Kentucky rad tech license: x-ray and sonographer rules

Kentucky rad tech license: an x-ray technologist needs a state license, a sonographer none; 18 programs.

The state rules apply where you take the images

Example: Kentucky· change any figure to see your own result

Kentucky: state license for an x-ray technologist

Yes

Yes, a state license · sonographer: no state license

Radiologic technologist (radiography)Yes, a state license
Sonographer (ultrasound)No state license
Limited x-ray operatorYes: a limited license
Other licensed modalitiesCT, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, radiologist assistant, fusion imaging
AgencyKentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy
Programs reported to IPEDS (2023-24)13 radiography, 5 sonography

Rule from the ASRT state table, read on November 13, 2026; the site of Kentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy refused our reader, so ask the agency before you apply.

How this is computed

Compiled by Radif Partners · How the rules were read

Kentucky has a board devoted to imaging, the Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, which licenses radiography, limited operators, CT, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, fusion imaging and radiologist assistants in the ASRT table. Sonography is not licensed. Sullivan University in Louisville reported the largest radiography class in 2023-24. The board’s site refused our reader. By awards in 2023-24, the largest programs were Sullivan University in Louisville (radiography, 57), Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville (radiography, 19), MedQuest College in Louisville (sonography, 19), Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington (radiography, 17), Owensboro Community and Technical College in Owensboro (radiography, 17), Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College in Cumberland (radiography, 16), West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah (radiography, 15) and Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights (radiography, 14).

How to get the Kentucky rad tech license

Apply to the Kentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy for the license of each modality you will perform, with your ARRT or other accepted exam result. Ask the board for its fee schedule, which we could not read. Also credentialed here: CT, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, radiologist assistant, fusion imaging.

Kentucky: imaging modalities with a state rule (ASRT table, read November 13, 2026)
ModalityState credential
RadiographyLicense
CTLicense
Nuclear medicineLicense
Radiation therapyLicense
Limited x-rayLicense
Radiologist assistantLicense
Fusion imagingLicense

Kentucky rad tech and sonography schools

Kentucky: the largest of 13 radiography and 5 sonography programs; public in-state median $4,656 and $4,656 a year (IPEDS 2023-24)
SchoolCityProgramAwards 2023-24In-state tuition and fees
Sullivan UniversityLouisvilleRadiography57$14,220
Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeLouisvilleRadiography19$4,706
MedQuest CollegeLouisvilleSonography19n/a
Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexingtonRadiography17$4,706
Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboroRadiography17$4,656
Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical CollegeCumberlandRadiography16$4,656
West Kentucky Community and Technical CollegePaducahRadiography15$4,656
Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland HeightsRadiography14$10,896
ATA CollegeLouisvilleRadiography12$13,790
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling GreenRadiography12$4,656

Tuition and exam: becoming a technologist in Kentucky

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

Sonography in Kentucky: tuition and exam

$9,887

$4,656 a year × 2 + ARDMS SPI and one specialty $575

Median public in-state tuition and fees in Kentucky$4,656 a year (2023-24)
Years of study2
Exam fees$575
State licenseNo state license
Full calculator: Sonographer: the job and the route →

Questions students and technologists ask

Tap a question to see the answer.

Does Kentucky license limited x-ray operators?

Yes. The ASRT table lists a Kentucky license for limited technologists as well as for full radiographers, both issued by the Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy. The board’s site refused our reader on November 13, 2026, so check the current rules there.

Do Kentucky sonographers need a license?

No state license exists for sonography in Kentucky according to the ASRT table. Kentucky schools such as MedQuest College reported sonography graduates to IPEDS for 2023-24, and employers rely on ARDMS or ARRT credentials. The imaging board licenses only the other modalities.

How much does rad tech or sonography school cost in Kentucky?

Yearly tuition and required fees for residents in 2023-24, from the IPEDS charges file, the five lowest: Owensboro Community and Technical College in Owensboro, $4,656 ($6,192 for nonresidents); Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College in Cumberland, $4,656 ($6,192 for nonresidents); West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, $4,656 ($6,192 for nonresidents); Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College in Bowling Green, $4,656 ($6,192 for nonresidents); Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, $4,656 ($6,192 for nonresidents).

Next steps

Rad tech license by state

39 jurisdictions issue a credential to radiographers; the word each uses, and the 12 that do not.

Sonographer license by state

Only 5 places license sonographers; the agency of each, and what the other states ask instead.

Moving to another state

Licensed in one state, moving to another: whether you need a new state credential, and where to apply.

Radiology tech schools

482 radiography programs with graduates in 2023-24: find those of your state with tuition and fees.

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.