Utah Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide
License Snapshot
Board Processing Time
5-7 business days
Board turnaround on a complete application — see lead time below
Application Fee
$70
Renewal: $47
Credential
ARRT
Required national certification
Renewal
24 hours
Every 2 years
State Overview
Utah licenses radiology as more than a single credential. Alongside the general radiologic technologist license, it recognizes a limited-permit tier (Limited-Scope X-ray Operator (Radiology Practical Technician)).
A few other modalities are credentialed by the hiring facility or not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own Utah 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 Utah's licensing board for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you perform radiology procedures in Utah, 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: ARRT certification in Radiography (or applicable ARRT/NMTCB certification).
- Scope of the base license: General diagnostic radiologic technology. The Utah Radiologic Technologist license is a single license that qualifies a holder via the applicable ARRT examination in Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, or Radiation Therapy, or the NMTCB examination.
- Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.
Fees & Credentials
Utah 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 (Radiologic Technologist) | $70 | $47 | Every 2 years |
| Radiation Therapist | $70 | $47 | Every 2 years |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | $70 | $47 | Every 2 years |
| Limited-Scope X-ray Operator (Radiology Practical Technician) | — | $47 | Every 2 years |
There is no state fee line for MRI Technologist, Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound), and Medical Physicist, because Utah does not license those modalities. Their absence from the table is the point, not an omission.
$70 initial; $47 renewal, biennial (DOPL, expires May 31 of odd years).
Renewal & Continuing Education
- Renewal cycle: every 2 years, before May 31st of odd numbered years.
- Continuing education: Utah requires 24 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 Utah Radiology Board 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: missing or illegible documentation of current ARRT certification or equivalent credential from prior state, board will not process without clear proof of active license status.
Processing & Timing
Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. In Utah: 5-7 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.
Utah offers no temporary license pathway, so permanent licensure must be finalized before the traveler can legally work. The 5-7 day processing window is reliable, but prior-state verification and documentation gaps commonly extend timelines to 3-4 weeks. Plan conservatively.
Quick start: Utah 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 Utah 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: facility-credentialed. Computed tomography is not a separately licensed modality in Utah. CT is performed under the base Radiologic Technologist license; the hiring facility credentials the technologist against ARRT post-primary CT certification.
- Credential: ARRT post-primary CT certification (employer-credentialed)
How it differs from the general license: Utah DOPL issues no separate CT license. A CT technologist holds the general Radiologic Technologist license and is credentialed by the employer against ARRT post-primary CT certification rather than a distinct state credential.
MRI Technologist
Divergence: no state credential. Magnetic resonance imaging uses no ionizing radiation and is not licensed or regulated by Utah DOPL. Employers typically require ARRT(MR) or ARMRIT certification.
How it differs from the general license: Utah does not license or regulate MRI; because MRI uses no ionizing radiation it falls outside the Radiologic Technologist Licensing Act. Credentialing is left entirely to the employer (commonly ARRT MR or ARMRIT).
Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound)
Divergence: no state credential. Diagnostic medical sonography is not licensed or regulated by Utah DOPL. Employers typically require ARDMS (RDMS/RVT) or ARRT(S) certification.
How it differs from the general license: Utah issues no sonography license; ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation and is outside the Radiologic Technologist Licensing Act. Credentialing is employer-driven (commonly ARDMS or ARRT Sonography).
Limited-Scope X-ray Operator (Radiology Practical Technician)
Divergence: limited-scope tier. A reduced-scope license to use radiological equipment limited to specific radiographic procedures on specific parts of the human anatomy, or bone densitometry. Defined in Utah as 'practice as a radiology practical technician.'.
- Fee: $47 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: ARRT Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography exam (core plus at least one anatomical section) or ARRT Bone Densitometry Equipment Operators (BDEO) exam
How it differs from the general license: A distinct, narrower-scope Utah license below the full Radiologic Technologist license: it restricts the holder to specified radiographic procedures on specified body parts (or bone densitometry) and requires only the ARRT Limited Scope (core + one section) or BDEO exam rather than full ARRT primary certification.
Medical Physicist
Divergence: no state credential. Utah DOPL does not license medical physicists under the Radiologic Technology Licensing Act. A separate Radiation Control certification (Qualified Expert / Mammography Imaging Medical Physicist under DEQ rule R313-28) applies to radiation-safety roles, but there is no DOPL professional license for medical physicists.
How it differs from the general license: Not part of the DOPL radiologic technology licensing scheme. Medical physicist functions are handled through a separate DEQ Radiation Control 'Qualified Expert' certification (R313-28), not a DOPL professional license.
Specialties that follow the general Utah license
These run under the general radiologic technologist license and need no separate state credential: Radiation Therapist, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, and 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 Utah 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 Utah 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
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 Utah Radiology Board's official website.
Resources
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