Nebraska Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide
License Snapshot
Board Processing Time
Not published
Board turnaround on a complete application — see lead time below
Application Fee
$146
Renewal: $146
Credential
ARRT
Required national certification
Renewal
24 hours
Every 2 years
State Overview
Nebraska licenses radiology as more than a single credential. Alongside the general radiologic technologist license, it recognizes a separate license (CT Technologist), plus a limited-permit tier (Limited Radiographer / Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator).
A few other modalities are credentialed by the hiring facility or not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own Nebraska 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 Nebraska's licensing board for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you perform radiology procedures in Nebraska, 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: Completion of an approved radiography education program (associate degree) and a passing score (75+) on the ARRT Examination in Radiography or equivalent.
- Scope of the base license: Medical radiography on any body part except interpretive fluoroscopic procedures.
- Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.
Fees & Credentials
Nebraska 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 (Medical Radiographer) | $146 | $146 | Every 2 years |
| Limited Radiographer / Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator | $146 | $146 | Every 2 years |
| CT Technologist | $146 | $146 | Every 2 years |
There is no state fee line for MRI Technologist, Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound), and Medical Physicist, because Nebraska does not license those modalities. Their absence from the table is the point, not an omission.
$146 single combined fee (initial and renewal), biennial (DHHS Title 172).
Renewal & Continuing Education
- Renewal cycle: every 2 years, prior to December 1st of even-numbered years.
- Continuing education: Nebraska sets 24 hours per 2-year cycle, but maintaining an active ARRT certification satisfies the state's CE requirement. If your ARRT credential is current, you do not file separate state CE.
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 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services 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: submitting verifications from expired or revoked out-of-state licenses; Nebraska requires proof of current, active license status at time of application.
Processing & Timing
Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. Nebraska does not publish a standard turnaround for radiology, so plan from recruiter experience rather than a board SLA.
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.
Nebraska's lack of temporary licensing and 3-6 week processing window create a hard stop: the permanent license must be issued before day one. No workarounds or emergency licenses exist. Plan accordingly.
Specialty Differences
Most of the radiology family in Nebraska 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.
Limited Radiographer / Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator
Divergence: limited-scope tier. Medical radiography on limited regions of the human body using routine procedures, plus Bone Densitometry where the separate exam is passed.
- Fee: $146 application, $146 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: Approved limited-scope education and passing exam; a separate exam is required to perform Bone Densitometry under the limited credential
How it differs from the general license: A reduced-scope license below the full medical radiographer: the holder may image only limited anatomical regions using routine procedures rather than any body part. Bone densitometry is an add-on that requires passing a separate exam.
CT Technologist
Divergence: separate license. Practice restricted to computed tomography scanning.
- Fee: $146 application, $146 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: Limited Computed Tomography Radiographer license; nuclear medicine registrants (NMTCB or ARRT) may obtain a non-renewable Temporary Limited CT credential for supervised CT practice
How it differs from the general license: Nebraska issues a distinct Limited Computed Tomography Radiographer license confined to CT, rather than folding CT into the general radiographer scope. A separate non-renewable 24-month temporary CT credential exists for nuclear medicine technologists performing CT (e.g., attenuation correction) under direct supervision (Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-1917.02).
MRI Technologist
Divergence: no state credential.
- Credential: No Nebraska license; employers typically require ARRT(MR) or ARMRIT certification, credentialed by the hiring facility
How it differs from the general license: MRI uses no ionizing radiation and is outside the Medical Radiography Practice Act. Nebraska issues no MRI credential; ASRT lists Magnetic Resonance as not state-regulated in Nebraska.
Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound)
Divergence: no state credential.
- Credential: No Nebraska license; employers typically require ARDMS/ARRT(S) certification, credentialed by the hiring facility
How it differs from the general license: Diagnostic ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation and falls outside the Medical Radiography Practice Act. Nebraska issues no sonography credential; ASRT lists Sonography as not state-regulated in Nebraska.
Medical Physicist
Divergence: no state credential.
- Credential: No Nebraska medical physicist license; practice relies on board certification (e.g., ABR)
How it differs from the general license: Nebraska is not among the small set of states (commonly TX, FL, HI, NY) that license medical physicists. The Medical Radiography Practice Act does not establish a medical physicist credential. Confirmed negative inferred from the absence of any such license in the Nebraska scheme; not exhaustively verified against radiation-control regulations.
Credentialed by the facility, not the state
Nebraska does not separately license these modalities. The hiring facility credentials them against your ARRT post-primary certification, and you still need the general radiologic technologist license underneath: Radiation Therapist and Nuclear Medicine Technologist.
Specialties that follow the general Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Board Website·Application Portal·License Verification
Phone: (402) 471-2118
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 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services's official website.
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