Virginia Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide
License Snapshot
Board Processing Time
6-8 weeks
Board turnaround on a complete application — see lead time below
Application Fee
$130
Renewal: $135 · Temp license available
Credential
ARRT
Required national certification
Renewal
24 hours
Every 2 years
State Overview
Virginia licenses radiology as more than a single credential. Alongside the general radiologic technologist license, it recognizes a limited-permit tier (Radiologic Technologist-Limited (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 Virginia 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 Virginia's licensing board for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you perform radiology procedures in Virginia, 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 as R.T.(R) (graduate of an ARRT-recognized program who passed the ARRT exam). Out-of-state RTs may license by endorsement.
- Scope of the base license: Full diagnostic radiologic technology using ionizing radiation. This is the baseline Virginia Board of Medicine license. CE: 24 contact hours per biennium acceptable to ARRT (>=12 Category A). Renews biennially during birth month in odd-numbered years.
- Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.
Fees & Credentials
Virginia 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) | $130 | $135 | Every 2 years |
| Radiologic Technologist-Limited (Limited-Scope X-ray Operator) | $90 | $70 | Every 2 years |
There is no state fee line for MRI Technologist, Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound), and Medical Physicist, because Virginia does not license those modalities. Their absence from the table is the point, not an omission.
$130 (18VAC85-101-25), biennial. Contract-employee caveat: the 'no license needed in a hospital' language applies only to PERMANENT hospital employees, not to Fusion contract travelers, who do need the state license.
Renewal & Continuing Education
- Renewal cycle: every 2 years, prior to the last day of birth month in odd numbered years.
- Continuing education: Virginia 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.
- Radiologic Technologist-Limited (Limited-Scope X-ray Operator) CE: 12 contact hours per biennium, half the 24 hours required for the full radiologic technologist license.
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 Virginia 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: submitting incomplete verification from prior state or ARRT; Virginia board will not process until full license history is provided, causing 1-2 week delay for resubmission.
Processing & Timing
Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. In Virginia: 6-8 weeks. 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.
Temporary license availability (up to 90 days) mitigates immediate start delays, but permanent endorsement typically requires 6-8 weeks. Advance planning and concurrent verification steps are essential.
Specialty Differences
Most of the radiology family in Virginia 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.
Radiologic Technologist-Limited (Limited-Scope X-ray Operator)
Divergence: limited-scope tier. Diagnostic radiographic procedures using ionizing radiation limited to specific anatomical areas the applicant is credentialed for. Lower-cost, reduced-scope tier below the full RT license. CE: 12 contact hours per biennium (vs 24 for full RT).
- Fee: $90 application, $70 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: Completion of a board-accepted program (50 clock hours: 25 image production/equipment, 15 radiation protection, 10 radiographic procedures) and passing the ARRT Limited Scope of Practice core exam plus the relevant anatomical-region procedure section(s)
- CE: 12 contact hours per biennium, half the 24 hours required for the full radiologic technologist license
How it differs from the general license: A reduced-scope, lower-fee permit issued to operators limited to specific anatomical regions rather than the full diagnostic scope. It requires a shorter board-accepted course and the ARRT Limited Scope exam instead of full R.T.(R) certification, and carries lower fees and a 12-hour (not 24-hour) CE obligation.
CT Technologist
Divergence: facility-credentialed. Computed tomography uses ionizing radiation, so it falls within the regulated radiologic technologist scope, but Virginia issues no distinct CT license or supplemental authorization. Facilities credential CT competency against the ARRT(CT) post-primary certificate.
- Credential: No separate Virginia credential. Practitioners operate under the general Radiologic Technologist license; CT competency is established via the holder's ARRT post-primary certification (CT) and verified by the hiring facility
How it differs from the general license: Virginia does not issue a separate CT license or add-on. A CT technologist works under the base RT license, with CT-specific competency credentialed by the employer against the ARRT post-primary CT certification rather than by the state.
MRI Technologist
Divergence: no state credential. Magnetic resonance imaging is non-ionizing and is not within the regulated radiologic technologist scope. Virginia issues no MRI license or permit.
- Credential: No Virginia credential. MRI uses no ionizing radiation, so it falls outside the radiologic technology licensing scheme entirely; competency is credentialed by the employer (commonly ARRT(MR) or ARMRIT)
How it differs from the general license: MRI is entirely outside the Virginia radiologic technology license because it uses no ionizing radiation. The Board of Medicine page and the staffing guidance confirm MRI-only work does not require Virginia RT licensure.
Sonographer (Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound)
Divergence: no state credential. Diagnostic medical ultrasound is non-ionizing and not within the regulated radiologic technologist scope. Virginia issues no sonography license or permit.
- Credential: No Virginia credential. Diagnostic ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation and falls outside the radiologic technology licensing scheme; competency is credentialed by the employer (commonly ARDMS or ARRT(S))
How it differs from the general license: Sonography is outside the Virginia radiologic technology license because it uses no ionizing radiation. Ultrasound-only work does not require Virginia RT licensure; ARDMS-style certification is credentialed by the facility, not the state.
Medical Physicist
Divergence: no state credential. Virginia issues no medical physicist license under the Board of Medicine radiologic technology scheme. Any radiation-machine quality/safety oversight is handled through the state's radiation control regulations and facility/board-certification (e.g., ABR) credentialing rather than an individual practice license.
- Credential: No Virginia license. Virginia is not among the states (commonly TX, FL, HI, NY) that license medical physicists; 18VAC85-101 (Board of Medicine) does not regulate the profession
How it differs from the general license: Unlike the handful of states that license medical physicists, Virginia does not, so there is no state credential, fee, or CE cycle for the role under the radiologic technology board.
Specialties that follow the general Virginia license
These run under the general radiologic technologist license and need no separate state credential: Mammography, Radiation Therapist, and Nuclear Medicine Technologist.
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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia Radiology Board's official website.
Resources
No matter what kind of radiologic technology professional you are — including radiologic technologists , nuclear medicine technologists , magnetic res
Between the diverse and complicated diagnostic radiologic technology that you’re required to know as a radiologic technologist, there are a handful of
Don’t settle for basic — especially when it comes to your career. The good news is our radiology recruiters are anything but. Peep an inside scoop int
