Montana Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide

Montana Radiology License Overview

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

• Limited-permit tier: Limited Permit Holder (LPH)

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

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

Montana Radiology License Requirements

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

• National certification: confirm with the board which ARRT credential Montana accepts, and whether it must stay current.
• Credential required: ARRT (R).
• Scope of the base license: Performs diagnostic x-ray procedures on people. Requires passing the ARRT examination and a board-approved 24-month course of study.
• Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.

Montana Radiology License Fees and Credentials

Montana 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 and Sonography, because Montana does not license those modalities.

$100 application (ARM 24.204.401); $75 ANNUAL renewal, expires Feb 1.

Montana Radiology License Renewal and CE

• Renewal cycle: every year, prior to February 1st.
• Continuing education: Montana sets no state CE hours for the general license (from our records; confirm with the board).
• Limited Permit Holder (LPH) CE: 6 hours per license year (versus the ARRT 24-per-biennium model for the full license).

How to Get a Montana Radiology License

In outline, applying takes four steps:

1. Confirm the credential Montana 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 Montana Board of Radiologic Technologists through the application portal.
4. Arrange the verification the board asks for: ARRT or direct board verification.

Common slip-ups travelers hit here: incomplete ARRT verification or failure to request verification directly from ARRT when license held in another state; board requires proof of current ARRT registration before processing.

Montana Radiology License Processing Time

Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. Montana does not publish a standard turnaround for radiology, so allow extra time before your start date.

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.

Montana requires permanent licensure before practice begins and has no temporary license pathway. Endorsement processing (3-6 weeks typical) combined with ARRT verification and board meeting cycles creates moderate-to-high placement risk if lead time is shorter than 10 weeks.

Montana Radiology Specialty Rules

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

Limited Permit Holder (LPH)

Divergence: limited-scope tier. Takes x-rays within the limited scope set by MCA 37-14-306 and ARM 24.204.501.

• Fee: $100 application, $60 renewal, every year
• Credential: A minimum 104-hour board-approved course, or completion of half of a radiologic technologist program accredited by a mechanism the ARRT recognizes
• CE: 6 hours per license year (versus the ARRT 24-per-biennium model for the full license)

How it differs from the general license: A lower education bar (a minimum 104-hour board-approved course, or half of an ARRT-recognized program, instead of the 24-month board-approved course of study), a lower renewal fee ($60 vs $75), 6 hours of CE per license year, and x-rays limited to the scope set by MCA 37-14-306 and ARM 24.204.501.

CT Technologist

Divergence: facility-credentialed. CT credentialing is the hiring facility’s responsibility; Montana issues no CT license or permit.

• Credential: ARRT (CT) post-primary, set by the facility

How it differs from the general license: The CT modality is not state-regulated, though a primary-pathway CT technologist still needs the underlying Montana radiography license.

MRI Technologist

Divergence: no state credential. MRI uses no ionizing radiation, so it falls completely outside Montana’s x-ray-only statute. No Montana license or permit exists for MRI Techs.

• Credential: ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT (employer-set, no state credential)

How it differs from the general license: An MRI-only technologist needs no Montana state license whatsoever. Per the board FAQ, someone without an ARRT Radiography credential would not need a Montana radiologic technologist license.

Sonography

Divergence: no state credential. Ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation and sits outside the x-ray-only statute. Montana issues no license or permit for sonographers.

• Credential: ARDMS (employer-set, no state credential)

How it differs from the general license: A sonographer needs no Montana state license, the same posture as MRI.

Credentialed by the Facility, Not the State

Montana does not separately license these modalities, so the hiring facility credentials them: Radiation Therapy, Nuclear Medicine, and 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 Montana 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 Montana 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.

Montana Licensing Board and Resources

Montana Board of Radiologic Technologists

Board Website · Application Portal

Phone: (406) 444-6880

Email: [email protected]