Arkansas Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide

Most of the radiology family in Arkansas runs on the general license. A handful of credentials genuinely diverge, and those are the ones worth reading closely. Below is one subsection per real difference, then roll-up lines for everything else.

CT Technologist

Divergence: specialty difference. Computed tomography is explicitly within the scope of the general Radiologic Technologist License.

• Credential: Covered by the base Radiologic Technologist License; no separate state credential. Employers typically require ARRT post-primary CT certification per facility policy

Radiation Therapist (Radiation Therapy Technologist License, RRT)

Divergence: separate license. Authorized for radiation therapy procedures only.

• Fee: $45 application, $45 renewal, every 1 year
• Credential: Graduation from an accredited radiation therapy program and passing the ARRT Radiation Therapy national registry examination

How it differs from the general license: Radiation therapy is a distinct license category from the diagnostic radiographer license, requiring a separate accredited program and the ARRT Radiation Therapy exam rather than the ARRT Radiography exam. It does not authorize diagnostic radiography.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Nuclear Medicine Technologist License, NML)

Divergence: separate license. Authorized for nuclear medicine procedures only.

• Fee: $45 application, $45 renewal, every 1 year
• Credential: Graduation from an accredited nuclear medicine technology program and passing either the ARRT Nuclear Medicine or the NMTCB national certification examination

How it differs from the general license: Nuclear medicine is a distinct license category from the diagnostic radiographer license, accepting NMTCB certification (not just ARRT) and requiring a nuclear-medicine-specific program. It does not authorize general diagnostic radiography.

Limited-Scope X-ray Operator (Limited Licensed Technologist, LLT)

Divergence: limited-scope tier. May perform radiographic exams only in the specific module categories passed on the Limited Scope Examination. Explicitly excludes abdomen, pelvis/hips, ribs/sternum, fluoroscopy, and contrast studies.

• Fee: $45 application, $45 renewal, every 1 year
• Credential: At least 18 years old, high school graduate, and passing the ARRT Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography examination in one or more modules (chest, extremity, skull/sinus, spine, and/or podiatry). A Temporary License is available for on-the-job trainees preparing for the exam

How it differs from the general license: A reduced-scope credential below the full radiographer license: holders are restricted to the body-region modules they passed and cannot perform CT, mammography, fluoroscopy, contrast studies, or the excluded body regions that a full Radiologic Technologist may perform.

Limited Specialty License - Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging (RCIS)

Divergence: limited-scope tier. Operate ionizing-radiation-emitting equipment limited to specific invasive cardiovascular imaging procedures, under the supervision of a Licensed Practitioner.

• Fee: $45 application, $45 renewal, every 1 year
• Credential: CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) credentialing, for individuals who are not Licensed Practitioners, Radiologic Technologists, or Limited Licensed Technologists

How it differs from the general license: A narrow specialty credential tied to the CCI-RCIS certification rather than ARRT, restricted to invasive cardiovascular imaging procedures performed under practitioner supervision. It does not authorize general diagnostic radiography.

MRI Technologist

Divergence: no state credential. Not state-regulated; magnetic resonance imaging does not produce ionizing radiation.

• Credential: No Arkansas state license. The Radiation Control program licenses only operators of ionizing-radiation and radiopharmaceutical equipment; MRI uses no ionizing radiation and is outside its scope. Employers typically require ARRT(MR) or ARMRIT certification per facility policy

How it differs from the general license: MRI falls entirely outside the Radiation Control licensure scheme because it involves no ionizing radiation, so no state license or supplemental authorization is required; credentialing is left to the hiring facility.

Sonographer / Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound

Divergence: no state credential. Not state-regulated as a distinct license; diagnostic medical sonography does not produce ionizing radiation.

• Credential: No Arkansas state license identified. Diagnostic ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation and is outside the Radiation Control program's scope. Employers typically require ARDMS (RDMS) certification per facility policy

How it differs from the general license: Diagnostic ultrasound involves no ionizing radiation and is not addressed by the Arkansas radiologic technology licensure categories, so no state license is required; credentialing is left to the hiring facility.

Medical Physicist

Divergence: no state credential. Not licensed as a radiologic technologist category; recognized by national board certification rather than state operator licensure.

• Credential: No Arkansas operator license required. Radiation health/medical physicists are expressly exempt from the requirement to obtain a license to apply ionizing radiation or administer radiopharmaceuticals, provided they are certified or eligible for certification by the American Board of Radiology, the American Board of Medical Physics, or the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine

How it differs from the general license: Medical physicists are explicitly exempted from the radiologic technologist licensure requirement; they are recognized through national board certification (ABR/ABMP/ABSNM) instead of holding any Arkansas operator license.

Specialties that follow the general Arkansas license

These run under the general radiologic technologist license and need no separate state credential: Mammography.

Before you pay: confirm your modality

Within radiology, whether a modality needs its own state credential is not consistent, and it is the thing travelers most often get wrong. MRI, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, sonography, and CT can each be a separate state license in one state, a facility credential checked against your ARRT registration in the next, and nothing extra in a third.

The divergences we verified for Arkansas are above. What we cannot see is your specific assignment and the site you land at. Before you submit any application fee for an advanced modality, confirm with your recruiter whether Arkansas issues a state credential for it or whether the facility handles that against your certification. We would rather you ask first than pay for something the role never required.