Hawaii Radiologic Technologist License Requirements (2026)
Who This Guide Is For
- Radiologic technologists seeking a Hawaii radiologic technologist license, whether as a Certified Radiographer, Certified Radiation Therapist, or Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist.
- Traveling radiologic technologists who need to plan around Hawaii’s mail-only, notarized paper application process before accepting an assignment.
- Technologists relocating from another state who want to know whether Hawaii’s endorsement pathway applies to them.
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| License Required? | Yes — individual licensure required to practice as a radiographer, radiation therapist, or nuclear medicine technologist |
| Credential Name | Certified Radiographer, Certified Radiation Therapist, or Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist |
| Governing Body | Hawaii Radiologic Technology Board (RTB), Indoor and Radiological Health Branch, Department of Health |
| Licensing Pathways | ARRT or NMTCB-based licensure (no separate state exam); endorsement for applicants licensed in a state with comparable standards |
| Application Fee | $60 for one license area, plus $5 for each additional area ($65 for two, $70 for three) |
| Application Method | Mail only — no online option. The application must be notarized and include a recent photograph |
| ARRT Required? | Yes (or NMTCB for nuclear medicine) — no separate Hawaii state examination |
| Criminal History Disclosure? | Self-disclosure of criminal convictions and any unsatisfactory-conduct discharge from employment; no fingerprint-based background check identified |
| Interstate Compact | Hawaii is not a member of any interstate licensure compact for radiologic technologists. Out-of-state licensees must obtain Hawaii licensure before practicing |
Hawaii licenses radiologic technologists through the Radiologic Technology Board, administratively supported by the Department of Health’s Indoor and Radiological Health Branch. The credential comes in three separate license types — Certified Radiographer, Certified Radiation Therapist, and Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist — and the Certified Radiographer license itself is broad in scope: it covers mammography, computed tomography, interventional technology, cardiac interventional technology, and bone densitometry, rather than requiring separate permits for each of those advanced modalities the way some states do.
Qualification is built entirely around national certification: applicants must be currently registered with ARRT (or, for nuclear medicine, ARRT or NMTCB) in the appropriate field. Hawaii does not administer its own licensing exam — applicants who aren’t already registered must apply directly to ARRT or NMTCB, sit for the national exam, and pass it before they’re eligible for a Hawaii license.
What Makes Hawaii Different
Hawaii is one of the few states in this database with no online application option at any stage — initial applications, renewals, and re-applications are all paper-based and submitted by mail. The initial application has two requirements that are easy to overlook: it must be notarized, and it requires a recent photograph attached, neither of which is common among the states covered here. Hawaii is also unusually precise about its renewal timing: rather than a birth-month or fixed-calendar cycle, the biennial period begins exactly thirty days after the end of the licensee’s birth month, and a mailed renewal is considered timely based on its postmark date, not when the Board actually receives it. Hawaii also officially uses the term “defunct” for a license that wasn’t renewed, which matters because that word — not “expired” or “lapsed” — is what determines which re-application path applies.
Interstate Portability
Hawaii is not part of any interstate compact for radiologic technologists — no such compact currently exists nationally for this profession. Hawaii does offer its own endorsement pathway, though: under HAR §11-44-5(c), a person licensed as a radiographer, radiation therapist, or nuclear medicine technologist by another state with licensure standards the Board considers comparable to Hawaii’s is eligible to receive a Hawaii license on that basis, separate from the standard ARRT/NMTCB-based pathway.
Requirements
- National certification: Current registration with ARRT in the appropriate field (or ARRT/NMTCB for nuclear medicine).
- Good moral character: Applicants must satisfy the Board’s statutory moral character requirements. Applicants with prior criminal convictions may be required to demonstrate restoration of civil rights, as provided in the application instructions.
- Application form: Typed or legibly printed, notarized, with a recent photograph attached.
- Endorsement applicants: Must hold a license from a state the Board considers to have comparable licensure standards.
How to Apply
- Download the application form and guide from the Board’s Radiation Forms & Links page.
- Type or legibly print all requested information, and attach a recent photograph of yourself.
- Provide verification of your current ARRT certification (or ARRT/NMTCB certification for nuclear medicine).
- Have the completed application notarized by a notary public.
- Enclose a personal or business check or money order for the applicable fee, payable to “STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH” — credit cards are not accepted, and fees are non-refundable.
- Mail the complete application to: Radiologic Technology Board, c/o Department of Health, Indoor and Radiological Health Branch, 99-945 Halawa Valley Street, Aiea, HI 96701.
- The Board instructs applicants to allow at least 30 days for processing; incomplete or incorrectly filled-out forms or checks cannot be processed and will add delay.
- Don’t forget the notary — a Hawaii RT application without notarization is incomplete, and incomplete applications aren’t processed, which can quietly cost you weeks if you find out after mailing it.
- Because Hawaii doesn’t accept credit cards, budget time to obtain a check or money order before you’re ready to mail your application — this is an easy step to underestimate if you’re used to paying application fees online.
- If you’re licensed in another state, ask the Board directly whether your state’s standards will be treated as “comparable” for endorsement purposes before assuming it qualifies — the comparability determination is made by the Board, not defined by a fixed checklist in the rules.
Relevant Statutes
- Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 466J, Radiologic Technology — cited by section number; no clean official deep-link identified this session.
- Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 11, Chapter 44, §§11-44-3 (Licenses required) and 11-44-5 (Minimum eligibility requirements) — cited by section number; no clean official deep-link identified this session.
- Source: RTB License Application Guide — official Department of Health application instructions.
- Source: IRHB Radiation Forms & Links — official forms, fees, and processing information.
Related Pages
FAQ
Does Hawaii require a state license for radiologic technologists?
Yes. Hawaii requires a license — Certified Radiographer, Certified Radiation Therapist, or Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist — issued by the Radiologic Technology Board to practice in the state. Source: RTB License Application Guide
Does Hawaii require a separate state exam for radiologic technologists?
No. Hawaii requires current ARRT (or NMTCB, for nuclear medicine) registration and does not administer its own licensing exam. Applicants without national certification must pass the relevant national exam instead. Source: RTB License Application Guide
Can I apply for a Hawaii radiologic technologist license online?
No. Hawaii does not offer online applications for this license — applications must be submitted by mail on a notarized paper form. Source: IRHB Radiation Forms & Links
Does Hawaii offer an endorsement pathway for out-of-state licensees?
Yes. A person licensed as a radiographer, radiation therapist, or nuclear medicine technologist in a state the Board considers to have comparable licensure standards is eligible to receive a Hawaii license on that basis. Source: IRHB Radiation Forms & Links
Does a Hawaii Certified Radiographer license cover CT and mammography?
Hawaii does not issue separate state licenses or permits for CT, mammography, bone densitometry, interventional radiography, or cardiac interventional radiography. Per HAR §11-44-3(b)–(c), these modalities are practiced under the Certified Radiographer (or, for bone densitometry, Radiographer or Nuclear Medicine Technologist) license, subject to employer and federal requirements. Source: RTB License Application Guide
Is Hawaii part of an interstate compact for radiologic technologists?
No. No interstate compact for radiologic technologists currently exists nationally. Hawaii’s own endorsement provision for comparable out-of-state licenses is separate from any multi-state compact. Source: IRHB Radiation Forms & Links
2026-07-23 — Editorial review pass: renamed “Background Check” to “Criminal History Disclosure” to match what the application actually requires (self-disclosure, no fingerprinting evidence found). Softened interstate compact language to avoid overstating national compact absence as a permanent fact. Re-verified and reworded the CT/mammography/bone densitometry scope claim against HAR §11-44-3(b)–(c) directly — confirmed accurate, phrasing tightened for precision. Reworded moral-character requirement to track statute language more closely. Reworded processing-time note to attribute the 30-day figure to the Board’s own instruction rather than presenting it as a guaranteed timeline.
2026-07-23 — Initial publish-ready draft completed. Fees ($60 + $5 per additional license area), mail-only notarized application process, and ARRT/NMTCB-based eligibility confirmed directly against the Board’s official Application Guide and Radiation Forms & Links page. Corrected an earlier data-collection pass that claimed no endorsement pathway exists — confirmed HAR §11-44-5(c) does provide an endorsement pathway for applicants licensed in a state with comparable standards. Added the notarization and photograph requirements, neither of which appeared in the raw data-collection sources.