General
Eligibility
Enrollment
Fees
Card Issuance
TWIC Locations
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General
What is a TWIC?
The purpose of the TWIC (Transportation Workers Identification Credential) is to ensure that ONLY authorized personnel who have successfully completed a security threat assessment have unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA regulated maritime facilities and vessels.
How will the TWIC be used?
The Coast Guard will verify TWIC’s when conducting vessel and facility inspections and during spot checks using a hand-held scanner to ensure all credentials are valid. Workers will be required to present their cards to authorized personnel who will compare the holder to his or her photo, inspect security features on the TWIC and evaluate the cards for signs of tampering.
What are the compliance dates?
Beginning May 1, 2008 all new MSC applicants will need to include a copy of their Transportation Workers Identification Credential with their application. Applications received after May 1, 2008 will not be processed without this credential.
Who can I contact to get more information?
The TSA is responsible for conducting background checks, reviewing waivers and appeals, card issuance, revocation and renewal.
TSA TWIC Program Help Desk can be reached at 1-866-DHS-TWIC (1-866-347-8942). The help desk will be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m. EST.
The Coast Guard is responsible for enforcing the TWIC program as an access control measure and incorporating compliance into existing inspection policies.
USCGs TWIC Help Desk can be reached at 1-877-MTSA-AID. You may also correspond by email at uscg-twic-helpdesk@uscg.mil.
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Eligibility
Do I need to get a TWIC if I already have a Common Access Card (CAC)?
Yes, possession of a Common Access Card (CAC) does not satisfy the requirement for mariners to possess a TWIC.
Who must get a TWIC?
Possession of a TWIC is required for an individual to be eligible to unescorted access to secure areas of vessels and facilities. The term secure area is defined as the area over which the owner/operator has implemented security measures for access control in accordance with their security plan.
- All active credentialed U.S. Merchant Mariners. This includes all persons holding a Coast Guard issued Merchant Mariner License, Merchant Mariner Document or Certificate of Registry.
- Anyone allowed or requiring unescorted access to secure areas of U.S. flagged vessels, facilities, and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) facilities subject to 33 CFT parts 104, 105 and 106 respectively. This may include port facility employees, longshoremen and truck drivers if they require unescorted access to secure areas to perform their duties.
- All vessel pilots
- All individuals working aboard towing vessels that push-pull or haul alongside tank vessels.
Who can apply for a TWIC?
The following individuals are eligible to apply for a TWIC:
- Any citizen of the United States
- A lawful permanent resident of the United States
- A refugee admitted under 8 U.S.C. 1157
- An alien granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158
- See www.tsa.gov for additional information
Will a non-U.S. citizen be able to get a TWIC?
Yes, however, to be considered for employment with MSC, you must be a U.S. cititzen.
What can disqualify me from getting a TWIC?
An individual who lacks lawful presence and certain immigration status in the United States, has a connection to terrorist activity, has been determined to lack mental capacity, or was convicted of certain crimes will be ineligible for a TWIC. See www.tsa.gov for a list of disqualifying crimes.
What if I do not meet the qualification standards?
Applicants who are denied a TWIC will be notified of the reason for denial and instructed on how to apply for an appeal or waiver. All CIVMAR’s are required to have a TWIC card.
What does the security threat assessment consist of?
The assessment includes checks against criminal history records, terrorist watch lists, and immigration status. If no adverse information is disclosed, TSA typically completes a security threat assessment in less than ten days. However, processing time increases for an applicant with a criminal history or other disqualifying information, and is further lengthened if the applicant initiates an appeal or waiver. This security threat assessment is the same for those applying for, transferring, or renewing a HAZMAT endorsement (HME) on their state-issued commercial drivers licenses (CDL).
Will the results of my threat assessment be shared with my employer?
If TSA determines that an applicant poses an imminent threat to transportation or national security, TSA may notify the applicant’s employer. Generally, TSA will not provide the reasons for a disqualification to an employer.
What if I have already completed a comparable security threat assessment?
A reduced fee of $105.25 will be made available for applicants who will not require the security threat assessment. The reduced fee is available for the following:
- Applicants who hold a valid Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) issued after May 31, 2005.
- Applicants who hold a valid Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card.
- Applicants who hold a Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) issued after February 3, 2003, or
- Applicants who hold a Merchant Mariner License (MML) issued after January 13, 2006
For those applicants seeking to pay the reduced fee, they must present their HME, FAST card, MMD or MML at the time of enrollment.
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Enrollment
What is the enrollment process?
The enrollment process consists of 5 components:
- Pre-Enrollment (Optional)
- Enrollment (includes signing the Application Disclosure Form)
- Fee Collection
- Security Threat Assessment
- Notification of results / issuance of the TWIC to the applicant (Applicant will be required to return to the original site of enrollment to pick up their TWIC, they will NOT be mailed, or sent to another location)
Where do I enroll?
Click on the following link to see all open enrollment centers: http://www.tsa.gov/assets/doc/twic_enrollment_centers.doc
What is pre-enrollment?
Applicants are encouraged to “pre-enroll” online to reduce the time needed to complete the entire enrollment process at an enrollment center. The pre-enrollment process allows applicants to provide much of the biographic information required for enrollment and to select an enrollment center where they wish to complete the enrollment.
The web address for pre-enrollment and all additional information relating to the TWIC program is www.tsa.gov/twic.
Are appointments required for enrolling?
No, appointments are encouraged to save applicants time, but are not required and walk-ins are welcome.
How long does enrolling take?
The enrollment process for a pre-enrolled applicant is expected to take approximately 10 minutes. The enrollment process for an individual who chose not to pre-enroll is expected to take approximately 15 minutes.
What documents are required for getting a TWIC?
Applicants must provide the appropriate documents in order to verify their identity. They must provide one document from list A, or two documents from list B, one of which must be a government-issued photo ID:
List A
- Unexpired passport
- Merchant Mariner Document – Z Card
- Free and Secure Trade (FAST) Card
List B
- U.S. Certification of Citizenship (N-560, 561)
- Driver’s license or ID card issued by a State or outlying possession of the United States
- Voter’s registration card
- U.S. Social Security Card
- Original or certified copy of birth certificate issued by a State, county, municipal authority, or outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal.
The TSA web site www.tsa.gov contains a complete list of qualifying documents an applicant must bring to the enrollment center to verify identity so that all applicants can be properly prepared. The same documents required by the USCG for issuing a MMD or license will be required for TWIC enrollment. The TSA will scan these documents into the enrollment record, which will be forwarded to the Coast Guard.
At the enrollment center, applicants who pre-enroll must provide the following:
- Documents verifying their identity
- Confirmation that the information provided during pre-enrollment is correct
- Submit their biometric identifiers (fingerprints from each hand and a digital photograph will be submitted to the FBI for the Criminal History Records Check)
- Sign the enrollment document
If the applicant fails to sign the consent form or does not have the required documents to authenticate identity, enrollment will not be processed.
All information collected at the enrollment center or during the pre-enrollment process, including the signed privacy consent form and identity documents are scanned into the TSA system for storage. All information is encrypted using methods that protect the information for unauthorized retrieval or use.
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Fees
How much will it cost to get a TWIC card?
Standard Fee $132.50: The fee an applicant would pay to obtain or renew a TWIC and contains the following segments:
- Enrollment Segment (referred to as the “Information Collection / Credential Issuance Fee”)
- Full card Production / Security Threat Assessment (STA)
- FBI segment
A Standard TWIC will be good for 5 years.
Reduced Fee $105.25: The fee an applicant would pay to obtain a TWIC when the applicant has already undergone a comparable threat assessment in connection with an HME, a FAST card, or holds an MMD or License. The reduced fee is made up of the following segments:
- Enrollment Segment (referred to as the “Information Collection / Credential Issuance Fee”)
- Full card Production / Security Threat Assessment (STA)
THE TSA will NOT accept personal checks as a form of payment. Payment must be made with a credit card, money order or cashier’s check ONLY.
The TWIC enrollment fee is non-refundable, even if the threat assessment results in denying a TWIC to the applicant
If I have a comparable security threat assessment, how do I determine which fee is more economical – the reduced fee or the 5 year fee?
It is most beneficial for applicants who will use a comparable security threat assessment and pay the reduced fee to do so within 12 months of receiving the comparable threat assessment. After 12 months, it is more cost effective to pay the full fee for TSA to complete the security threat assessment and issue a TWIC with an expiration date 5 years from the date of issuance.
What are the methods of payment?
Payment must be made with a credit card (Visa or MasterCard only), money order, or certified/cashier’s check. Checks should be made payable to Lockheed Martin.
What is the fee for a replacement card?
Card Replacement Fee $60: The fee an applicant would pay to replace a credential that has been lost, stolen, or damaged and is made up of the Card Replacement segment only.
A Reduced Fee or replacement TWIC will expire at the same time as the HME, FAST, MMD or License which was used to bypass the FBI CHRC
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Card Issuance
How will the cards be issued?
The applicant will be notified by email or phone, as specified during enrollment, when his/her credential is available at the enrollment center. The applicant must return to the same enrollment center to pick up his/her TWIC.
How long is the TWIC card good for?
TWICs remain valid for five years, unless the expiration date was based on a comparable credential (FAST card, Merchant Mariner Document or Hazmat Endorsement). The expiration date is displayed on the face of the credential and TWIC holders will be responsible for renewal. For applicants who pay the reduced fee, the expiration date of their TWIC will be 5 years from the date listed on the credential associated with the comparable security threat assessment.
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TWIC Locations
Open TWIC Enrollment Centers: http://twicinformation.tsa.dhs.gov/twicinfo/schedule.jsp?d-16544-p=1
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