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LXMO, BXMO, LMRT and more: what your limited X-Ray license is called
Same job, a dozen names: most states license limited X-ray operators through the ARRT Limited Scope core plus body-area modules.
What a limited operator is
A limited X-ray machine operator takes diagnostic X-rays of specific body areas, usually in clinics, urgent care centers and doctors' offices, without being a registered radiologic technologist. The state decides which body areas you may image, which exam you must pass and what score you need. Some states have no limited license at all, and a few only allow full radiographers to take X-rays.
The names by state
The most common title is Limited X-ray Machine Operator, or LXMO, used in Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon and Wisconsin. Florida calls it a Basic X-ray Machine Operator (BXMO, plus BXMO-PM for podiatric medicine) and Ohio a General X-ray Machine Operator (GXMO). California issues a Limited Permit X-ray Technician permit. Texas certifies a Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist (LMRT). Colorado registers a Limited Scope Operator (LSO), Minnesota a Limited Scope X-ray Operator (LSXO) and Arizona a Certified Practical Technologist in Radiology (CPTR). Iowa has the Limited Radiologic Technologist (LRT), Virginia the Radiologic Technologist-Limited (RT-L) and Utah the Radiology Practical Technician (RPT). New Mexico licenses a Limited Practice Radiographer (LPR); South Carolina's law also uses the term limited practice radiographer, with certificates reported as CLR-G (general), CLR-C (chest), CLR-P (podiatric) and CLR-Ch (chiropractic). Other names include Limited Licensed Technologist (Arkansas), Limited Diagnostic Radiographer (Illinois), Limited Radiographer (Maine and Nebraska), Limited Permit Holder (Montana), Limited Radiologic Imaging Professional (Tennessee), a restricted Radiologic Technician license (Wyoming), a limited scope Medical Radiation Technician (Delaware) and Washington's registered X-ray Technician.
What the scope covers
Whatever the name, most licensing states use the ARRT Examination for the Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography. Everyone takes the core: 100 scored questions on patient care, radiation safety and image production. Then you add procedure modules for the body areas on your license: chest (20 scored questions), extremities (25), skull/sinuses (20), spine (25) and podiatric (20). Some states license by type instead of by module. New Jersey has Limited Chest, Orthopedic, Podiatric and Urologic licenses, and Indiana has Chest, Podiatric and Chiropractic Radiographer licenses. A few states cap how many areas you may hold. Limited licenses generally exclude fluoroscopy, contrast studies, CT and mammography.
Limited operator vs R.T.(R)
A registered technologist, R.T.(R)(ARRT), graduates from an accredited radiography program and passes the ARRT Radiography exam. That credential covers every body part plus fluoroscopy, mobile and surgical imaging. A limited license is narrower and faster to earn, but it's set by your state and only covers the areas on it. Passing the limited scope exam doesn't make you an R.T. If you move, check the new state's rules, because a limited license from one state doesn't automatically carry over.
Clinical example
A medical assistant at a Texas urgent care center wants to take chest and extremity films. She trains, then takes the ARRT Limited Scope core plus the chest and extremities modules. With 75% on every section, she's eligible for an LMRT certificate in those two categories, and she's still not cleared for skull or spine films until she passes those modules.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every state uses the same title or the same exam.
- Thinking a limited license lets you image any body part. It covers only the categories on it.
- Treating the limited scope exam as an ARRT credential. It's a state licensing exam, not R.T. registration.
- Expecting a license to transfer when you move to another state.
Why it matters
Knowing your state's exact credential name tells you which board to apply to, which modules to study and which pass mark to aim for.
Key relationships
- Core (100 scored) plus modules: chest 20, extremities 25, skull/sinuses 20, spine 25, podiatric 20.
- Your license covers only the body areas whose modules you passed.
- R.T.(R) = accredited program plus the ARRT Radiography exam; limited license = state rules plus, usually, the ARRT Limited Scope exam.