District of Columbia rad tech license: x-ray and sonographer rules

District of Columbia rad tech license: an x-ray technologist needs a state license, a sonographer too; 0 programs.

The state rules apply where you take the images

Example: District of Columbia· change any figure to see your own result

District of Columbia: state license for an x-ray technologist

Yes

Yes, a state license · sonographer: yes, a state license

Radiologic technologist (radiography)Yes, a state license
Sonographer (ultrasound)Yes, a state license
Limited x-ray operatorNo limited credential in the ASRT table
Other licensed modalitiesCT, MRI, nuclear medicine, cardiac and vascular interventional, radiation therapy, radiologist assistant, mammography
AgencyDC Health
Programs reported to IPEDS (2023-24)0 radiography, 0 sonography

Rule from the ASRT state table, checked against the page of DC Health on November 13, 2026.

How this is computed

Compiled by Radif Partners · How the rules were read

The District of Columbia is one of only five places in the country that license sonographers, and it also licenses radiography, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, interventional work, radiation therapy, mammography and radiologist assistants. DC Health runs it through its Division of Radiation Control and Medical Devices. No school in the District reported imaging graduates to IPEDS for 2023-24, so every applicant trained somewhere else; at the public colleges of Maryland and Virginia, a District resident usually pays the out-of-state rate. A sonographer who also works in Maryland or Virginia needs the license for the District side only: neither neighbor licenses sonography. DC Health licenses radiography and sonography professionals through its Division of Radiation Control and Medical Devices, which has opened an online application portal for all its applications. No school here reported radiography or sonography graduates to IPEDS for 2023-24.

How to get the District of Columbia rad tech license

Create an account on the online application portal of the Division of Radiation Control and Medical Devices and apply for the license of your modality, with your national credential. The same portal handles renewals. Also credentialed here: CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, cardiac and vascular interventional, radiation therapy, radiologist assistant, mammography.

District of Columbia: imaging modalities with a state rule (ASRT table, read November 13, 2026)
ModalityState credential
RadiographyLicense
CTLicense
MRILicense
Nuclear medicineLicense
Cardiac and vascular interventionalLicense
Radiation therapyLicense
SonographyLicense
Radiologist assistantLicense
MammographyLicense

District of Columbia rad tech and sonography schools

Tuition and exam: becoming a technologist in District of Columbia

Example: sonography, 2 years in District of Columbia· change any figure to see your own result

Sonography in District of Columbia: tuition and exam

$10,407

$4,916 a year × 2 + ARDMS SPI and one specialty $575

National median public in-state tuition and fees (no public program reported in the state)$4,916 a year (2023-24)
Years of study2
Exam fees$575
State licenseYes, a state license
Full calculator: Sonographer: the job and the route →

Questions students and technologists ask

Tap a question to see the answer.

Do sonographers need a license in Washington, DC?

Yes. The District of Columbia is one of five jurisdictions in the ASRT table that license sonography, with New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oregon. The license is issued by DC Health, through the Division of Radiation Control and Medical Devices.

Are there radiography schools in DC?

No District school reported radiography or sonography graduates in the IPEDS completions file for 2023-24. Programs in Maryland and Virginia are the closest; this site’s pages for those two states list them with their tuition. Expect out-of-state tuition at most of those public colleges.

How much does rad tech or sonography school cost in District of Columbia?

No District of Columbia school reported radiography or sonography graduates with a published price to IPEDS for 2023-24, so the cost depends on the state where you train, and on whether you pay its resident or its out-of-state rate. On top come the national exam fees, the same in every state: $225 for the ARRT application, or $575 for the ARDMS SPI and one specialty.

Next steps

State tables, agency pages, fee pages and federal files behind this page (4)

Each form number, fee, length and signer list was read on these official documents on November 13, 2026.

Compiled by

Independent publisher of state-by-state licensing rules and exam cost calculators for sonographers and radiologic technologists. Paid by no one: no school lead, no affiliate link, no paid placement.

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The answers apply the ASRT state table and the agency pages read on November 13, 2026, and the IPEDS files for 2023-24. Rules change: your state agency decides.