Texas X-Ray License: GMRT vs LMRT, Exams, and Renewal

To operate X-ray or other radiation-producing equipment on patients in Texas, you need a certificate issued by the Texas Medical Board. There are two: the General Medical Radiologic Technologist (GMRT) certificate for full-scope diagnostic imaging, and the Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist (LMRT) certificate for imaging specific body regions. Both require graduating from an accredited program, passing a national ARRT exam and the Texas Jurisprudence exam, and submitting a documented application with fees starting around $130 for the GMRT.

GMRT or LMRT: Which Certificate You Need

The GMRT is the full-scope credential. It lets you perform diagnostic imaging across the entire body under a licensed practitioner’s direction, and it is what most hospital and imaging-center jobs expect.

The LMRT is restricted to the body regions your training covers. ARRT breaks the limited scope exams into categories that match those restrictions: chest, spine, extremities, skull, podiatric, and chiropractic (spine and extremities combined).¹ You apply only for the categories you trained in, and you cannot image outside them. The LMRT path fits chiropractic offices, podiatry clinics, and urgent care settings where full-body imaging isn’t needed.

One point that trips people up: ARRT national certification and Texas state certification are separate credentials. Passing the ARRT does not authorize you to work in Texas on its own. You still have to apply to the Texas Medical Board.²

Education Requirements

For the GMRT

You need to graduate from an accredited radiography or radiation therapy program. These are typically two-year associate degree programs, though some schools offer four-year tracks. The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) is the primary accrediting body nationwide, and your program needs recognized accreditation to count toward Texas certification.

For the LMRT

Texas accepts a broader range of program accreditations here: JRCERT, the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), or a regional accreditor like the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Programs accredited by JRCCVT for invasive cardiovascular technology qualify for the cardiovascular LMRT category.¹ LMRT programs run shorter than a full radiography degree and focus on the anatomy and positioning for the regions you intend to image.

If you already hold a current LMRT-equivalent credential from another state or U.S. territory, Texas may accept that in lieu of a Texas-approved program. You still have to pass the required exams and submit a full application.¹

Exams You Have To Pass

After finishing your program, you take an ARRT exam. For the GMRT, that’s the ARRT primary radiography or radiation therapy certification exam. For the LMRT, Texas accepts the ARRT limited scope of practice exams matching your body-region categories.¹ ARRT eligibility has three pieces: completing an accredited program, meeting ARRT ethics standards, and passing the exam itself.³

You also have to pass the Texas Jurisprudence exam on state medical radiation laws with a score of at least 75. The JP exam fee is bundled into your TMB application fee, so there is no separate charge.

Applying to the Texas Medical Board

The board uses a two-stage online process through the LAMAS system, which you reach through the “My TMB” portal.⁴

In the first stage, pre-licensure screening, you submit the online application and then upload supplemental documents through LAMAS. Staff only confirm that everything on the checklist has been received. Nothing is reviewed for content yet.

In the second stage, licensing, an analyst reviews your file for substance. If something is missing or raises a question, you’ll hear through the portal. Answering “yes” to any professionalism questions or submitting incomplete documents will slow things down. Certificates are issued on a weekly cycle once the file clears.

Documents To Have Ready

Official educational transcript sent directly from your accredited program to the board.
A certified transcript of your ARRT exam scores.
A Texas Jurisprudence exam score of 75 or higher.
An NPDB self-query report disclosing any prior disciplinary history; the digital report costs $3.⁵
An FBI/DPS fingerprint report processed through IdentoGo by IDEMIA, which charges its own fee.
Professional or Work History Evaluation forms covering your practice of radiologic technology for the preceding five years.
A birth certificate or equivalent proof of identity, plus records of any legal name changes.
Documentation showing you are lawfully present in the United States, which federal law requires as a condition of licensure.

Any history of malpractice claims, criminal arrests, or treatment for substance use disorder has to be disclosed with supporting records.⁶

Fees

The GMRT application fee is $130, which covers the jurisprudence exam fee and a $5 Office of Patient Protection surcharge.⁷ A Temporary Medical Radiologic Technologist permit costs $80 and also includes the JP exam fee and OPP surcharge. The base application fee under the administrative code is $80 for either certificate type, with surcharges on top.⁶ Budget separately for IdentoGo fingerprinting.

Renewal, Continuing Education, and Late Penalties

The certificate renews every two years. MRT and LMRT certificates expire on either February 28 or August 31, depending on your cycle. Renewal means completing the board form, paying the fee, updating your online verification profile, and reporting continuing education.⁸

GMRT holders need 24 CE hours per biennium, with at least 12 in Category A or A+ activities designated by an ARRT-recognized evaluation mechanism. LMRT holders need 18 hours, with at least 9 in Category A or A+.⁹ Both must also complete an approved human trafficking prevention course each cycle. That one is easy to overlook and will hold up your renewal.

The biennial renewal fee is $94: $64 to the TMB, $21 for the National Practitioner Data Bank, $7 for the Physician Health Program, and $2 for the Office of Patient Protection.¹⁰

There is no grace period. Once the certificate expires, you cannot legally operate X-ray equipment, and penalties start right away. Between 1 and 90 days late, you pay the full renewal fee plus half again as a penalty. Between 91 days and one year late, the penalty equals the full renewal fee, so you pay double. More than a year late, the certificate is cancelled and you have to reapply from scratch. The board does not send courtesy reminders that prevent these penalties.¹⁰

Mammography Is a Separate Credential

A Texas GMRT alone does not authorize you to perform mammography. The federal Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) sets personnel qualification standards that the FDA enforces through approved accreditation bodies, and facilities must confirm their technologists meet them.¹¹ If mammography is your goal, plan on additional mammography-specific training and clinical experience before a facility can credential you.

1
Legal Information Institute. 22 Texas Administrative Code 186.13 – Requirements for a Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist Certificate
2
ARRT. State Licensing
3
ARRT. Initial Requirements for Earning ARRT Credentials
4
Texas Medical Board. Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist Certificate Application
5
NPDB. Billing and Fees
6
Legal Information Institute. 22 Texas Administrative Code 186.10 – General Requirements for Certification
7
Texas Medical Board. Medical Radiologic Technologist Certificate Application
8
Legal Information Institute. 22 Texas Administrative Code 186.18 – Certificate Registration and Renewal
9
Legal Information Institute. 22 Texas Administrative Code 186.19 – Biennial Continuing Education
10
Texas Medical Board. Medical Radiologic Technologist Renewal
11
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mammography Quality Standards Act and MQSA Program