Don't Miss a Beat: Your Complete ARRT Renewal Checklist

Why Understanding the ARRT Renewal Process Matters for Your Career

The ARRT renewal process requires three core actions to maintain your certification and registration:

Complete annual renewal by the last day of your birth month each year ($30 for first credential, $15 for additional credentials)
Report 24 CE credits every two years during your biennial CE reporting period (50 credits for R.R.A.s)
Complete Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) every 10 years (for credentials earned after January 1, 2011, and all R.R.A.s)

As a Registered Technologist, patients depend on your current knowledge and skills. This is why ARRT requires credential maintenance through annual renewal, continuing education, and periodic competency assessments.

Missing a deadline can be costly. If you don’t renew by your birth month’s last day, your certification is discontinued. Missing your CE deadline results in a six-month probation with extra fees. Miss both, and you may need to retake the exam.

The good news is the process is straightforward once you understand the requirements. Starting in January 2026, ARRT will simplify fees to a flat $65 for all renewals, regardless of how many credentials you hold.

I’m Zita Ewert. At SCRUBS Continuing Education, I help imaging professionals steer the ARRT renewal process. My goal is to ensure you understand every requirement for a stress-free experience.

Understanding Your Core ARRT Renewal Requirements

Keeping up with professional certifications can be challenging, but for your ARRT credentials, compliance is non-negotiable. It’s essential for your job and for upholding high standards of patient care. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) ensures all R.T.s and R.R.A.s (Registered Radiologist Assistants) stay current through a structured ARRT renewal process. This process has three pillars: annual renewal, biennial continuing education (CE), and Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR), all while adhering to ethical guidelines.

The Three Pillars of Maintaining Your Credentials

ARRT’s framework helps you maintain professional standing and deliver the best care. Think of it as a three-legged stool—miss one, and it all tumbles.

Annual Renewal is your yearly check-in with ARRT. All R.T.s and R.R.A.s must renew annually to confirm compliance and keep credentials active.

Biennial Continuing Education (CE) demonstrates your commitment to lifelong learning. Every two years, you must complete and report approved CE credits to ensure your skills remain current with evolving medical technology. As we’ve highlighted in our guide on The Importance of Continuing Education (CE) for X-Ray Technologists, CE is crucial for professional growth.

Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) is a deeper competency assessment required every 10 years for R.R.A.s and for R.T.s credentialed on or after January 1, 2011. CQR identifies knowledge gaps and provides a custom plan to address them, ensuring you meet current qualifications.

Beyond these pillars, all credential holders must comply with the ARRT Rules and Regulations and adhere to the ARRT Standards of Ethics. These documents guide our professional conduct and ensure patient safety.

Key Deadlines: Annual Renewal vs. CE Reporting

Understanding the distinction between these deadlines is vital for a smooth ARRT renewal process.

Your Annual Renewal Deadline is the last day of your birth month, every year. Your renewal window typically opens two months before your birth month. For instance, if your birthday is in April, your renewal deadline is April 30th each year.

Your CE Biennium Deadline is different. You report CE activities every two years. Your biennium is a two-year period ending on the last day of the month before your birth month, every other year. For example, an April birthday might have a biennium ending March 31st. You report CE during your annual renewal that year, with a final deadline of your birth month’s last day.

This distinction is crucial. You might be due for annual renewal but not CE reporting. Always check your ARRT online account for your specific dates. For more insights, see our guide on Satisfying Radiology Continuing Education Requirements for the Biennium.

Understanding the Fees and Upcoming Changes

The current ARRT renewal fees are based on the number and type of credentials you hold:

Credential Type	First Discipline Annual Fee	Each Additional Discipline Annual Fee
Primary Pathway (e.g., Radiography, Radiation Therapy)	$30	$15
Postprimary Credentials earned using NMTCB or ARDMS (e.g., Sonography)	$45	$15

So, if you hold one primary credential, you pay $30 annually. If you hold a primary and an additional discipline, it’s $45. If you hold a postprimary credential earned via NMTCB or ARDMS and one additional discipline, it’s $60.

Good news: Starting in January 2026, ARRT will implement a flat $65 renewal fee for all R.T.s, regardless of the number of credentials held. This change streamlines the fee structure, making budgeting easier and simplifying the process.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to the ARRT Renewal Process

Ready to renew? The ARRT renewal process is user-friendly and handled through your online account. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

How to Renew Your ARRT Credentials Online

Renewing online is the quickest way to maintain your certification. Here’s how:

Log In to Your ARRT Account: Go to the ARRT website and log in to your personal account.
Steer Your Dashboard: Your dashboard shows your renewal status and deadlines. When your renewal window opens (two months before your birth month), a “Renew Now” button will appear.
Click “Renew Now”: This button starts the online renewal application.
Follow the Prompts: The system guides you through confirming contact information, attesting to compliance with ARRT rules and ethics, and, if applicable, reporting your CE activities.
Payment: Complete your renewal by paying the fee with a credit or debit card.
Confirmation: After payment, you’ll get a confirmation, and your status updates immediately in ARRT’s online directory.

The deadline is 11:59 p.m. CT on the last day of your birth month. Don’t wait until the last minute, as the ARRT site has scheduled maintenance on Friday mornings from 2:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m. CT. For a broader look at renewing your license, check out our Rad Tech License Renewal guide.

Reporting Your CE Credits During the ARRT Renewal Process

Reporting CE credits is part of the biennial ARRT renewal process. If it’s your reporting year, this step is integrated into your annual renewal.

CE Landing Page: During online renewal, you’ll reach a CE landing page. It shows credits automatically sent to ARRT by approved providers like Scrubs CE.
Automatic Credit Transfer: Many providers, including us, transmit your completed credits directly to ARRT, meaning less work for you.
Manual Entry: For activities from providers that don’t automatically transmit, you must manually enter the details from your CE certificates, including the activity title, provider, date, and credit number.
CE Documentation: You don’t upload certificates during reporting, but ARRT may conduct audits. Keep copies of your CE certificates for at least one year after reporting.
Submitting Application: After confirming all your CE credits, you’ll finalize your renewal application.

Crucially, complete and report all CE requirements before submitting your annual renewal for that biennium. You cannot add more CE for that period after submission. For more information, see our X-Ray Tech CE Credits guide.

What Happens if You Miss the Annual Renewal Deadline?

Missing your annual ARRT renewal deadline has significant consequences. If you don’t renew by 11:59 p.m. CT on the last day of your birth month, your credentials will be discontinued.

Discontinued means you are no longer certified and registered with ARRT and cannot use the R.T. or R.R.A. designations. This impacts your employment, as most employers require active certification.

The good news is ARRT offers a reinstatement process, covered later. However, reinstatement involves extra fees, requirements, and possibly retaking the exam. Timely renewal is paramount to save time, money, and headaches. As we discuss in our Most Frequently Asked Questions About CE Credits for Radiologic Technologists, adhering to deadlines is a cornerstone of professional practice.

Navigating Continuing Education (CE) Requirements

Continuing education is an opportunity to grow, learn new techniques, and stay at the forefront of medical imaging. Let’s review ARRT’s specific CE requirements.

What are the CE Requirements for ARRT Renewal?

The number of required CE credits depends on your credentials:

Most R.T.s: You’ll need to earn 24 approved CE credits during your two-year biennium. This applies regardless of how many ARRT credentials you hold (e.g., Radiography, MRI, or CT).
R.R.A.s: Registered Radiologist Assistants (R.R.A.s) must complete 50 approved CE credits each biennium.
Sonography Credentials: If you hold a Sonography credential, 16 of your biennial CE credits must be directly related to this discipline. This ensures specialized knowledge remains sharp. ARRT may extend this discipline-specific requirement to other modalities in the future, so watch for updates.

These are minimums. Many professionals earn more CE credits to further their skills. Our Radiologic Technologist CE Complete Guide offers more details on these requirements.

What is a CE Biennium and How is it Determined?

The CE biennium is the two-year period for completing your required CE activities.

How it’s Determined: Your biennium starts on the first day of your birth month and ends two years later, on the last day of the month before your birth month. For example, an April birthday could have a biennium from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025.
Initial Credentialing: Your first biennium is set when you earn your initial ARRT credential. These dates typically remain the same, even if you earn more credentials.
Multiple Credentials: Holding multiple credentials doesn’t require separate bienniums or extra credits (except for R.R.A.s or Sonography). The 24-credit (or 50 for R.R.A.s) requirement covers all your credentials.
Changing Your Biennium Year: While the month is fixed, you can request ARRT to change the year of your CE biennium to align with other professional requirements.

Understanding your biennium dates is crucial. Find your exact dates by logging into your ARRT account. For more insights, see our article, What you need to know about X-ray Continuing Education Requirements.

Finding and Reporting Your CE Activities

Let’s look at what counts as CE and where to find it. ARRT accepts various approved activities, which fall into a few categories:

Category A or A+ Activities: The most common type, these must be approved by a Recognized Continuing Education Evaluation Mechanism (RCEEM) or RCEEM+. Scrubs CE courses meet these criteria.
Academic Courses: Relevant academic courses from accredited universities can count.
Advanced CPR Certification: Advanced certifications like ACLS or PALS can earn up to six CE credits per biennium. Basic Life Support (BLS) does not count.
Published Articles: Authoring an article in an accepted peer-reviewed journal can also count towards CE.
State Licensing Activities: Activities for state licensing in Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, or Oregon may also be accepted by ARRT.

Finding Approved Courses: The easiest way to find approved activities is with ARRT’s biennial CE search tool. This tool lets you search by topic, provider, and modality.

At Scrubs CE, we offer a wide range of Online CE Credits that are convenient and affordable. Our Radiology CE Course Combos are popular for fulfilling requirements efficiently. We make it easy to learn at your own pace and receive instant certificates.

Reporting Your CE: As mentioned, you’ll report CE during your annual renewal in your biennium year. ARRT’s system allows automatic credit transfers from many providers. Manually enter any others from your certificates and keep your records organized.

Handling Special Circumstances: CQR, Probation, and Reinstatement

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. ARRT has processes to help you get back on track, whether it’s understanding CQR, navigating CE probation, or reinstating credentials.

Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) Explained

Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) is a periodic assessment ensuring credential holders maintain competence as technology and practices evolve.

Who Needs CQR? CQR applies to all R.R.A.s and to R.T.s who earned their initial credential on or after January 1, 2011. If you were credentialed before this date (and are not an R.R.A.), CQR does not apply.
The 10-Year Cycle: CQR is a 10-year requirement. Your compliance period opens about seven years after you earn your credential, giving you a three-year window to complete it.
Purpose of CQR: CQR’s purpose is to identify knowledge gaps developed over time. It pinpoints areas for refreshing your understanding to align with current entry-level qualifications, rather than re-testing your entire knowledge base.
CQR Process: The process involves an online knowledge assessment. Based on the results, ARRT provides a “CE prescription”—a custom list of CE activities to address identified gaps. You complete these prescribed CEs within your compliance period.

CQR is a proactive way to ensure all technologists remain competent and confident.

What Happens if You Miss the CE Deadline? (CE Probation)

If you haven’t completed all required CE by the end of your biennium, ARRT has a process called CE Probation.

CE Probation Status: If you renew without meeting CE requirements, you’ll be placed on CE probation.
Six-Month Extension: The good news is probation grants a six-month extension to complete your outstanding CE credits.
Probation Fee: However, this extension requires a probation fee (typically $50) when you submit your CE probation report.
Reporting Probation Activities: During this period, you must complete the remaining CE and submit a separate CE Probation Report Form to ARRT.
Consequences of Non-Compliance: It’s critical to complete and report your CE within this probation period. Failure to do so will result in your certification being discontinued, likely requiring reinstatement by examination.

While CE probation offers a second chance, it’s best to complete your CE on time to avoid extra stress and cost.

How to Reinstate Discontinued Credentials

If your ARRT certification has been discontinued, there are pathways to reinstate it. The process varies depending on the reason and duration of the discontinuation.

Online Reinstatement Criteria: You may qualify for online reinstatement if:
- You missed your annual renewal deadline but are still within your CE biennium.
- It’s less than six months after your CE biennium end date (this will place you on CE probation).
- It’s less than one year after your CQR window closed, and you’re ready to complete CQR and report CE.
  In these cases, you can typically log into your ARRT account and follow the online prompts.
Reinstatement by Examination: This more rigorous pathway is required if:
- You fail to complete CE within the six-month probation period.
- Your credentials were suspended or revoked due to a sanction (requiring sanction removal first).
- You fail to complete CQR and reinstate within one year of your CQR window closing.
- Your credentials have been discontinued for a period exceeding the online reinstatement windows.
  Reinstatement by examination means you must re-take and pass the ARRT certification exam. This significant undertaking highlights the importance of staying current.
Missed Deadlines & CQR Non-Compliance: Missing annual renewal, CE, or CQR deadlines can lead to reinstatement. Each missed step increases the complexity and cost of getting your credentials back.

If you need to reinstate, consult the Reinstatement by Examination handbook and contact ARRT directly for personalized guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions about the ARRT Renewal Process

We hear a lot of questions about the ARRT renewal process, and we’re happy to clear up some common points of confusion.

Why did ARRT stop sending physical credential cards?

You might have noticed that ARRT no longer sends out physical credential cards. This change became effective December 31, 2020. ARRT made this shift for a few key reasons:

Preventing Misrepresentation: Eliminating physical cards helps prevent individuals who are not actively certified and registered from misrepresenting themselves.
Online Verification Directory: Instead, ARRT relies on its robust online directory for credential verification. Employers and the public can quickly and easily verify your current certification status directly on the ARRT website.
Electronic Communication: This move also aligns with ARRT’s broader efforts to transition to more efficient electronic communications.

So, while you might miss the tangible card, the online directory serves the same purpose, ensuring that your credentials are verifiable and up-to-date.

Can I roll over extra CE credits to my next biennium?

This is a fantastic question, and the answer is a firm no. ARRT’s policy is that CE credits must be earned and reported within the specific biennium for which they are intended. You cannot:

Roll forward extra credits from your current biennium to the next one.
Backdate credits to a previous biennium.

Each biennium is its own distinct period. This policy encourages consistent engagement with continuing education throughout your career rather than cramming or stockpiling credits. It’s like a library book: you can’t return it early to count for next month’s reading challenge, nor can you count last month’s book for this month!

What is the difference between my annual renewal deadline and my CE biennium deadline?

This is perhaps one of the most common sources of confusion, but we can make it crystal clear:

Annual Renewal Deadline: This is your yearly obligation. You must complete your annual renewal and pay the fee by the last day of your birth month, every single year. This keeps your certification active.
CE Biennium Deadline: This relates specifically to your continuing education. It’s the two-year period during which you must earn your required CE credits. Your biennium ends on the last day of the month before your birth month, every other year. You then report these accumulated CE credits during your annual renewal that occurs in the same year your biennium ends.

Think of it this way: you renew your ARRT membership every year (annual renewal), but you only submit your “proof of learning” (CE credits) every other year (CE biennium). Always check your ARRT online account for your specific dates to avoid any mix-ups!

Conclusion

Navigating the ARRT renewal process might seem like a lot to juggle, but with a clear understanding of the requirements and deadlines, it becomes a manageable part of your professional journey. Staying current isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about continuously enhancing your skills, embracing new technologies, and ultimately, providing the best possible care to your patients. Your commitment to continuing education is a testament to your dedication and professionalism.

We’ve covered the three core components: annual renewal, biennial CE, and CQR. We’ve demystified deadlines, explained fee structures (and upcoming changes!), and walked through the online renewal process. We’ve also addressed what happens if you hit a snag, whether it’s CE probation or the need for reinstatement.

At Scrubs CE, we’re dedicated to making your continuing education journey as smooth and stress-free as possible. Our Affordable CE Credits are designed to help you meet your ARRT requirements conveniently and effectively, so you can focus on what you do best: caring for patients.

Don’t let the renewal process catch you off guard. Stay informed, plan ahead, and keep those credentials shining brightly! For a deeper dive into all aspects of your professional development, Explore our complete guide for Radiologic Technologists. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Complete ARRT Renewal Checklist