TWIC at FLIBS

The Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC) deadline is approaching (April 15th, 2009), and it’s time to get registered. If you’re attending this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, it should be easy.

The not-for-profit MIASF (Marine Industries Association of South Florida) is registering licensed captains for their TWIC cards at this year's show. The cost is $132.50 per person (same as the government price), and should only take a few minutes if you pre-register. You can do that here or by calling 1-866-347-TWIC (8942).

If you’ve got a license, you need to get a TWIC card. To make sure there is no confusion about what MIASF is offering, I’ve pasted their press release below.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (September 15, 2008) - During this year's 49th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) will host a Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC) Enrollment Center. The purpose of the Center is to facilitate registration of United States Coast Guard (USCG) licensed mariners and others who are required by recent changes in USCG regulations to have a TWIC and to also serve as a source of information and outreach for the program.

Marine Industries Association of South Florida, owners of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, recognized the important opportunity the world's largest boat show offers and is working in collaboration with the USCG to organize the enrollment center that will be located in the Marine Professionals, Inc. (MPI) headquarters in the South West corner of the Seabreeze building at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center. The EnrollmentCenter will open on Wednesday, October 29th through Sunday November 2nd from 10 am to 6 pm and on Monday November 3rd from 10 am to 4 pm.

TWIC is an identification credential for all personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas of Maritime Transportation Security Administration (MTSA)-regulated facilities and vessels, and all United States mariners holding Coast Guard-issued credentials. "All U.S. Licensed merchant mariners need to get a TWIC regardless if they access a port or a secure facility," says Steve Krivdo, Port Security Specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard. "Many licensed mariners don't realize they need to get the TWIC." The TWIC compliance date for mariners and facilities located within the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Zone of Miami, which encompasses the Northern Keys to Fort Pierce, is January 13, 2009.

The cost of the TWIC is $132.50 and is payable by Credit Card, Money Order or Certified Check. Pre-registration is encouraged as it will reduce the enrollment process to approximately 10 minutes when the applicant is prepared with approved identification.

Those mariners planning to utilize the FLIBS TWIC Enrollment Center are encouraged to visit
Transportation Worker Identification Credential or call 1-866-347-TWIC (8942) and take advantage of the pre-enrollment opportunity.

The MIASF is a not-for-profit marine trade organization created in 1961 to promote and protect the sound growth of the marine industry in South Florida for the benefit and education of its members, the community and the environment. The Association has 850 members in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach Counties and is the owner of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

TWIC Compliance Date Moved Back

As if we didn't already have enough to worry about on Tax Day. The Department of Homeland Security has moved the final date for Transportation Workers ID Card (TWIC) compliance from September 25, 2008, to April 15th, 2009. Although this does give us all more time to get our cards—I'm waiting for a sunny New York morning to walk down to the Coast Guard Station at Battery Park, but it's raining right now—it also means that a good deal of us will still put it off. Of course, you can go through both TWIC and tax processes early, and it's not a bad idea. Just thinking of the madhouse it will be on the 15th. Maybe it'll be better weather tomorrow...For the full article, click here.

For more on TWIC, stayed tuned to this blog and check out my earlier post here. Also inform yourself at the TSA's TWIC website.

Attention: Government IDs for All Captains and Crew

Everyone who holds a U.S. captain’s license, STCW certification, or COR document must now also obtain a Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC). The TSA has already required the card to be carried by longshoreman and other dockworkers who require access to secure areas and plans for all those possessing merchant mariner documents to get a TWIC by the end of September, 2008.

TWICs, which contain a biometric chip as well as a photo, bar code, and magnetic strip, currently cost $132.50 and are good for five years. The rate is slightly reduced for applicants who have already passed the background review of their criminal history records, immigration status, and affiliation with terrorist groups. You can find a list of TWIC enrollment centers, and you can find answers to your questions regarding the TWIC program by calling the U.S. Coast Guard helpdesk at 866-347-8942 (the 877-687-2243 number given on their web site is for enforcement questions only) or at the TSA’s TWIC program’s Frequently Asked Questions page. You can get a copy of the application form here.

We’ll be reminding you about this as the final date for applications becomes firm. As I go through the process, I'll keep you updated on my progress, and let you know about and hassles or any "streamlined efficiencies" that I encounter.