License and Certification Reimbursement for Spouses
Purpose of Program
Members serving on active duty in the Armed Forces may be reimbursed for their spouse's qualified relicensing costs after relocation to another state (including U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia) due to PCS orders.
Qualified relicensing costs include examination and registration fees that are imposed by the state of the new duty station to secure a license or certification to engage in the same profession the member’s spouse engaged in while in the state of the original duty station. These fees must have been paid or incurred by the member or spouse to secure the license or certification from the state of the new duty station after the date on which the orders directing the reassignment. This reimbursement applies to license or certification costs assumed after the date orders are issued redirecting the assignment and is retroactive to all assignments with an effective PCS departure date after. Requests for reimbursement associated with PCS orders issued after 20 December 2019 must be submitted no later than 24 months after issuance date of PCS orders or before 31 December 2029, whichever is earlier.
Procedures
To request reimbursement, Service members may file a miscellaneous payment request through U.S. Coast Guard Finance Center's (FINCEN) miscellaneous payment request portal at: FINCEN MISC PAYMENT REQUEST PORTAL - Power Apps (appsplatform.us)
A. To file for reimbursement members must submit:
1. Claim for Members for Expenditures on Official Business - Optional Form 1164 (REV. 11/2017) with:
a. Unit Name in block 1;
b. PCS TONO (prior to FY24) or Document # (FY24 and later) in block 2;
c. Member information in block 4;
d. Date of submission in block 6, column (a);
e. Code C in block 6, column (b);
f. "License Reimbursement Fees for (Full Name of Spouse)" and/or "Certification Fee for (Full Name of Spouse)" in block 6, column (c). List separately if more than one, and amount of fees (not to exceed $500.00 for PCS prior to 19DEC2019 and $1000.00 thereafter) in block 6, column (i);
g. Member signature/date in block 10;
h. Local Travel AO (travel claim provider) signature/date in block 8;
i. Select one of the following to place at the bottom of the form in the Accounting Classification block depending on the PCS order issue date:
For PCS Order issue date prior to FY24: Enter the Line of Accounting (LOA) from Member’s PCS Orders; or
For PCS Order issue date in FY24: UCGIOH0MPC7009883221002224SPOUSERB
2. Copy of current PCS Order.
3. Copy of new state license and/or certifications; and
4. Copy of receipt(s) for relicensing and/or recertification fees paid at current PDS.
Link to OF-1164: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/PPC/FORMS/OF1164-17.pdf
See OF-1164 Sample to assist. (https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/cg133/docs/sample%20form%201164.pdf?ver=2020-02-19-141535-947)
B. Members will email (subject: Spouse License and Certification Reimbursement) the completed OF-1164, PCS Orders, current license(s)/certification(s), and receipt(s) to CG-832 at TONOManagement@uscg.mil.
C. Following obligation of funds, CG-832 will:
1. Add the FSMS Purchase Order Number to the bottom of the member’s form OF-1164 in the Accounting Classification block, in the following format:
“Obligation Number: XXXX”, where XXXX is the Purchase Order Number.
2. Forward the member’s OF-1164 AND all supporting documentation to FINCEN at: FIN-SMB-Invoices@uscg.mil.
D. Following receipt by FINCEN, processing and payment may take up to 30 days.
E. Please email any questions regarding this program to Compensation@uscg.mil (subject: SLR).