Effective October 1, 2009, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Radiologic Health Branch (RHB), will require California radiographers who do not currently hold valid radiation safety certification cards from another Agreement State (nine Agreement States that offer radiation safety certifications: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas) or ASNT IRRSP certification will be required to obtain a provisional identification card from the state of California to perform industrial radiography within the state.

The application for a provisional ID card can be downloaded at the CDPH Web site. Once the application has been processed and approved, the RHB will notify applicants when and where they will need to go for photographs and to be issued the provisional cards. Applications for the provisional ID cards must be submitted by December 31, 2009, and the cards will be good for two years from the date of issue. Please note that the California provisional radiographer card is not transferable to other states under any reciprocity program. Also be aware that out-of-state companies performing industrial radiography in California must still comply with the current California reciprocity regulations.

Starting July 1, 2010, the RHB will require all industrial radiography licensees operating in California to comply with all of the revised regulations that were approved May 12, 2008. These can be viewed online at the CDPH site. Questions about the new regulations and provisional certification should be directed to Lauren Labbé, CDPH/RHB, at [email protected], or (916) 440-7949.

Rather than apply for a provisional ID card, personnel needing to qualify can take IRRSP exams from ASNT. ASNT is an Independent Certifying Organization and the ASNT Industrial Radiography Radiation Safety Personnel (IRRSP) program is approved by the NRC and the CRCPD. For information on the ASNT Industrial Radiography Radiation Safety Personnel (IRRSP) program and examination applications, go to the ASNT IRRSP Certification page at the ASNT Web site.