How to Register an X-Ray Machine in South Carolina: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Opening, buying, moving, or changing an X-ray facility in South Carolina 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 review the project scope and confirm whether its current qualifications and authorization cover any shielding work required for this project. Use the current government sources linked below for registration, plan review, fees, inspections, and filing requirements.
Quick answer
South Carolina uses a two-step process for many X-ray facilities: obtain Facility Registration Approval before installation, then register the installed X-ray equipment. The state says a facility must not install the machine before the required Facility Registration Approval is issued.
Start here: official forms and filing links
Use the official links below for the current application, instructions, or radiation-control program page. State forms and fees 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 Radiation Protection Officer information when the jurisdiction requests it
• 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 registration fee or payment information
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Handle the room and shielding requirements
Submit the shielding plan when the installation is in a category requiring state plan review. The state charges a separate plan-review fee when applicable.
Step 2: Complete the registration application
Before installation, complete SCDES Form 0845 for Facility Registration Approval and include the required supporting material. After installation, complete SCDES Form 0819 to register the X-ray equipment.
Step 3: Submit the application and fee
Submit the Facility Registration Approval package to XRayFRA-ShieldingPlans@des.sc.gov before installation. Register installed equipment within 30 days using the current equipment-registration instructions, including XRayRegistration@des.sc.gov where directed.
Step 4: Complete the post-filing requirements
Do not install before the required FRA is issued. After equipment registration, retain the FRA, shielding-plan review, machine registration, installer records, and required surveys or inspections.
Step 5: Renew and report changes
Follow the annual registration billing and update requirements shown in South Carolina's current radiation-control program materials.
Cost
The current Facility Registration Approval application fee is $62.50. X-ray equipment registration fees vary by modality, and a $62.50 shielding-plan review fee applies per X-ray control when plan review is required.
State contact
South Carolina DES: XRayFRA-ShieldingPlans@des.sc.gov for facility/shielding review; XRayRegistration@des.sc.gov for equipment registration.
Keep these records together
• Submitted registration application and payment receipt
• Current registration certificate, permit, license, or equipment decal information
• Shielding design, calculations, room drawings, and state 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 registration 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 sources
Source note: Use the current government sources linked on this page. Requirements, forms, fees, contacts, and procedures can change.
For Heartland Physics project inquiries, email Lancer@heartlandphysics.com.