Louisiana Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide

Most of the radiology family in Louisiana 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. 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, and 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

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 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, confirm with your recruiter 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.