46 USC § 7508 - Authority to extend the duration of medical certificates

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s7508"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 7508 - Authority to extend the duration of medical certificates"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "7508"
section_name: "Authority to extend the duration of medical certificates"
chapter_number: 75
chapter_name: "GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, AND DOCUMENTATION"
part_number: "E"
part_name: "Merchant Seamen Licenses, Certificates, and Documents"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 112–213, title III, § 306(a), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1565; amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8505(b)(6), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4751.)"
---


# § 7508. Authority to extend the duration of medical certificates

**(a)** **Granting of Extensions.—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may extend for not more than one year a medical certificate issued to an individual holding a license, merchant mariner’s document, or certificate of registry issued under chapter 71 or 73 if the Secretary determines that the extension is required to enable the Coast Guard to eliminate a backlog in processing applications for medical certificates or is in response to a national emergency or natural disaster.

**(b)** **Manner of Extension.—** An extension under this section may be granted to an individual or a specifically identified group of individuals.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 112–213, title III, § 306(a), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1565; amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8505(b)(6), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4751.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b).  substituted “an individual or a specifically identified group of individuals” for “individual seamen or a specifically identified group of seamen”.