TWIC enrollment center opens in Port Fourchon

A TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) enrollment center opened at Port Fourchon on Thursday, Nov. 29, located at 108 A.O. Rappelet Rd.

TWIC is a new federal mandate. The card, issued by the Transportation Security Administration, is required for pilots, boat crews and waterfront workers to gain access to restricted areas.

The cost is $132.50, payable by credit card, money order or certified check. The credential is valid for five years.

Some applicants may be eligible for a reduced fee of $105.25.

“It’s for anyone who needs unrestricted access into secure areas of facilities on the waterfront or offshore, where cargo is transferred,” said John Knapp, port security specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard in Houma.

“Facility workers, boat operators and crews, and anyone who holds a Coast Guard license” require TWICs,” Knapp said. “They need an ID card.”

Vendors serving secure crew boats and offshore supply vessels also need TWICs, Knapp said.

No appointment is necessary, but the Coast Guard is encouraging persons requiring the TWIC to pre-enroll online at www.tsa.gov/twic, or call 1-866-DHS-TWIC (347-8942).

The enrollment process includes providing biographic information, signing a disclosure form, sitting for a digital photograph, furnishing a complete set of fingerprints and providing identity verification documents.

“TWIC requires a background investigation,” Knapp said.

TWIC enrollment centers will open in Morgan City in January and in Houma in May or June.