Radioactive Materials - Reciprocity
The annual fee for Iowa Department of Public Health's (IDPH's) reciprocal recognition of a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or other Agreement State's Radioactive Materials License is $1,800.00. The check should be payable to the Iowa Department of Public Health. With the fee you must provide a copy of your current Radioactive Material's License.
Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Radiological Health
321 E. 12th Street
Lucas State Office Building, 5th Floor
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
Before processing and using radioactive material in Iowa, the fee and associated paperwork must have been received and approved by IDPH.
In addition, you may be inspected during the time spent in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health Radiation Machines and Radioactive Materials Rules can be found on our web site.
The following are excerpts of the rules pertaining to reciprocity in Iowa.
39.4(90) Reciprocal recognition of licenses.
Licenses of by-product, source, and special nuclear material in quantities not sufficient to form a critical mass.
Subject to 641-Chapter 39, any person who holds a specific license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or an agreement state, and issued by the agency having jurisdiction where the licensee maintains an office for directing the licensed activity and at which radiation safety records are normally maintained, is hereby granted a general license to conduct the activities authorized in such licensing document within this state for a period not in excess of 180 days in a one-year period.
The one-year period starts on the day the licensee's reciprocity fee, as specified in 641-subrule 38.8(8), is received by the agency and ends exactly 365 days later. Licensees are responsible for ensuring they do not exceed the 180-day limit within the one-year period and must apply for renewal 30 days prior to the expiration date of the one-year reciprocal recognition period. Out-of-state persons wishing to operate in the state in excess of 180 calendar days must obtain an Iowa radioactive materials license, which requires that the person have a permanent office in Iowa where records are maintained pertaining to licensed activities and where material can be stored, and must have at least one full-time employee and a telephone.
The licensing document referenced in 39.4(90)"a"(1) shall not limit the activity authorized by such document to specified installations or locations.
The out-of-state licensee shall notify the agency in writing at least three working days prior to engaging in activities in the state. Such notification shall indicate the location, period, and type of proposed possession and use within the state, and shall be accompanied by a copy of the pertinent licensing document initially. If, for a specific case, the three-day period would impose an undue hardship on the out-of-state licensee, the licensee may, upon application to the agency, obtain permission to proceed sooner. The agency may waive the requirement for filing additional written notifications during the remainder of the one-year reciprocity period following the receipt of the initial notification from a person engaging in activities under the general license provided by 39.4(90)"a.""a."
Notification can be made by faxing the IDPH at (515) 281-4529. The notification should include:
- Dates that you will be working in Iowa
- Type of device
- Names of the employees using the device
- Location of use
- Local contact - usually the following:
- Name of Client
- Name of client's employee that can be contacted by IDPH
- Telephone number
The out-of-state licensee shall comply with all applicable rules of the agency and with all the terms and conditions of the licensing document, except any such terms and conditions which may be inconsistent with applicable rules of the agency.
The out-of-state licensee shall supply other information as the agency may request.