West Virginia Radiologic Technologist Licensing Guide

West Virginia Radiology License Overview

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

• Base licenses: MRI Technologist; Radiation Therapist; Nuclear Medicine Technologist
• Limited-permit tier: Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Podiatric Medical Assistant Permit)

A few other modalities are not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own West Virginia license. The specialty section below covers each.

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

West Virginia Radiology License Requirements

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

• National certification: confirm with the board which ARRT credential West Virginia accepts, and whether it must stay current.
• Credential required: Graduation from an approved/accredited radiography program and ARRT(R) certification (or board-approved equivalent); WV Radiography License issued by the WV Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners.
• Scope of the base license: Application of ionizing radiation for diagnostic medical imaging as prescribed by a licensed practitioner. Holders of the Radiography License may also work in computed tomography (CT), bone densitometry, mammography, and vascular/cardiac interventional radiography under this single license.
• Verification: ARRT or direct board verification.

West Virginia Radiology License Fees and Credentials

West 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.

There is no state fee line for Sonographer / Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound and Medical Physicist, because West Virginia does not license those modalities.

$92 initial (rule 18-1-4.6.a); $60 ANNUAL renewal.

West Virginia Radiology License Renewal and CE

• Renewal cycle: every 2 years, expiring the last date of the initial issuance month.
• Continuing education: West Virginia sets 24 hours per 2-year cycle (from our records; confirm with the board), but maintaining an active ARRT certification satisfies the state's CE requirement.

How to Get a West Virginia Radiology License

In outline, applying takes four steps:

1. Confirm the credential West Virginia 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 West Virginia Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners through the application portal.
4. Arrange the verification the board asks for: ARRT or direct board verification.

Common slip-ups travelers hit here: submitting verification documents directly to board instead of routing through ARRT system, causing duplicative requests and processing delays.

West Virginia Radiology License Processing Time

Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. In West Virginia: 5-7 business days. 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.

The board has eliminated its temporary license, so your permanent license must be issued before you can start work.

West Virginia Radiology Specialty Rules

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

CT Technologist

Divergence: specialty difference. Computed tomography performed under the general Radiography License; no distinct state CT credential for radiographers.

• Credential: Active WV Radiography License; CT is performed under that license. Facilities credential CT competency against the holder's ARRT post-primary CT certification. (Note: a separate diagnostic-CT credential only arises for Nuclear Medicine technologists, who need ARRT/NMTCB CT certification, see Nuclear Medicine tier.)

MRI Technologist

Divergence: separate license. Medical imaging using radio waves, magnetic fields and a computer to produce images of body tissues.

• Fee: $92 application, $60 renewal, every year
• Credential: Separate WV Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) License (or MRI Apprentice License) issued by the WV Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners

How it differs from the general license: Unlike most states, West Virginia regulates MRI even though it uses no ionizing radiation: MRI requires its own distinct state license rather than being left to the facility. A radiographer must add the MRI license (or hold an MRI apprentice license) to practice MRI.

Radiation Therapist

Divergence: separate license. Defined scope of practice for a Radiation Therapist under WV Code §30-23-11 (delivery of therapeutic radiation under a licensed practitioner's prescription).

• Fee: $92 application, $60 renewal, every year
• Credential: Separate WV Radiation Therapy License issued by the WV Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners (typically ARRT(T) certification or board-approved equivalent)

How it differs from the general license: Radiation therapy is a distinct state license, not covered by the general Radiography License; additional licensing is required to work in radiation therapy.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Divergence: separate license. Compounding, calibrating, dispensing and administering radiopharmaceuticals/radionuclides under an NRC-authorized user, for diagnostic and/or therapeutic imaging. PET/CT is addressed via the diagnostic-CT license variant.

• Fee: $92 application, $60 renewal, every year
• Credential: Separate WV Nuclear Medicine License issued by the WV Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners; the Board also regulates a Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic CT License and a Nuclear Medicine and Non-Diagnostic CT License

How it differs from the general license: Nuclear medicine is a separate state license, not part of the Radiography License. The Board licenses Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic CT and Nuclear Medicine and Non-Diagnostic CT variants.

Sonographer / Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound

Divergence: no state credential. Diagnostic medical ultrasound / sonography.

• Credential: None at the state level. Sonography uses no ionizing radiation and is outside the board's licensing scheme; competency is credentialed by the employer (typically against ARDMS/ARRT(S) certification)

How it differs from the general license: West Virginia does not require a license to work in ultrasound; sonography falls outside the Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board's licensing scheme (no ionizing radiation), and the hiring facility credentials the role.

Limited-Scope X-Ray Operator (Podiatric Medical Assistant Permit)

Divergence: limited-scope tier. Performance of podiatric radiographs confined to the foot and ankle on dedicated podiatric x-ray equipment only.

• Credential: Podiatric Medical Assistant Permit issued by the WV Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners. There is no general state-issued limited-scope x-ray operator permit for full-body radiography; dental radiography is handled by an exemption (dental assistants/hygienists under a dentist), not a permit

How it differs from the general license: This is a narrow, dedicated-equipment permit limited to foot/ankle radiographs on podiatric units, far below the full Radiography License scope. West Virginia does not appear to offer a general limited-scope x-ray operator license; dental imaging is covered by a statutory exemption rather than a limited permit.

Medical Physicist

Divergence: no state credential. Medical physics (imaging/therapy equipment QA, dosimetry).

• Credential: None from this board. Medical Physicists are not among West Virginia's licensed medical-imaging credential categories (the board licenses radiography, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, and MRI). State Medical-Physicist licensure is uncommon and typically cited only for TX/FL/HI/NY

How it differs from the general license: West Virginia's medical imaging board does not license Medical Physicists; the role is outside the §30-23 credential set entirely. Any oversight would fall under radiation control/registration of radiation machines rather than an imaging-technologist license.

Specialties That Follow the General West Virginia License

These run under the general radiologic technologist license and need no separate state credential: 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 West 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, check whether West 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.

West Virginia Licensing Board and Resources

West Virginia Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners

Board Website · Application Portal

Phone: (304) 558-4012

Email: [email protected]