Continuing Education (CE) and Renewal Questions
Annual Renewal
You can renew beginning two months before your birth month. For example, if your birthday is in March, your annual renewal period opens Jan. 1. Complete your annual renewal using your online account. Visit your dashboard and click on the RENEW button to start the process. Your renewal deadline is the last day of your birth month. This is a different date than your CE biennium deadline. (See "Understanding Your CE Biennium" below.)
Learn more about annual renewal.
Note—Your online account will not be accessible on Friday mornings from 2 a.m. - 4 a.m. Central time. We do not give deadline extensions for technical problems with your computer, mobile device, internet connection, etc.
ARRT has eliminated credential cards effective Dec. 31, 2020. This change makes it more difficult for people who aren’t R.T.s to represent themselves as such, and it helps with our goal of moving from paper-based to electronic communications. Graduates who pass the ARRT exam for certification and registration can use ARRT’s Verify Credentials online directory to check their certification and registration status.
May I renew over the phone?We don’t accept phone renewals. Complete your renewal quickly and easily using your online account. Learn more about how to renew.
Do You Have a Retired/Disabled/Inactive Status?
In all cases, you’re either certified and registered, or you’re not. We don’t have an inactive status. We do offer career recognition for people who leave the profession because of retirement or disability. Learn more about how to request a certificate of recognition.
Note—you do not need to be working in the profession to maintain your certification and registration. You may keep your R.T. designation as long as you continue to meet our ongoing requirements.
CE Requirements
Review the requirements for earning and reporting your CE activities on our Continuing Education page. If you have specific questions, contact us at 651.687.0048. Choose the option for renewal, reinstatement, or continuing education.
What's the difference between category A and A+ CE activities?Category A activities are those approved by RCEEMs or certain state licensing agencies, relevant academic courses from a school accredited by an institution acceptable to ARRT, or advanced CPR certifications in ACLS or PALS.
Category A+ activities are those that contain content relevant to radiologist assistants and that have been approved by RCEEM+s.
As an R.T., you can use any combination of Category A or A+ activities to fulfill your 24 credits of biennium CE requirements. If you’re an R.R.A., at least 25 of your 50 CE credits must be Category A+.
Learn more about acceptable CE activities and RCEEMs.
Visit our online CE search tool to find Category A and A+ activities.
What happens if I don't complete my CE credits by the end of my biennium?Even if you didn't complete your CE activities by the end of your biennium, you still need to renew by your annual renewal deadline. Remember—your biennium and annual renewal deadlines are different. After you renew, you'll be placed on CE probation status. You'll pay a probation fee, then you’ll have six more months to fulfill your CE requirements. Learn more about CE probation.
Understanding Your CE Biennium
Your annual renewal schedule and your CE biennium schedules aren’t the same. Although you need to renew every year, you only need to report CE activities once every two years. This two-year cycle is called a biennium.
Here’s how it works:
- Your annual renewal period: You must renew your credentials every year. Your renewal deadline is the last day of your birth month.
- Your CE biennium period: Your CE biennium is a two-year period during which you must complete your CE activities. Your biennium begins on the first day of your birth month every other year, and extends for two years, ending on the last day of the month before your birth month. Note—your CE biennium and your annual renewal deadlines are different.
- Your CE reporting deadline: While you must complete your CE activities during your CE biennium, you’ll have one additional month to report them. To put it another way, you must report your CE activities by the last day of your birth month. This is the same as your annual renewal deadline.
Log into your account and view your biennium dates on your dashboard.
May I change my CE biennium dates?Once you earn your certification and registration, your CE reporting dates will always remain the same. You can, however request to change the year of your CE biennium.
Can I move the credits I earned in one biennium to another biennium?No, your credits must be recorded in the biennium in which they were completed. You can’t roll credits forward to a new biennium or backdate them to a previous biennium. You can verify your biennium dates on your dashboard.
If I complete CE in my birth month, which biennium will it count towards?Your CE biennium ends the last day of the month before your birth month. You must complete your biennial CE requirements by this deadline. However, you’ll have until the end of your birth month to report your CE. if you complete CE during your birth month, you’ll only be able to report it for your new biennium.
What happens to my CE biennium dates if I earn more than one credential?ARRT establishes your CE biennium after you earn your first credential. Your biennium dates will remain the same even if you earn additional credentials.
CE Reporting
- You’ll report your biennial CE activities every other year during your annual renewal process.
- You can renew online beginning two months before your birth month. Check your dashboard for the RENEW button.
- Pay attention to the two different deadlines for completing CE versus reporting CE.
- When you are in a CE reporting year, make sure you submit all your CE activities with your annual renewal. Even if there is time left in your renewal period, if you renew and you don’t submit all your required CE activities, you will be placed on CE probation and will need to pay a fee.
- We’ll apply credits to your biennial CE for activities transferred from ARRT-approved organizations, as well as those that you completed and reported for:
- Your CQR CE prescription
- Structured education while pursuing a new credential
Some professional organizations keep track of your CE credits and transfer them to ARRT. In that case, they serve as record-keepers for you.
When you begin the renewal process, your online account will show the CE credits that the professional organizations have transmitted to ARRT.
If some of your credits don’t appear, it might be because:
- You’re on CE probation with ARRT
- Your identifying information at ARRT isn’t the same as that on file with your record-keeper
- You’ve dropped your membership with the record-keeping organization
- You’re no longer certified and registered with ARRT
- Your ARRT renewal has already been processed
Records of Your CE Activities
Because ARRT isn’t a record-keeper, we don’t provide records of CE activities that you or a record-keeper submitted. For that reason, we encourage you to keep a copy of your completed ARRT renewal application, list of CE activities, and CE participation certificates for at least one year.
During your CE reporting years, after you submit payment online for your annual renewal, you will see a confirmation screen that contains your renewal information and a list of CE activities that you reported. Print this page for your records as it will not be available after you exit.
CE Audit
Visit our CE audit page to learn about:
- The audit process
- How we select people for audits
- What to do after you receive notice of an audit
If you have specific questions on the CE audit process, call us at 651.687.0048. Choose the option for renewal, reinstatement, or continuing education.
CE Probation
If you didn't complete your required CE activities by the end of your biennium, and/or if you didn't report your CE activities (as required every other year) with your renewal, you’ll be placed on CE probation.
Review our CE probation guidelines for more information.
How much time do I have to earn and report CE activities during CE probation?Learn about timing requirements for CE probation.
Reinstatement
The process for reinstating credentials varies depending on your specific circumstances. Learn more about reinstatement and the steps you'll need to take.
I was only a few days late on renewal. Do I still have to pay a reinstatement fee?Yes. If you don’t complete your renewal process by midnight Central time on the last day of your birth month, you’ll need to reinstate and pay the reinstatement fee. We do not give deadline extensions for technical problems with your computer, mobile device, internet connection, etc.
My Question is not Answered on this Page
For more information, try the following pages on annual renewal, continuing education, CE audit, CE probation, and reinstatement.
If you have specific questions on renewal or CE, you can send us a message or call us at 651.687.0048. Choose the option for renewal, reinstatement, or continuing education.