Membership Requirements

You can view or download a membership application here.

However, if you have not yet done so, we encourage you to first read all the information below.

NAMSGlobal Applicant Experience Credit and Qualifications Procedure

To be considered for NAMSGlobal membership, applicants must meet the criteria below and complete the application process.

You can view or download the information concerning the Associate and Apprentice Yacht & Small Craft Eduction Program here.

Please contact the NAMSGlobal National Office if you require additional information about membership.

Marine Surveying Experience Requirement

For Certified Marine Surveyor (CMS) status, the applicant must have at least five years of experience as a marine surveyor, with no less than fifty per cent of his or her business time devoted to the professional practice of hull, machinery, marine facility, cargo or yacht surveying. OR Applicants shall have no less than two years of activity as a marine surveyor, plus additional experience attained in the marine industry that is closely related to marine surveying.

Applicants who have not fulfilled the requirements for CMS status, but who have attained experience as a hull, machinery, marine facility, cargo or yacht and small craft inspector in government or private industry may apply as an associate NAMSGlobal member. The time completed for such service will be credited on a 1 for 2 ratio with a maximum of three years of credit allowed against the five-year requirement for CMS. Should the associate member have the required five years in this class necessary to qualify for CMS status, he or she will be eligible to apply for CMS status.

Apprentice applicants, once screened and accepted as apprentice members may, after a one-year tenure as an apprentice member and after completing at least fifty marine survey engagements, apply for associate member status. If this member is not elevated to associate status, he or she must, at the end of three years, apply for full membership within six months of the three-year term. Therefore, a NAMSGlobal apprentice in good standing who has been active in marine surveying for three years may apply for CMS status without becoming an associate member.

Qualification For NAMS-CMS Status

Prior to making application for NAMS Certified Marine Surveyor (NAMS-CMS) status, NAMS-CMS candidates must obtain a minimum number of fifty (50) qualification points from the activities listed below:

• Be attending surveyor or surveyor of record for a number of marine surveying engagements to be determined from time to time by the NAMS Qualification and Certification Committee (the minimum requirement). The present requirement is a minimum of 350 completed marine surveying engagements. Each completed marine survey engagement accrues 0.1 NAMS qualification point per engagement for a total of 35 Qualification Points.

• Candidates who have executed more than the minimum number of survey engagements required in their survey discipline, and who provide verification of those engagements, may request additional qualification points from verifiable marine survey engagements. Each completed additional marine survey engagement accrues 0.1 NAMS qualification point per engagement with a maximum of 15 possible additional credits.

• Candidates may request qualification points for relevant certifications other than NAMS, provided such certification has been approved for credits by the NAMS Qualification and Certification Committee. For example, the below listed credentials have been reviewed by the Committee, and assigned the indicated number of qualification points.
  1) SAMS-AMS (Accredited Marine Surveyor): 15 NAMS qualification points
  2) Graduate of a Federal or State Maritime College: 12 NAMS qualification points
  3) Graduate degree in Naval Architecture or Marine Engineering: 12 NAMS qualification points
  4) ASA American Society of Appraisers): 10 NAMS qualification points

NAMS allows for experience attained in the marine industry that is closely related to marine surveying to be credited on a 1 for 2 ratio. The NAMS Qualification and Certification Committee will from time to time review such experience, and if accepted will award one (1) NAMS equivalency for each two (2) years of actual experience.

Applicants with less than the minimum required marine survey engagements for their discipline, but with more than twenty five (25) qualification points may be considered for NAMS Associate Membership. Associate members may apply for upgrade to NAMS-CMS status after two years in grade. Associate members in good standing must apply for NAMS-CMS status within sixty (60) days following their five year anniversary date as a NAMS Associate member. Failure to make application for NAMS-CMS status within the sixty (60) day period may be grounds for terminating the Associate’s membership status in NAMS.

Associate member NAMS-CMS candidates must schedule a NAMS-CMS examination date to occur not more than ninety (90) days after the candidate has received notice from the NAMS National Office that he or she has successfully passed application screening (the date of “invitation”). A candidate’s Associate member status will continue until they have successfully completed the examination process, or until they have failed to comply with other requirements of Associate member status.

NAMS Apprentice applicants will have a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years to obtain the minimum survey engagements and the requisite qualification points to apply for NAMS-CMS status. Failure to satisfactorily achieve the requisite number of survey engagements during this period will be grounds for terminating the applicant’s membership status in NAMS.

Screening

NAMSGlobal-CMS members in good standing may be assigned to screen membership application packets, which include the experience and references of each NAMSGlobal and NAMSGlobal CMS applicant.

• To apply for apprentice membership in NAMSGlobal, the applicant must (a) provide a complete membership application packet and (b) pass an Ethics exam taken from the NAMSGlobal published Code of Ethics. The application packet must be reviewed and screened by NAMSGlobal CMS members in good standing, and the applicant must be recommended for membership by the screeners and the NAMSGlobal Regional Vice-President from the applicant’s geographic region.

• To apply for associate membership in NAMSGlobal, the applicant must have completed at least fifty per cent of the marine survey engagements currently required as a minimum for CMS application in their discipline. Additionally, the applicant must (a) provide a complete membership application packet and (b) pass an Ethics exam taken from the NAMSGlobal published Code of Ethics. The application packet must be reviewed and screened by NAMSGlobal CMS members in good standing, and the applicant must be recommended for membership by the screeners and the NAMSGlobal Regional Vice-President from the applicant’s geographic region.

• To apply for NAMSGlobal CMS status, the applicant must have the requisite number of experience credits, provide an updated application packet, provide samples of marine survey engagement work product, and provide professional references. The NAMSGlobal Qualifications and Certification Committee will determine the requisite number of work product examples from time to time. Additionally, a Regional Screening Committee will conduct reference checks and provide local information concerning the applicant’s work history. The results of local screening and a recommendation from the Regional Vice-President will be given to the NAMSGlobal Qualifications and Certifications Committee, which will review the application packet and the results of Regional screening. When the Committee is satisfied, the applicant will be invited to sit for the NAMSGlobal CMS examination.

Examination

Following successful screening, each CMS candidate will be tested in the discipline for which he or she has demonstrated skill and experience. Once having satisfactorily passed this initial examination, CMS members may sit for the examinations in other survey disciplines.

• A CMS applicant who has passed screening and the Ethics exam taken from the NAMSGlobal published Code of Ethics, and who has been invited to sit for examination, must complete testing within six months of invitation. The NAMSGlobal National Office will log the date of invitation. Failure to sit for the CMS examination within six months of having been invited to test will be grounds for terminating the applicant’s membership status in NAMSGlobal.
• A passing grade of at least 70% on each module of the exam and a cumulative test score of not less than 75% for the entire exam is required for CMS status.
• Each CMS candidate must complete each module of the examination.
• Applicants who do not receive a passing grade on a given test module will have the opportunity to re-test for that module. Re-testing must occur between thirty and ninety days of initial examination, but may not occur prior to thirty days after initial examination. Failure to satisfactorily achieve a passing examination grade within the ninety-day re-testing period will be grounds for terminating the applicant’s membership status in NAMSGlobal.

Sponsorship

Applicants for all three levels of marine surveyor membership in NAMSGlobal require the sponsorship of NAMSGlobal-CMS marine surveyors. The intent and purpose of such sponsorship is to provide the applicant with professional guidance from one or more experienced NAMSGlobal-CMS surveyors. It is best therefore, that the sponsoring NAMSGlobal-CMS surveyors operate in the same marine surveying discipline as the applicant, and be readily available to the applicant. NAMSGlobal is divided into a number of geographic regions, and the Regional Vice Presidents and the NAMSGlobal National Office can assist potential applicants in identifying sponsor candidates.

NAMSGlobal Apprentice applicants require sponsorship from a NAMSGlobal-CMS that will direct and supervise the Apprentice on a day-to-day basis, providing training and oversight. NAMSGlobal Associate applicants require sponsorship from three NAMSGlobal-CMS surveyors, so that they can readily access a variety of professional guidance. NAMSGlobal-CMS applicants require sponsorship from one NAMSGlobal-CMS, who may already have provided sponsorship to the applicant if the applicant is an existing NAMSGlobal Apprentice or NAMSGlobal Associate member.

Sponsors for NAMSGlobal-CMS candidates will also be responsible for verifying the marine surveying engagements NAMSGlobal-CMS candidates present for Experience Credits. This is best done by the sponsor reviewing and verifying a log of engagements that is kept by the NAMSGlobal-CMS candidate. Following verification, the sponsor will provide notification to NAMSGlobal, and such notification will be submitted by the NAMSGlobal-CMS candidate with their current application screening packet.

If you would like to download a membership application, please click here.