Radiation user licence - renewals and variations
Renewals
A radiation user licence may be renewed for either one or three years and is required to be renewed on or within 60 days after the expiry date. Should your user licence lapse (60 days after your expiry date), you will be required to apply for a new licence.
A user licence may be renewed online using eConnect EPA.
Exemptions
The Protection from Harmful Radiation Regulation 2025 exempts a person from the requirement to hold a radiation user licence if:
- they use certain radioactive substances, sealed sources or ionising radiation apparatus specified in Schedule 2 of the Regulation, or
- they fit into a certain exemption class and meet supervision and other requirements specified in the Regulation.
Note: From 1 December 2025, exemptions from the requirement to hold a user licence for certain radiation practices will apply to dental practitioners, dental assistants and veterinary nurses, technicians/technologists, subject to supervision requirements (where applicable) and other obligations.
Find out more about exemptions and supervision requirements.
Are you a worker from interstate? From 1 December 2022, if you hold a valid and current radiation user licence in another state or territory (besides Queensland), you may be entitled to work in NSW under automatic mutual recognition (AMR). If eligible for AMR, you may no longer need to apply for, or renew, a NSW radiation user licence but will need to notify the EPA of your intention to work in NSW.
Find out more about automatic mutual recognition and if you are eligible.
Expired licences
Where a user licence has expired, the application and fee for a new licence is required. Regulated material must not be used until a new user licence has been issued. In some cases additional documentation, including proof of qualifications and experience, may need to be provided. Such cases could include where receipt of a user licence is dependent on a current professional registration or the criteria for that user licence has changed.
See section on Radiation user licence – fees and forms should you require a new licence.
Exemptions
The Protection from Harmful Radiation Regulation 2025 allows a person to be exempt from having to hold a user licence if they fit into a certain exemption class and meet certain requirements.
Note: From 1 December 2025, if a person holds a user licence with only the IA20 condition or only the IA23S condition they are eligible for a licence exemption, subject to meeting supervision requirements (where applicable) and other obligations and will not need to renew their licence after this date.
See Exemptions and supervision requirements.
Variations
Radiation user licence holders who need to conduct new work not covered by their existing licence or add or replace a condition can apply to have their licence varied via eConnect EPA. Examples of a variation include upgrading from a provisional user licence to a fully accredited user licence; adding radiation apparatus, a radioactive substance or a sealed source device to an existing licence condition; or adding supervision and general exemption conditions to a user licence.
Download form to vary your user licence from the radiation forms page.
User licence variation fees
The EPA charges a fee to vary the conditions of a radiation user licence to recover associated costs. Examples where a variation fee will be incurred include
- upgrading from a provisional licence to a full accreditation
- adding a condition for which the applicant is already qualified
- adding a radioactive substance, ionising radiation apparatus, or sealed source devices to the user licence
- adding supervision or general exemptions.
In cases where the variation is a simple, the administrative fee to vary a user licence is waived. Examples include
- change of address or contact details on the user licence
- where a condition has been omitted due to an administrative error or a change in licensing policy.