West Virginia 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
$92
Renewal: $60 · Temp license available
Credential
ARRT
Required national certification
Renewal
24 hours
Every 2 years
State Overview
West Virginia licenses radiology as more than a single credential. Alongside the general radiologic technologist license, it recognizes 3 separate base licenses (MRI Technologist, Radiation Therapist, and Nuclear Medicine Technologist), plus a 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, 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 West Virginia's licensing board for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you perform radiology procedures in West 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: 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.
Fees & 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.
| Credential | Application | Renewal | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiographer (Radiography License) | $92 | $60 | Every 1 year |
| MRI Technologist | $92 | $60 | Every 1 year |
| Radiation Therapist | $92 | $60 | Every 1 year |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | $92 | $60 | Every 1 year |
There is no state fee line for Sonographer / Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound and Medical Physicist, because West Virginia does not license those modalities. Their absence from the table is the point, not an omission.
$92 initial (rule 18-1-4.6.a); $60 ANNUAL renewal. The doc's $40 is stale (close to the $37 temporary-permit fee).
Renewal & Continuing Education
- 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, 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 West 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 verification documents directly to board instead of routing through ARRT system, causing duplicative requests and processing delays.
Processing & Timing
Board processing time is how long the board takes once it has a complete application. In West Virginia: 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.
The 30-day temporary license provides a safety net for start dates, but permanent license delay can force reassignment if not secured within the window.
Quick start: West Virginia 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 West 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.
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 1 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 1 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 1 year
- Credential: Separate WV Nuclear Medicine License issued by the WV Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Technology Board of Examiners (NMTCB or ARRT(N) certification). For diagnostic CT on a multimodality scanner, the NM technologist needs additional ARRT/NMTCB CT certification (Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic CT License); a CT Fusion Permit authorizes non-diagnostic fusion CT only
How it differs from the general license: Nuclear medicine is a separate state license, not part of the general Radiography License; additional licensing is required. CT performed by an NM technologist requires a specific CT credential (diagnostic-CT license variant) or a CT Fusion Permit for non-diagnostic fusion imaging.
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
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 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, confirm with your recruiter 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.
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 West Virginia Radiology Board's official website.
Resources
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