federal Register.

The Morgan City office is located at 800 David Dr., Morgan City, La., 70380. It is open Tuesday to Thursday from 8:00 to 5:00.  Applicants may reach the office by phone at (985) 380-5150 or by fax at (985) 380-5379.

The Memphis office is located at 200 Jefferson Ave., Suite 1301, Memphis, Tenn., 38103 and may be contacted by phone at (901) 544-3941 (select "1" for New Orleans REC) or by fax at (901) 544-3172. The office is open weekdays from 8:00 to 4:00 and closed from noon to 1:00 (2:00 on Wednesday). The office will also be closed on the last Wednesday of each month. Both offices will be closed on all federal holidays.