How to Register an X-Ray Machine in Los Angeles County, California: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Opening, buying, moving, or changing an X-ray facility in Los Angeles County, California can involve several radiation-control steps. This guide puts the ordinary registration sequence, official links, timing, fees, and records in one place.
Heartland Physics can help organize X-ray registration information and technical records. Shielding design must be performed by a person who meets the jurisdiction's qualification rules; Heartland provides shielding services only where its current authorization and qualifications cover the project.
Quick answer
X-ray machines in Los Angeles County are registered with the California Department of Public Health Radiologic Health Branch, generally within 30 days of acquisition.
Los Angeles County separately performs local radiation inspections and shielding-plan review for installations within its jurisdiction, including Long Beach, Pasadena, and Vernon.
Start here: official forms and filing links
Use the official links below for the current application, instructions, or radiation-control program page. Forms, fees, and filing systems can change, so use the current agency version rather than an old saved copy.
What to gather before you start
• Facility legal name, physical location, mailing/billing information, and responsible owner or operator
• Each X-ray machine's manufacturer, model, serial number, tube information, room/location, and intended use
• Radiation Safety Officer or other responsible-person information when requested
• Shielding plan, room drawing, workload/occupancy assumptions, or plan-review documentation when applicable
• Installer or assembler reports, acceptance testing, inspection/calibration records, and applicable professional credentials
• Current application fee or payment information
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Handle the room and shielding requirements
Submit the Los Angeles County Radiation Shielding Plan Check Service Request and required technical package when a county shielding-plan review applies. The county's current request form identifies additional physicist-report requirements for CT, PET/CT, and therapy installations.
Step 2: Complete the registration application
Complete the California RHB radiation-machine registration process for the equipment and, when plan review applies, prepare the separate Los Angeles County shielding-plan-check request and supporting floor plans/calculations.
Step 3: Submit the application and fee
Register the machine through the California state process and submit the county shielding-plan materials to the Los Angeles County Radiation Management Program using the current plan-check instructions.
Step 4: Complete the post-filing requirements
Keep both state machine-registration records and county shielding-plan approval/inspection records. Complete any required local inspection or follow-up before routine clinical use.
Step 5: Renew and report changes
California radiation-machine registrations are generally renewed on the state's two-year cycle. County plan review is project-specific rather than a substitute for state registration.
Cost
Los Angeles County's July 2025 shielding-plan request listed plan-check fees of $622 per machine for equipment at or below 70 kVp, $977 per machine for 71-300 kVp equipment, and $1,776 per machine for equipment at or above 301 kVp.
State registration fees are separate. Confirm the current county and state schedules before payment.
Regulatory contact
Los Angeles County Radiation Management Program: DPHradiation@ph.lacounty.gov; 213-351-7897. California RHB X-Ray Registration: XrayRegistration@cdph.ca.gov.
Keep these records together
• Submitted application and payment receipt
• Current registration certificate, permit, license, inspection approval, or written regulator determination
• Shielding design, calculations, room drawings, and plan-review correspondence when applicable
• Installer/assembler paperwork, acceptance tests, calibration records, and equipment-performance reports
• Inspection reports, operating procedures, staff training, dosimetry, maintenance, and other records required for the facility
Important reminder
This is a practical guide to the ordinary radiation-machine process, not a substitute for the regulator's current instructions. Mammography, radiation therapy, mobile services, industrial radiography, research equipment, and other specialized uses can trigger additional permits, professional qualifications, inspections, or federal requirements.
Official source and review date
Heartland Physics last checked this guide against the official sources listed above on August 20, 2026.
For Heartland Physics project inquiries, email Lancer@heartlandphysics.com.