Entry & progression
Governing: 46 CFR 10.109(a)(45), 11.201(k), 11.480. The radar ticket every US deck officer above small-boat level ends up holding.
What it is
Radar Observer is listed in 46 CFR 10.109(a)(45) as a national officer endorsement. It sits on your MMC alongside Master or Mate, not on the STCW page. It is proof that you completed a Coast Guard-approved radar course: 11.201(k) says applicants "must provide a certificate of completion from a Radar Observer course as required by § 11.480".
It is not a watchkeeping licence by itself. It is a qualification that other endorsements and manning rules call up.
The three grades
46 CFR 11.480(b)-(c):
| Endorsement | Where valid |
|---|---|
| Radar Observer-Unlimited | "valid on all waters" |
| Radar Observer-Inland Waters and GIWW | "only for those waters other than the Great Lakes covered by the Inland Navigational Rules" |
| Radar Observer-Rivers | "only on any river, canal, or similar body of water designated by the OCMI, but not beyond the boundary line" |
For yacht officers the answer is simple: take Unlimited. The others exist for towing and inland mariners.
How it is earned
11.480(d): "each applicant for a Radar Observer endorsement or for renewal of a Radar Observer endorsement must complete the appropriate course approved by the Coast Guard, receive the appropriate certificate of training, and provide the certificate or a copy ... to the Coast Guard in person, by mail, or other electronic means."
There is no separate Coast Guard radar examination. The approved course carries its own practical and written assessments. Approved providers publish the course length; one lists 50 hours, another 5 days. Content is covered in Lesson 2.1.
Where it is demanded
- Carriage - 46 CFR 15.815: deck officers of radar-equipped inspected vessels of 300 GRT or over, pilots, and towing vessel officers. Lesson 1.2.
- STCW OICNW 500 GT or more - Radar Observer is a listed approved-training subject, without condition (11.309(a)(4)(ii)).
- Smaller STCW deck endorsements - required "if serving on a vessel with this equipment" (11.317, 11.319, 11.321).
- Great Lakes and inland - any Master or Mate endorsement with a tonnage limit of 200 GRT or more (11.430(e)).
TIP - One course, several doors The Unlimited course satisfies the Radar Observer line in every STCW deck section and in 11.430(e). Taking a lesser grade to save a day usually costs a second course later.
Radar Observer and the STCW radar competence
STCW Table A-II/1 includes use of radar and ARPA to maintain safety of navigation. The US meets the radar part largely through the Radar Observer course and the OICNW assessments; ARPA is a separate training item with its own manning rule (15.816). Lesson 2.2 draws the line between them. The STCW deck endorsements themselves are covered in USCG STCW Deck: OICNW, Chief Mate and Master.
CAUTION - A course certificate is not the endorsement Until the certificate has been submitted and the endorsement printed on the MMC, you hold a course certificate, not a Radar Observer endorsement. Since 22 July 2024, the "certificate within 5 years" fallback in 15.815(d) no longer applies.