Louisiana Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide

Louisiana Radiology License Overview

Louisiana licenses radiology as more than a single credential. Alongside the general radiologic technologist license, it also recognizes:

• Base licenses: Radiation Therapist; Nuclear Medicine Technologist
• Add-on authorization: Fusion Technologist (PET/CT)
• Limited-permit tier: Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Limited X-Ray Machine Operator, LXMO)

A few other modalities are not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own Louisiana license. The specialty section below covers each.

A license you hold in another state does not transfer automatically, so you apply to Louisiana's licensing board before your first assignment there.

Louisiana Radiology License Requirements

The baseline below is the general Louisiana radiologic technologist license. The specialty section covers the modalities that differ from it.

• National certification: confirm with the board which ARRT credential Louisiana accepts, and whether it must stay current.
• Credential required: ARRT R.T.(R) certification (graduate of an accredited radiography program; pass ARRT exam with score of 75+).
• Scope of the base license: Full diagnostic radiography. The Louisiana State Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners (LSRTBE) licenses three distinct categories (General Radiographer, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Radiation Therapy Technologist) under the Louisiana Medical Radiation Health and Safety Act (RS 37:3200-3221); a license is required for each category in which one practices.
• Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.

Louisiana Radiology License Fees and Credentials

Louisiana issues more than one radiology credential, so fees vary by what you actually do. The table below is one row per state-recognized credential.

There is no state fee line for MRI Technologist, Sonographer / Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound, and Medical Physicist, because Louisiana does not license those modalities.

$100 per category (LSRTBE), biennial. A $10 temporary work permit bridges the wait.

Louisiana Radiology License Renewal and CE

• Renewal cycle: every 2 years, prior to May 31st.
• Continuing education: Louisiana requires 24 hours per 2-year cycle for the general license (from our records; confirm with the board).
• Radiographer / General Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist CE: 24 contact hours per 2-year cycle.
• Radiation Therapist CE: 24 contact hours per 2-year cycle (board-wide standard).
• Nuclear Medicine Technologist CE: 24 contact hours per 2-year cycle (board-wide standard).
• Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Limited X-Ray Machine Operator, LXMO) CE: 12 CE hours per 2-year cycle, versus 24 for full technologists.

How to Get a Louisiana Radiology License

In outline, applying takes four steps:

1. Confirm the credential Louisiana requires for the work you will do (the requirements above and the specialty section below).
2. Complete a board-approved program if the state requires one for your credential.
3. Apply to Louisiana State Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners through the application portal.
4. Arrange the verification the board asks for: ARRT or direct board verification.

Common slip-ups travelers hit here: applicant submits endorsement application before requesting current license verification from prior state, causing application rejection for incomplete file.

Louisiana Radiology License Processing Time

Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. In Louisiana: 60-90 days (permanent); temporary permit in 2-3 business days. 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.

Louisiana's endorsement processing is reliable but not fast; temporary permits bridge the gap, allowing travel workers to begin assignments within 2-3 weeks while permanent licensure processes. Recommend submitting applications immediately upon assignment confirmation.

Louisiana Radiology Specialty Rules

Below is one subsection per credential that differs from the general Louisiana license, then roll-up lines for everything else.

CT Technologist

Divergence: specialty difference. CT imaging is performed under the General Radiographer license. The LSRTBE FAQ states 'Only the licensed General Radiographer may perform a CT scan.'

• Credential: Active Louisiana General Radiographer license. ARRT post-primary CT certification is employer/ARRT-driven, not a state requirement

MRI Technologist

Divergence: no state credential. MRI uses magnetism, not ionizing radiation, so it falls outside LSRTBE jurisdiction entirely.

• Credential: No Louisiana credential. Employers typically require ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification, credentialed at the facility

How it differs from the general license: Unlike the radiographer license, MRI is not regulated by the state board at all; the LSRTBE FAQ confirms 'MRI uses the properties of magnetism... Ionizing radiation is not employed,' and the licensing law addresses ionizing radiation only.

Radiation Therapist

Divergence: separate license. Delivery of therapeutic ionizing radiation. Licensed by the LSRTBE as one of its three distinct radiologic technology categories.

• Fee: $100 application, $100 renewal, every 2 years
• Credential: ARRT R.T.(T) certification
• CE: 24 contact hours per 2-year cycle (board-wide standard)

How it differs from the general license: This is its own distinct LSRTBE license category (Radiation Therapy Technologist), not the radiographer license. It requires ARRT R.T.(T) rather than R.T.(R), and a radiographer must hold this separate license to practice radiation therapy.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Divergence: separate license. Administration of radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear imaging. Licensed by the LSRTBE as one of its three distinct radiologic technology categories.

• Fee: $100 application, $100 renewal, every 2 years
• Credential: ARRT R.T.(N), ASCP NM, or NMTCB CNMT certification
• CE: 24 contact hours per 2-year cycle (board-wide standard)

How it differs from the general license: This is its own distinct LSRTBE license category (Nuclear Medicine Technologist), separate from the radiographer license. It accepts ARRT R.T.(N), ASCP NM, or NMTCB CNMT rather than R.T.(R), and is required to practice nuclear medicine.

Sonographer / Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound

Divergence: no state credential. Diagnostic ultrasound uses sound waves, not ionizing radiation, so it is outside LSRTBE jurisdiction entirely.

• Credential: No Louisiana credential. Employers typically require ARDMS (RDMS) certification, credentialed at the facility

How it differs from the general license: Unlike the radiographer license, sonography is not regulated by the state board; the LSRTBE FAQ confirms 'Ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation' and 'the licensing law addresses the use of ionizing radiation only.'

Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Limited X-Ray Machine Operator, LXMO)

Divergence: limited-scope tier. Newly approved permit (effective January 2026) for performing diagnostic x-ray on limited anatomical areas in private physician offices, clinics, and urgent care centers only, not hospitals.

• Credential: LSRTBE-issued LXMO permit; completion of an approved limited x-ray training program. Performed under the supervision of a licensed radiologic technologist or physician
• CE: 12 CE hours per 2-year cycle, versus 24 for full technologists

How it differs from the general license: This is a reduced-scope permit below the full radiographer license:

• It is limited to specific anatomical areas in private offices/clinics/urgent care
• Requires supervision
• Does not require ARRT R.T.(R) certification
• Carries a lower 12-hour CE requirement

Fusion Technologist (PET/CT)

Divergence: add-on authorization. Dedicated category (introduced March 2012) for operating hybrid PET/CT (fusion) equipment, which the board treats as requiring both nuclear medicine and CT competency.

• Fee: $100 application, $100 renewal, every 2 years
• Credential: Active Louisiana Nuclear Medicine Technologist license AND ARRT post-primary CT certification

How it differs from the general license: This is an add-on category layered on the Nuclear Medicine license (not the general radiographer license): it requires an active NM license plus ARRT CT certification to operate fusion PET/CT scanners, beyond what either base license alone authorizes.

Medical Physicist

Divergence: no state credential. Louisiana (LSRTBE) does not license Medical Physicists; it is not among the states (e.g., TX, FL, HI, NY) that license Medical Physicists.

• Credential: No LSRTBE Medical Physicist license. The board's position statement bars Medical Physicists from applying ionizing radiation to humans except under the direct supervision of a licensed radiologic technologist or licensed physician

How it differs from the general license: Unlike the radiographer license, the board issues no Medical Physicist license; its position statement instead restricts physicists from independently applying radiation to humans, requiring direct supervision by a licensed technologist or physician.

Specialties That Follow the General Louisiana License

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

Before You Pay: Confirm Your Modality

States differ on whether a radiology modality needs its own state credential. 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 specialty differences we have on file for Louisiana 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, check whether Louisiana 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.

Louisiana Licensing Board and Resources

Louisiana State Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners

Board Website · Application Portal

Phone: (504) 838-5231

Email: [email protected]