Guidance on License Renewals - Federal Maritime Commission
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Guidance on License Renewals

OTI License Renewals

Ocean Freight Forwarders and NVOCCs are required to renew their licenses. The license renewal deadline is determined by the last and next to last digit of the license number. The initial renewal period will be no less than 12 months and no greater than 48 months from the initial effective date of the license – subsequent renewals will be due every three years. See the tables below for the renewal deadline schedule or look-up the license renewal deadline on the OTI list found on the FMC website.

License renewal notices will be sent via email each month based on the license renewal deadline, therefore it is important that licensees ensure the Commission has an up-to-date email address. Licensees can provide updated email addresses to the Commission by sending an email with the preferred email address to oti@fmc.gov.

  • Email notifications will be sent 100-days in advance of the license renewal deadline.
  • The email notification will contain:
    • a username,
    • password, and
    • a link to the license renewal site.
  • Once logged in, the licensee will have the option of self-completing or assigning the license renewal to a third party (attorney or FMC practitioner).
  • A pre-populated page with information currently on file with the Commission will be presented to the user to be confirmed or updated
  • There is no fee for license renewal.
FMC License number ending in: Must file by the last day of:
1 January
2 February
3 March
4 April
5 May
6 June
7 July
8 August
9 September
0 October

 

Second to Last Digit of the FMC License: Renewal Year(s)
1, 2, 3 2017 2020 2023 2026 2029 2032 2035
4, 5, 6 2018 2021 2024 2027 2030 2033 2036
7, 8, 9, 0 2019 2022 2025 2028 2031 2034 2037

 

Foreign-based Registered NVOCC Renewals

Non-U.S.-based NVOCCs are not required to obtain an FMC-issued license. If they choose to obtain an FMC-issued license, they should follow the renewal process outlined above.

Any foreign-based NVOCCs not licensed by the Commission is required to register with the Commission by completing a registration Form FMC-65 and submitting it to the Bureau of Certification and Licensing. Registrations are effective for a period of three (3) years.

Renewals will be completed using the online Form FMC-65. The first renewals will begin in August 2016. Registered NVOCCs will receive an email notice no more than 30 days prior to their renewal date with instructions on how to log into the online filing system. There is no fee for renewal.

How to Confirm Registration Renewal Dates: All foreign-based NVOCCs registered with the FMC to provide services in the U.S. foreign oceanborne trades, are listed on the FMC’s Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTI) List. This List also includes the date by which each foreign registered NVOCC must renew its registration with the FMC.

Updates on the status of the renewal process and online form will be posted here.

Who Can I Contact with Questions?

For questions on the renewal process:

Phone: 202-523-5843

E-mail: oti@fmc.gov