Arizona Radiologic Technologist License Requirements

To work as a radiologic technologist in Arizona, you need a certificate from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) unless you are a licensed physician, dentist, or other practitioner authorized to use ionizing radiation. The Arizona radiologic technologist license requirements come down to four things: finishing an approved training program for the certificate category you want, passing a recognized examination (for most applicants, the ARRT national exam), submitting an application with fees to ADHS, and renewing every two years with continuing education.¹

Who Needs a Certificate

If you apply ionizing radiation to a person for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes and you are not a licensed practitioner, you need an ADHS certificate. Certificate holders may only use radiation at the direction of a licensed practitioner, and only on the body parts their certificate authorizes.¹

Several groups are exempt and do not need to go through this process:

Students enrolled in a radiologic technology school or in a medical, osteopathic, podiatry, dental, naturopathic, or chiropractic program, working under direct supervision of a licensed practitioner.
Technologists employed by the U.S. government performing their official duties.
Licensed dental hygienists and dental assistants with a valid certificate in dental radiology from a course approved by the state board of dental examiners.
Podiatric medical assistants with a valid certificate in podiatric radiology from a course approved by the state board of podiatry examiners.
Arizona Department of Corrections or county jail staff operating low-dose body scanners for contraband detection.

If you fall into one of these categories, the rest of this process does not apply to you.¹

Picking the Right Certificate Category

Arizona issues several distinct certificate types. The one you apply for defines exactly what imaging you can legally perform, and working outside that scope is grounds for discipline.

Certified Radiologic Technologist (CRT)

The CRT is the broadest certificate. It authorizes you to apply ionizing radiation to any part of the body for general diagnostic or therapeutic purposes at the direction of a licensed practitioner, including procedures involving fluoroscopy and contrast media.²

Certified Practical Technologist in Radiology (CPTR)

The CPTR is a limited-scope certificate for technologists who apply ionizing radiation to specific parts of the body for diagnostic purposes only, under direct supervision of a licensed practitioner. In practice, CPTR holders are restricted to basic chest and extremity radiographs. They cannot operate fluoroscopy equipment or use contrast media.²

Specialty Certificates

Arizona also issues certificates for radiation therapy technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, radiologist assistants, practical technologists in podiatry, and practical technologists in bone densitometry. Each has specialized education requirements tied to its scope.³

Education Requirements

Every applicant must be at least 18 years old.³ Education requirements then split by certificate type.

For the CRT, radiation therapy, and nuclear medicine certificates, you need to complete a course of study at either an ADHS-approved program or an out-of-state program approved by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), or the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB). The CRT specifically requires at least 24 months of full-time study or its equivalent.²³

For the CPTR, podiatry, and bone densitometry certificates, ADHS approves specific training programs, and you must complete a department-approved program before sitting for the examination. ADHS publishes a step-by-step checklist for CPTR applicants that walks through program approval and exam approval.⁴

Radiologist assistant applicants need a bachelor’s degree or postbaccalaureate certificate from a program using a nationally recognized radiologist assistant curriculum, including a radiologist-directed clinical preceptorship.³

ADHS may deny a certificate to anyone whose prior conduct resulted in discipline in any jurisdiction, or that would be grounds for discipline under Arizona law.³

The Examination

Once ADHS reviews your application and confirms your eligibility, you are notified of the time and place for the next examination.³ Most applicants never take the state exam directly. ADHS may accept current ARRT or NMTCB certification, or a certificate, registration, or license from another state whose standards it considers satisfactory, in place of its own exam. For most CRT applicants, passing the ARRT national exam is the practical path to Arizona certification.

Applying, Fees, and Timeline

Applications are submitted to the ADHS Bureau of Radiation Control. A complete submission typically includes the application form, proof of identity, documentation of your education and any national certification, and verification of lawful presence in the United States.

The application fee is nonrefundable and set by the ADHS director rather than fixed in statute. The examination fee is set by statute at $70 and cannot be prorated. A replacement certificate costs $10.³ Payment is made by cashier’s check or money order payable to the Arizona Department of Health Services.⁴

One fee provision catches people off guard. If you have been practicing radiography without certification, you owe a prorated fee calculated retroactively to the earliest date of your uncertified practice, on top of the standard application fee.³ That is in addition to criminal exposure for unlicensed practice, so waiting to apply after you have already started working is expensive.

If your application is complete with no missing documents, processing takes roughly three to four weeks. Missing information delays the timeline, and the department will contact you to request whatever is absent.⁴

Renewing Every Two Years

Every Arizona radiologic technology certificate is valid for two years.⁵ To renew, you submit a renewal application, pay the renewal fee set by the director, and provide evidence of continuing education completed during the preceding two years.

Required CE hours depend on your certificate type:

CRT: 24 hours per two-year cycle.
CPTR: 6 hours.
Practical technologists in podiatry or bone densitometry: 2 hours.

If you hold ARRT or NMTCB certification, you can satisfy Arizona’s CE requirement by providing proof of good standing and current national certification rather than submitting individual CE documentation.⁵

Miss the deadline and you owe a $50 late penalty on top of the standard renewal fee.⁵ If you go more than 30 days past expiration and continue practicing without adequate cause, you are subject to censure, reprimand, or denial of your right to renew. Practicing on a lapsed certificate exposes you to the same penalties as practicing without one.

If you stop practicing, you can ask ADHS to cancel your certificate or place you on inactive or retired status. The renewal fee is waived for retired or inactive technologists who submit an affidavit confirming they are no longer practicing, and the certificate can be reinstated later upon payment of the renewal fee.⁵ Working while on retired or inactive status carries the same penalties as practicing without a certificate.

What Puts Your Certificate at Risk

ADHS can revoke or suspend a certificate for fraud (including using a fraudulently obtained certificate or practicing under a false name), a conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude, scope violations, incompetence or negligence, interpreting diagnostic images for a physician, patient, or family (technologists produce images; reading them is the practitioner’s role), substance abuse or impairment, and practicing on a lapsed certificate. Short of revocation, the department may issue a letter of concern, impose censure, order probation, restrict your practice, or require additional CE. Civil penalties can reach $250 per violation per day.⁶

Criminal Penalties for Unlicensed Practice

Practicing as a radiologic technologist without a valid certificate, using a fraudulently obtained certificate, or holding yourself out as entitled to practice without proper credentials is a class 2 misdemeanor in Arizona.⁷ A class 2 misdemeanor carries up to four months in jail and a fine of up to $750. Knowingly aiding someone in practicing without a certificate is also a ground for revoking your own certificate.⁶

Coming From Another State

If you already hold a radiologic technology certificate, registration, or license in another state, Arizona may accept it in lieu of its own examination, provided the other state’s standards are satisfactory to ADHS.³ This is not automatic reciprocity. You still submit an application, pay the fees, and provide documentation, and ADHS publishes a separate checklist for reciprocity applicants that includes an Attestation of Licensure in Another State form. Holding current ARRT or NMTCB certification makes this smoother, since national certification is the common thread most state boards rely on.

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-2811 – Ionizing Radiation; Prohibitions; Limitations; Exceptions
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-2801 – Definitions
3
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-2812 – Applications for Certificate; Qualifications; Fees; Examination; Denial
4
Arizona Department of Health Services. Certified Practical Technologist in Radiology Steps to Certification
5
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-2816 – Certificates; Fee; Terms; Registration; Renewal; Cancellation; Waiver
6
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-2821 – Revocation or Suspension of Certificate or Permit; Civil Penalty
7
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-2822 – Unlawful Acts