ARRT® Renewal: Everything You Need To Know To Renew Your ARRT® License
ARRT® renewal date coming close? Not sure how to renew your ARRT ® license? Looking for the cost of ARRT ® license renewal fee and how to submit your CE credits to the ARRT ® organization? We’ve got you. This easy to understand guide will answer your most commonly asked questions about ARRT ® license renewal.
- ARRT® biennial CE requirements for R.T.s®
- How to get CE credits for ARRT ® license renewal
- How do I submit my CE credits to the ARRT ® organization
- How do I renew my ARRT ® license?
- What happens if I fail to complete the CE requirements during my biennium period?
ARRT ® Renewal, In Brief
The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists ® (ARRT ®) organization requires all registered R.T.s ® to fulfill a variety of important requirements periodically in order to remain compliant with ARRT ® Rules and Regulations and ARRT ® Standards of Ethics. And it’s no surprise. With ever-advancing medical imaging technology and ever-changing job responsibilities, it is critical for radiologic technologists to continue to grow their knowledge and skills in order to deliver the best possible care to the patients they serve.
- Complete an application for your ARRT ® certification and registration renewal on an annual basis
- Report your completion continuing education (CE) requirements every two years along with the renewal application
- Registered Radiologist Assistants (R.R.A ® certified) are required to complete Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) every 10 years
Let’s get started.
What are the different ways to get CE credits for ARRT ® license renewal?
- CE credits can be Category A or A+. The activities approved by an RCEEM+ are awarded Category A+ credit
- CE credit activities should be related to radiology sciences and/or patient care and need not be specific to radiology or mammography only
You can earn CE credits in either category by completing a CE activity that has been evaluated for ARRT ® certification by a Recognized Continuing Education Evaluation Mechanism (RCEEM) or RCEEM+ or by completing approved academic courses during the biennium.
- Online courses (most popular)
- Self-study readings
- Seminar lectures
- Classroom learning
Out of the above CE activities, taking online courses approved by an ARRT ® RCEEM is one of the easiest and most convenient options.
- Easy to access
Online courses have become the new normal for professionals to upskill themselves. With just a smartphone and an internet connection, you can learn new skills anytime, anywhere. There are a lot of quality and authentic CE courses available online for you to choose from. - Affordable
Online education is generally cheaper than other mediums of learning, whether it is classroom learning or attending a seminar. The CE courses available online are much cheaper compared to offline channels and can be bought in multiple ways, too. For example, if you only need 4 CE credits to complete your CE requirement, you can buy a 4 credit CE course online and get a completion certificate for it easily. You can even sign up for services like Medical Professionals’ All-Access Pass and get unlimited CE credits for ARRT ® renewal for one low fee. Finding an in-person seminar or attending in-person classes is typically much more expensive. - Interactive learning
The quality of online radiology CE courses is quite good. Some courses, such as those provided by Medical Professionals, allow an RT to learn in a much more playful and engaging manner.
What are the ARRT ® continuing education (CE) requirements for R.T.s ®?
As a registered R.T. ®, you are required to complete and report 24 credits’ worth of approved CE activities every two years. If you hold an R.R.A. ® certification, it’s 50 credits every two years.
If you’re an R.T. ® with a registration and certification in Sonography by the ARRT® organization, you must earn at least 16 sonography-specific CE credits each biennium. These will be counted toward your required total of 24.
The CE activities must be documented and reported along with the license renewal application over a two-year period also known as a biennium.
What’s a biennium, and when is mine?
An R.T.’s ® biennium is defined with respect to their date of birth. It is a two-year period that ends one month before your birth month.
Let’s explain the concept of a biennium with the help of an example.
Example of a biennium reporting period
Assume that you were born in April, and you received your ARRT ® credential in February 2021. Your biennium would be April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023.
- All CE credits must be completed during your biennium period
- You can’t transfer your CE credits from one biennium to another
- The ARRT ® certification and registration renewal happens every year, with the CE requirements being reported every two years
If you’re still not sure what your biennium is, you can use the ARRT ® website “Verify Credentials” feature to check. In fact, this feature allows you to check the biennium for anyone provided you know their first and last names. Here’s what it looks like.
More ways to complete your ARRT ® CE requirements
- Applications training completed at your facility can count as a CE activity, but you may only apply 8 Category A CE credits toward your biennial CE requirements (see the ARRT ® specifics on facilities applications trainings here for more information)
- Earning an advanced CPR certification (ACLS or PALS) from the American Heart Association or American Safety and Health Institute, though these are limited to a maximum of 6 CE credits per biennium
- Certain CE activities approved by specific state licensing agencies. As of September 2020, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Oregon meet ARRT ® criteria.
Important changes: As of January 1, 2018, R.T.s ® may no longer apply newly earned credentials toward satisfying their biennial CE requirements. You can read the ARRT ® organization’s announcement of this change here.
As earning CE credits is the easiest and most common method for R.T.s ® to meet their CE requirements, the rest of this guide will focus on that method.
How do I submit my CE credits to the ARRT ® organization for renewal and report that I have completed my CE requirements?
It is simple and easy to submit your CE credits to the ARRT ® organization. When you take an online course and pass the related test, you are immediately issued a certificate of completion that you will keep as proof of your CE activity. Keep your certificate handy as it contains the information you’ll need to report the credits you’ve earned.
Log in to your ARRT ® account.
The My Dashboard section of your account will display your personalized information about your CE biennium deadlines. Be sure to complete your CE requirements within the deadlines.
A series of dropdown menus will walk you through how to submit your CE credits to the ARRT ® organization. Enter the required information about your CE activity (found on your certificate of completion) and submit it. It’s just that simple.
Okay, I’ve submitted my CE credits to the ARRT ® organization. Now, how do I renew my ARRT ® license?
- Simply login to your account on www.arrt.org, go to your dashboard, and click RENEW
- Your CE landing page should show the credits you have previously uploaded. If any of your credits do not appear on the form, simply list them manually
When can I renew my ARRT ® license?
Your renewal period begins two months before your birth month. So, for example, if you were born in April, you can renew as early as February. Just remember that your absolute deadline to renew is the last day of your birth month.
Be careful! You won’t be able to access your account on the ARRT ® organization’s website on Fridays from 2:00-4:00 a.m. (CT), and the ARRT ® organization is very clear that you will not receive an extension on your renewal deadline due to technical issues of any kind. So don’t wait until the last minute, just in case!
ARRT ® Renewal Fee(s)
If you are wondering about how much ARRT ® license renewal costs, in addition to the cost of your CE activities, here is more information on that.
https://www.arrt.org/pages/resources/fees
Here’s the simplified version of ARRT ® license renewal costs.
- $30 per year (if you used the ARRT ® primary pathway)
- $45 per year (without a supporting discipline)
- $30 or $45 per year (depending on the above scenario) + $15 per additional credential
Okay, I have renewed my ARRT ® license. When do I get my new credentials?
You won’t. Not anymore. The ARRT ® organization no longer issues credential cards. This went into effect on December 31, 2020. Going forward, if you need to check your certification and registration status, simply use the “Verify Credentials” feature on the ARRT ® organization’s website.
What happens if I fail to complete my CE requirements during my biennium period?
If you apply for the renewal but fail to complete your CE requirements, you are put on “Probation Status” and issued a new credential card that highlights your “CE Probation.” You will get almost 6 months to complete your pending CE requirements, and then you will have to submit a Probation Report Form together with a $50 fee.
In the worst case, if you fail to complete your CE requirements during your probation period, then your ARRT ® certification and registration will be cancelled.
To have your ARRT ® license reinstated, you will have to complete the reinstatement requirements as per the ARRT ® Rules and Regulations.
Wrapping Up our article on ARRT ® license renewal!
Continuing education is an essential part of every RT’s professional career. Not only does it enable you to renew and maintain your ARRT ® license, but, more importantly, it allows you to deliver better care to the patients you serve every day.
We hope this guide was able to answer all the important questions you had regarding the ARRT ® renewal process and fees. As highlighted above, taking online RCEEM-approved CE courses is the simplest method to complete your CE credit requirements. Medical Professionals is proud to offer R.T.s ® like you such online CE courses in a simplified subscription package and contribute to your continuing success as a radiologic technologist.
Keep learning! Keep serving! And keep making us proud!
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