Florida Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide
License Snapshot
Board Processing Time
10-13 business days
Board turnaround on a complete application — see lead time below
Application Fee
$45
Renewal: $55
Credential
ARRT
Required national certification
Renewal
12 hours
Every 2 years
State Overview
Florida licenses radiology as more than a single credential. Alongside the general radiologic technologist license, it recognizes 3 separate base licenses (Radiation Therapist, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, and Medical Physicist), plus 2 add-on authorizations (CT Technologist and Mammography), plus a limited-permit tier (Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Basic X-Ray Machine Operator)).
A few other modalities are not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own Florida license. The specialty section below covers each, including where a single-modality candidate may not be placeable.
Across radiology, ARRT certification is the national credential that anchors state licensure. A license you hold in another state does not transfer automatically, so you apply directly to Florida's licensing board for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you perform radiology procedures in Florida, the baseline below applies regardless of where you trained or which modality you work in.
- National certification: an active ARRT credential is the prerequisite the state license is built on. The state credential sits on top of ARRT, not instead of it.
- Credential required: Graduation from a two-year accredited radiologic technology program; pass the certification examination administered for the Florida DOH by ARRT (via Pearson VUE). Certified Radiologic Technologist (CRT) - General Radiographer category.
- Scope of the base license: Full diagnostic radiography (use of ionizing radiation on humans) under Chapter 468, Part IV, F.S. and Chapter 64E-3, F.A.C.
- Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.
Fees & Credentials
Florida issues more than one radiology credential, so fees vary by what you actually do. The table below is one row per state-recognized credential.
| Credential | Application | Renewal | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiographer (General Radiographer) | $40 | — | Every 2 years |
| CT Technologist | $45 | — | Every 2 years |
| Radiation Therapist | $40 | — | Every 2 years |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | $40 | — | Every 2 years |
| Mammography | $45 | — | Every 2 years |
| Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Basic X-Ray Machine Operator) | $40 | — | Every 2 years |
| Medical Physicist | $500 | — | Every 2 years |
There is no state fee line for MRI Technologist and Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound), because Florida does not license those modalities. Their absence from the table is the point, not an omission.
$45 by endorsement (the traveler path); $40 by exam.
Renewal & Continuing Education
- Renewal cycle: every 2 years, (biennially, prior to last day of license holder's birth month).
- Continuing education: Florida requires 12 hours per 2-year cycle for the general license, alongside maintaining your ARRT credential.
Getting Licensed
Radiology licensure is ARRT-primary, so the path is shorter than the multi-step endorsement other professions run. For most candidates it is four steps:
- Hold the right ARRT credential for the work you will do (Radiography for general x-ray; the matching post-primary credential for a modality the state licenses).
- Complete a board-approved program if the state requires one for your credential.
- Apply to Florida Department of Health through the application portal.
- Have ARRT verify your credential to the board directly. You do not self-attest the certification.
Common slip-ups travelers hit here: incomplete or outdated ARRT certification documentation; Florida requires current verification of ARRT credentials, and applicants often submit expired or unverified copies that trigger requests for re-verification from ARRT.
Processing & Timing
Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. In Florida: 10-13 business days. Boards rarely publish a guaranteed turnaround, so treat this as a planning number rather than a promise.
Recommended lead time before your start date is the total runway, and it runs longer than the board's processing window. Start the application as early as you can, because your ARRT verification has to reach the board before it can act.
If you need more than one credential here, for example a base license plus an add-on authorization, they may process as separate items rather than in one pass. Do not assume you can layer the second credential on at the last minute.
No workarounds exist, making advance planning critical.
Quick start: Florida is one of the states where the credential can be in hand within days of a complete application, so licensing does not have to gate a fast assignment start.
Specialty Differences
Most of the radiology family in Florida 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: add-on authorization. Computed tomography. Recorded on the CRT certificate as a CRT-CT specialty designation.
- Fee: $45 application, every 2 years
- Credential: Proof of current post-primary/specialty certification in Computed Tomography from an approved national organization (ARRT or NMTCB), evidenced by an unexpired wallet card; application to the department under Rule 64E-3.0034, F.A.C
MRI Technologist
Divergence: no state credential. Magnetic resonance imaging, uses no ionizing radiation, so it falls outside Chapter 468, Part IV, F.S.
How it differs from the general license: Florida does not license or certify MRI technologists. The DOH determined Ch. 468, Part IV applies only to persons who use ionizing radiation on humans, and stopped issuing or renewing MRI certificates. Hiring facilities may require national (e.g., ARRT MRI) registration.
Radiation Therapist
Divergence: separate license. Radiation therapy / therapeutic use of ionizing radiation. Issued as its own CRT - Radiation Therapy category.
- Fee: $40 application, every 2 years
- Credential: Graduation from a two-year accredited radiologic technology program in radiation therapy and passage of the radiation therapy certification examination (ARRT-administered for FL DOH)
How it differs from the general license: A distinct primary certification category with its own accredited program and certification examination, separate from the general radiographer credential rather than an add-on to it.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Divergence: separate license. Nuclear medicine technology. Issued as its own CRT - Nuclear Medicine category. (PET is handled as a separate post-primary specialty designation via NMTCB.).
- Fee: $40 application, every 2 years
- Credential: Graduation from a two-year accredited radiologic technology program in nuclear medicine and passage of the nuclear medicine certification examination
How it differs from the general license: A distinct primary certification category with its own accredited program and certification examination, separate from the general radiographer credential rather than an add-on to it.
Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound)
Divergence: no state credential. Diagnostic medical ultrasound, uses no ionizing radiation, so it falls outside Chapter 468, Part IV, F.S.
How it differs from the general license: Florida does not license or certify sonographers; ultrasound is not within the ionizing-radiation scope of Ch. 468, Part IV. Hiring facilities may require national registry credentials (e.g., ARDMS).
Mammography
Divergence: add-on authorization. Mammography. Recorded on the CRT certificate as a CRT-M specialty designation. (Federal MQSA personnel standards also apply.).
- Fee: $45 application, every 2 years
- Credential: Proof of current post-primary/specialty certification in Mammography (M) from ARRT, evidenced by an unexpired wallet card; application under Rule 64E-3.0034, F.A.C. Mammography technician is a named certification category
How it differs from the general license: Not folded silently under the radiographer license, Florida names it as a separate certification category and issues it by endorsement on top of the base certificate, requiring proof of ARRT post-primary mammography certification.
Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Basic X-Ray Machine Operator)
Divergence: limited-scope tier. Limited / basic x-ray machine operation, a reduced-scope credential below the full general radiographer license.
- Fee: $40 application, every 2 years
- Credential: Completion of a formal educational program is NOT required; applicants study department-provided materials and pass the BMXO examination. Certified Radiologic Technologist - Basic X-Ray Machine Operator (BMXO) category
How it differs from the general license: Below the full general radiographer license: no accredited program required, a reduced-scope examination ($150 vs. $200), and a restricted scope of practice limited to basic x-ray machine operation.
Medical Physicist
Divergence: separate license. Medical physics services in the licensed area. Governed by a separate board/rule chapter (64B23-2, F.A.C.), distinct from the radiologic technologist scheme.
- Fee: $500 application, every 2 years
- Credential: Active Florida Medical Physicist license in the area of practice, issued under Rule 64B23-2, F.A.C. Four areas: Diagnostic Radiological, Therapeutic Radiological, Medical Nuclear Radiological, and Medical Health Physicist
How it differs from the general license: Not a radiographer credential at all, Florida is one of the few states that licenses medical physicists, under a separate MQA rule chapter (64B23-2) with its own four practice areas, far higher fees, and graduate-level physics qualifications rather than the radiologic-technology pathway.
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 Florida 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 Florida 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.
Official Resources
Florida Department of Health
Board Website·Application Portal·License Verification
Phone: (850) 488-0595
Email: [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Please note that while Fusion Medical Staffing strives to provide the most current and accurate information, we cannot guarantee the completeness or timeliness of the information provided. Requirements and processes can change frequently. Healthcare professionals are strongly encouraged to verify details directly with Florida Department of Health's official website.
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