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Maritime Transportation Security act (MTSA)

Who Needs A TWIC?

All individuals requiring unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA-regulated facilities and vessels must obtain a TWIC, including:

  • Coast Guard-credentialed merchant mariners;
  • Port facility employees;
  • Long shore workers;
  • Truck drivers;
  • Vessel pilots;
  • Individuals doing work on a towing vessel that pushes, pulls, or hauls alongside a tank vessel; and
  • Other individuals engaged in port security activities, as determined by DHS.

An employer may not require an employee to apply for a TWIC if the employee’s job does not require unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA-regulated facilities or vessels. TWIC applicants must show a good faith need for the TWIC in their application.

In order to obtain a TWIC, an applicant must make an appointment at an enrollment center, visit the enrollment center to complete the TWIC application, provide biographic information and fingerprints, pay the enrollment fee, and sit for a digital photograph. Once the application is processed, the TWIC is usually mailed directly to the applicant.