Membership FAQ’s

Admission to the National Coast Guard Museum is free for all. By becoming a member, you provide vital support to the Museum to preserve Coast Guard history and sustain a world-class museum for future generations. Charter members help shape the way Americans see the Coast Guard today and in the future. As a thank you, members receive discounts, early access, and special opportunities to engage with the Museum and the stories of the Coast Guard.

There are several ways you can join:

• Online
• By phone: Our membership team is available Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM by calling 860-443-4200
• By mail: email us to request a mail-in form with your payment

Annual: With an annual payment, your membership is valid through the end of the month a year from the date you purchased your membership. Example: If you joined on June 5, 2026, your membership would be valid through June 30, 2027.

Monthly: You can make monthly payments for membership through our monthly recurring membership payment option. Setup your monthly payment through our website and select auto-renew, or contact us by phone (860-443-4200) or email (membership@coastguardmuseum.org). Note: this option requires a commitment of 12 months and auto-renewal.

Auto-renew: To receive uninterrupted membership benefits, verify that the auto-renew box is selected when you are joining through our website. Auto-renew is required for the monthly payment option and is optional for the annual payment option.

Coast Guard Allotment: Coast Guard service members and retirees can choose to pay for membership through their allotment. This is a 2-step process. Please review the information below to complete your allotment. Once we receive your first gift, we will send your membership welcome packet. If you have any questions, please call us (860) 443-4200 or email membership@coastguardmuseum.org.

• Step 1:Please email the following information to the National Coast Guard Museum Association (membership@coastguardmuseum.org) so that we know you intend to set up a recurring monthly donation for a membership using your Coast Guard Allotment. We need to have your contact information so we can provide your member benefits welcome packet including your gift acknowledgment, commemorative gift, and a year-end contribution statement for tax purposes.
  • Title/Prefix
  • Full name
  • Suffix (e.g. Jr.; USCG (Ret.))
  • Mailing Address
  • Email address (for your digital member card and member communications)
• Step 2:After you have emailed your information to us, please follow one of the options below to log in to Direct Access or to complete setting up your voluntary allotment to the Museum.

If you need to contact CG PPC please call 866-772-8724 or email ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil

• Option 1:If you have previously accessed the CG PPC Direct Access website, please log in and request a Voluntary Deduction. Select “CG Museum Assoc Dues” if you are retired or “Association Dues” for active duty from the drop-down menu.
• Option 2:If you have never accessed the CG PPC Direct Access website, please visit the following PPC RAS website to review the user guide for FIRST TIME USERS – Initial Direct Access Sign On
• Option 3:If you cannot access the self-service system, please complete the CG-7221, Retired Allotment Authorization form and email it to ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil. The Museum Association Blanket Code is: 00080

Note: Requests received outside of Direct Access (DA) Self-Service have a processing time of 60 days after receipt.

As a Plankowner, your support has been essential to building the National Coast Guard Museum and bringing it to life. We are so grateful for your commitment, and we wouldn’t be where we are without you!

In recognition of your steadfast support as a Plankowner, we invite you to transition your current Plankowner giving to a Charter Membership. Charter Members will chart the course for the sustainability and future of this world-class museum you’ve helped build. Transitioning your Plankowner gift means you retain your Plankowner status and receive your official Plankowner certificate once the Museum opens, AND you become one of our first Charter Members, receiving membership perks including discounts, early access, and special opportunities to engage with Museum exhibits and Coast Guard stories.

Plankowners can easily transition their current monthly giving to a matching level of membership – simply select the right level for you and continue monthly or switch to an annual gift. Sign up for membership online or call our office at 860-443-4200.

For memberships paid annually, your membership is due to renew at the end of the month a year from the date you purchased your membership. Example: If you joined on June 5, 2026, your membership would be valid through June 30, 2027.

For memberships paid monthly, because you select auto-renew at the time of purchase, you do not need to renew your membership. Monthly payments for membership require a 12-month commitment. Three months before your membership anniversary, you will receive a reminder to “renew” and you can let us know if you would like to continue for another year. Once we receive that notice, your membership will end on the anniversary of the current 12-month cycle.

Memberships are non-refundable and non-transferrable. The membership is intended for one household (see specific membership level for the maximum allowance of digital membership cards per household).

Once the Museum opens, you can use your digital member card for faster check-in and access to the Museum. NOTE: all visitors, including members, will pass through security before reaching the visitor check-in desk. If you do not have your card, you can still check-in as a member at the visitor desk. You can also use your digital member card on site to redeem your discount at the Museum store and café.

Upon joining, you will receive an email that contains a downloadable link to access your digital card. Be sure to access this email and link on your smartphone* so that you can download your card to the digital wallet of your mobile device. You can also access your downloadable link through your member profile on our portal.

* If you do not have a smartphone, call our office for an alternative option (860-443-4200).

Depending on your membership level, you can have:

• Friend = 1 named individual in the household (1 digital card)
• Crew = 2 named individuals in the household (2 digital cards)
• Shipmate = 4 named individuals in the household (4 digital cards)
• Keeper = 4 named individuals in the household (4 digital cards)
• Hero = 4 named individuals in the household (4 digital cards)

If other members of your household also receive digital cards, please forward the email to them so they can access the download link from their phone.

Yes. You can purchase a gift of membership to the National Coast Guard Museum online, by phone, or at the Museum once we open. You can select when your gift is sent to the gift recipient. To complete the gift, we will need the full name of the member and complete contact information to send their member materials.

Through our partnership with Together We Served (TWS), Museum members at the Shipmate level or higher, will have their TWS service plaque (or their loved one’s plaque) digitally displayed in the Museum. If you do not already have a profile started in TWS, you will need to join TWS, which is free.

As a member at the Shipmate level or above, one of the member benefits is the CAMM reciprocal – the Council of American Maritime Museum program in which you, as a member of the National Coast Guard Museum membership program, can visit any of the maritime organizations that belong to CAMM for free. For a list of participating maritime museums, visit Member Directory by Name | Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM). We recommend contacting the intended museum before you visit – available benefits may vary at each institution. Most organizations grant free admission for two adults and up to four children. Some free admission organizations, like ours, may extend a different benefit, such as a discount at their store. Have fun exploring the nation’s maritime history!

Yes. Log into our portal, select the dropdown under your name, and click on My Account. Here you can view your Account Info to update your information. You can also view your membership profile and download your member card, and view your other activity history.

Yes. Log into our portal, select the dropdown under your name, and select My Account. Access the left-hand menu to view your activity history.