It’s a bit unclear if these are the deadlines to actually have a TWIC, or if these deadlines only apply to secure access. The difference between those two things has been the source of so much confusion, and the USCG has done very little to set anyone on the course to enlightenment.
These dates supersede any renewal dates on your credential. This means that you must get a TWIC before your credential expires if the TWIC deadline comes before your ticket is up for renewal.
My guess is that if you have applied for TWIC by the deadline, you will be granted some leeway, but don’t risk it. The old way of doing things is over. Everything is now centralized at the National Maritime Center (NMC), and you should forget about appealing to your local Regional Exam Center (REC), ’cause its history! There may be some battles for us to fight in the future, but the TWIC isn’t one of them.
Will there be a bunch of guys who don’t comply with the deadlines? You bet. Probably huge numbers. But do you really want to part of the “test case population”?
October 31, 2008: Buffalo – Duluth – Detroit – Lake Michigan – Sault Ste. Marie
November 28, 2008: Corpus Christi – Port Arthur – North Carolina – Cape Fear River
December 1, 2008: Long Island Sound – Charleston – Savannah – Jacksonville
December 30, 2008: Baltimore – Delaware Bay – Mobile – Pittsburgh – Ohio Valley – Lower Mississippi River – San Diego
February 09: Honolulu – South East Alaska/ Prince William Sound/Western Alaska – Puget Sound Portland(OR )- San Francisco Bay
