Cyclotron Info

Cyclotron law, state by state

Verified August 2026

Particle accelerators are regulated almost entirely by state radiation-control programs (see the overview for the federal layer and background). This survey covers all 50 states plus the District of Columbia: how each jurisdiction defines "particle accelerator," whether a small machine falls within that definition, whether the state registers or licenses machines, and how its incidental-radiation exemption is worded — each with its citation.

Each jurisdiction also has its own page (linked from the map tiles and the table's first column) with the same record laid out in full.

The map reads each state's definition against a small, fully enclosed, sub-MeV machine — the archetypal amateur or teaching cyclotron, whose beam terminates inside its own vacuum chamber. "Arguably outside" is a reading of the definitional text, not a determination: the model definition's "usually in excess of 1 MeV" is soft language, and classification is ultimately the state agency's call. In nearly all states the machine remains a registrable generic radiation machine either way.

AL Alabama — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading AK Alaska — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply AZ Arizona — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading AR Arkansas — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading CA California — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply CO Colorado — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading CT Connecticut — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply DE Delaware — Arguably outside the accelerator definition DC District of Columbia — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading FL Florida — Arguably outside the accelerator definition GA Georgia — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading HI Hawaii — Arguably outside the accelerator definition ID Idaho — No program reaches it IL Illinois — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply IN Indiana — Arguably outside the accelerator definition IA Iowa — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading KS Kansas — Arguably outside the accelerator definition KY Kentucky — Arguably outside the accelerator definition LA Louisiana — Arguably outside the accelerator definition ME Maine — Arguably outside the accelerator definition MD Maryland — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading MA Massachusetts — Arguably outside the accelerator definition MI Michigan — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading MN Minnesota — Arguably outside the accelerator definition MS Mississippi — Arguably outside the accelerator definition MO Missouri — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply MT Montana — Arguably outside the accelerator definition NE Nebraska — Arguably outside the accelerator definition NV Nevada — Arguably outside the accelerator definition NH New Hampshire — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading NJ New Jersey — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply NM New Mexico — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading NY New York — Arguably outside the accelerator definition NC North Carolina — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading ND North Dakota — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply OH Ohio — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply OK Oklahoma — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading OR Oregon — Arguably outside the accelerator definition PA Pennsylvania — Arguably outside the accelerator definition RI Rhode Island — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply SC South Carolina — Arguably outside the accelerator definition SD South Dakota — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply TN Tennessee — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply TX Texas — Arguably outside the accelerator definition UT Utah — Ambiguous — turns on agency reading VT Vermont — Captured — accelerator/machine rules apply VA Virginia — Arguably outside the accelerator definition WA Washington — Arguably outside the accelerator definition WV West Virginia — Arguably outside the accelerator definition WI Wisconsin — Arguably outside the accelerator definition WY Wyoming — No program reaches it
Accelerator definition & citation Incidental exemption Notes (as verified Aug 2026)
Alabama Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-26-.01(2)(a)3		 Registration 420-3-26-.08(5)(b) — “not primarily intended” variant CRCPD-model definition; accelerators need a Notice of Registration (.08(2)) with no energy threshold in the operative rule; the exemption clause is written for equipment not primarily intended to produce radiation.
Alaska Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
7 AAC 18.990; registration under 7 AAC 18.110		 Registration 7 AAC 18.125(b)(6) — 0.5 rem/yr shielding-removed variant No accelerator definition anywhere in the chapter; an accelerator is captured as a generic “device capable of producing ionizing radiation” and registered.
Arizona Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Ariz. Admin. Code R9-7-102		 Registration R9-7-201 exemptions — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation machines register with ARRA; installers and servicers register separately (R9-7-203).
Arkansas Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Rules for Control of Sources of Ionizing Radiation, RH-200 (rev. eff. Sept. 2024)		 License (accelerators) RH-40.b — 0.5 rem/yr shielding-removed variant CRCPD-model definition, but machines that meet it are licensed rather than registered — one of the heavier state regimes if the definition is read to apply.
California Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
17 CCR § 30100(p) (“radiation machine”); fee schedule § 30145(a)(1)(I)		 Registration (within 30 days) 17 CCR § 30125(a) — annual-dose variant, “for other purposes” lead-in “Particle accelerator” is never defined (it appears only in the ≥10 MeV fee schedule); the very broad “radiation machine” definition captures any accelerator, with registration due within 30 days of acquisition (§ 30108); § 30104 gives the department case-by-case exemption authority.
Colorado Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
6 CCR 1007-1, Part 1, § 1.2		 Registration 6 CCR 1007-1, Part 2, § 2.3 — “not primarily intended” variant CRCPD-model definition; registration, not licensing; sellers, installers, and servicers of radiation machines register separately (§ 2.4).
Connecticut Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-148 (“source of ionizing radiation”)		 Registration (DEEP) Nonstandard — see statute; no CRCPD-style clause located No regulatory definition of “particle accelerator” exists; capture runs through the statutory “source of ionizing radiation,” and DEEP’s machine-registration program explicitly lists cyclotrons.
Delaware Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
16 Del. Admin. Code § 4465-A-2.0		 Registration 16 Del. Admin. Code § 4465-B-4.1 — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause plus “usually in excess of 1 MeV”); a small closed-beam machine is arguably outside it and falls to generic radiation-machine registration.
District of Columbia Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
DC Regulations for the Control of Radiation, Part A, § A.2		 Registration Part B exemption clause — “for other purposes” lead-in Adopts the CRCPD model; DC Health operates a registration program for radiation machines (the model’s licensure brackets are preserved as an option).
Florida Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Fla. Admin. Code 64E-5 (accelerator registration at 64E-5.801)		 Registration 64E-5.511(1)(a) — 0.5 mrem/h clause Accelerator definition carries the “usually in excess of 1 MeV” language, but the broader radiation-machine definition still applies; machines register under 64E-5.511 and accelerators under 64E-5.801/.802.
Georgia Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 111-8-90-.01		 Registration r. 111-8-90-.02 — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation machines register; no seller/installer/servicer registration program was found.
Hawaii Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
HAR § 11-45-2		 License (all machines) HAR § 11-45-18(a)(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model accelerator definition, but Hawaii licenses all non-exempt radiation machines — the application is due 60 days before purchase or acquisition (HAR § 11-45-22(a)) — one of the heaviest machine regimes surveyed.
Idaho No program No applicable machine program
IDAPA 16.02.27 (eff. 7/1/2026) — X-ray machines only		 X-ray program only None — no incidental-radiation clause in the current chapter The current chapter, completely rewritten effective July 2026, regulates only X-ray machines; “particle accelerator” never appears and there is no general radiation-machine program.
Illinois Captured Broad definition — no floor, no extraction clause
32 Ill. Adm. Code 390.20		 Registration Parts 320/340 exemption clauses Part 390 reaches “any device other than an x-ray machine that emits ionizing radiation as a result of the acceleration of charged particles” — no energy floor; the consequence is registration (Illinois licenses only radioactive material), with installers and servicers registered under Part 322.
Indiana Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
410 IAC 5-1-2		 Registration 410 IAC 5-2-3(a) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; a small closed-beam machine is arguably outside it; radiation machines register with no separate vendor-registration scheme.
Iowa Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Iowa Admin. Code 641—37.2 (recodified from 641—39, eff. 7/29/2026)		 Registration 641—37.8(1)“a”(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; registration (a license only if radioactive material is produced); the chapter was recodified in 2026 — older citations to 641—39 are stale.
Kansas Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
K.A.R. 28-35-135p		 Registration K.A.R. 28-35-162(a) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; registration with a vendor notification (not full registration) requirement.
Kentucky Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
902 KAR 100:010, Section 1(3)		 Registration 902 KAR 100:110, Section 5(1)(a) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation machines register, and distributors/installers register as vendors (100:110 § 4).
Louisiana Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
LAC 33:XV.102		 Registration (licensing provisions also exist) LAC 33:XV.203.A — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; machine registration plus installer registration (LAC 33:XV.205).
Maine Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
10-144 C.M.R. ch. 220, Part A, § A.2		 License (accelerators) Part F, § F.3.D(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition, but accelerators that meet it are licensed, and the registration part is written around X-ray machines — leaving low-energy particle machines in a residual gap.
Maryland Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
COMAR 26.12.01.01 (incorporating Part A, § A.2, 1994 regs)		 Registration Incorporated Part B, § B.3(a) — “for other purposes” lead-in Maryland incorporates the CRCPD model by reference; radiation machines register.
Massachusetts Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
105 CMR 120.005		 Registration 105 CMR 120.023(A) — “for other purposes” lead-in Verbatim CRCPD definition; the 120.700-series accelerator overlay (RSO, safety committee, operator training) is definition-gated, so a machine outside the definition falls to generic registration.
Michigan Ambiguous Firm 1 MeV floor
Mich. Admin. Code R 333.5432 (firm “in excess of 1 MeV”)		 Registration R 333.5033(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in The accelerator part carries a firm 1 MeV floor, so sub-MeV machines are cleanly outside it; the generic radiation-machine definition (R 333.5010(3)) still applies, with registration and the R 333.5033 exemption analysis.
Minnesota Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Minn. R. 4732.0110, subp. 4		 Registration None — no incidental-radiation clause exists CRCPD-model definition; equipment registration is routine but certain — Minnesota has no incidental-radiation exemption to argue.
Mississippi Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 21, Subpt. 78, Ch. 1, Rule 1.1.2		 Registration Rule 1.2.3 — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation machines register.
Missouri Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
19 CSR 20-10.010(21) (“radiation machine”)		 Registration 19 CSR 20-10.020(1)(B) — 0.5 rem/yr shielding-removed variant “Particle accelerator” is never defined or even mentioned; an accelerator is captured as a generic radiation machine and registered.
Montana Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
ARM 37.14.102(30)		 Registration ARM 37.14.306(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation machines register; no vendor-registration program was found.
Nebraska Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
180 NAC 1-002 (“Accelerator”)		 Registration 180 NAC 2-003.01 — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation-generating equipment registers, with out-of-state equipment on three working days’ notice.
Nevada Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
NAC 459.056		 Registration (≤9 MeV); license above NAC 459.152 — 0.5 mrem/h clause Verbatim CRCPD definition (confirmed against the current NAC); the strict accelerator-authorization rule is definition-gated; machines up to 9 MeV register (NAC 459.742) and installers must hold state certificates (NAC 459.154/.156).
New Hampshire Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
N.H. Admin. Code He-P 4003.01(de)		 Registration He-P 4040.06(a) — favorable lead-in (no “for other purposes”) CRCPD-model definition; the exemption lead-in reads simply “radiation incidental to its operation” — one of the few textually favorable wordings surveyed.
New Jersey Captured Extraction clause, no energy floor
N.J.A.C. 7:28-20.2		 Registration N.J.A.C. 7:28-3.2(b) — exemption requires ≤5 kVp operating potential The definition expressly names cyclotrons and has no energy floor; New Jersey registers even electron microscopes, and the machine exemption additionally requires an operating potential of 5 kVp or less — internal dee voltages typically exceed that.
New Mexico Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
20.3.1.7 NMAC (“particle accelerator”)		 Registration 20.3.2.201.A NMAC — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; machines that do not produce radioactive material register, and service providers register separately (20.3.2.204 NMAC).
New York Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
10 NYCRR 16.2(a)(81)		 Registration 10 NYCRR 16.4 / Appendix 16-A — list-based; accelerators not listed CRCPD-model definition under the State Sanitary Code; exemptions are a fixed list (Appendix 16-A) that does not include accelerators, so registration is the expected outcome; a mobile unit can itself be the registered “radiation installation.”
North Carolina Ambiguous No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
10A NCAC 15 .0902 (term undefined after the 2025 readoptions)		 License (accelerators); registration (.0800 RGDs) 10A NCAC 15 .0202(a) — 0.5 rem/yr shielding-removed variant The 2025 rule readoptions left “particle accelerator” undefined while .0902 flatly licenses accelerators; the .0800 section separately registers radiation-generating devices in the 5 keV–1 MeV band (ion implanters register there in practice) — classification is genuinely ambiguous and turns on a written agency determination.
North Dakota Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
NDAC 33.1-10 (accelerator chapter; term never defined)		 Registration NDAC 33.1-10-02-02(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in An accelerator chapter exists but never defines the term, so ordinary meaning governs and an accelerator is captured; registration, not licensing.
Ohio Captured CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
OAC 3701:1-38-01; registration attaches to “radiation-generating equipment” generally		 Registration OAC 3701:1-38-03(D)(1) — incidental clause The accelerator definition is the CRCPD model, but Ohio’s registration duty attaches to radiation-generating equipment generally, so an accelerator is captured regardless of the definitional argument; persons who transfer, service, or install (“handlers”) must also register (3701:1-38-03(I)).
Oklahoma Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
OAC 252:410-1-2		 Permit + registration OAC 252:410-3-2(b)(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; Oklahoma DEQ issues radiation-machine operating permits (fixed terms up to ten years) alongside registration, with assembler/transferor obligations at 252:410-3-6.
Oregon Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
OAR 333-100-0005		 Registration OAR 333-101-0010(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; machines register while service providers are licensed.
Pennsylvania Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
25 Pa. Code § 228.2 (as amended Aug. 11, 2023, 53 Pa.B. 4977)		 Registration (Ch. 216); accelerators licensed (Ch. 228) § 216.3(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in; EMs/EB welders expressly carved out The former 0.1 MeV proton floor was repealed in August 2023 in favor of the verbatim CRCPD model — older mirrors still show the repealed text; machines meeting the definition are specifically licensed (§ 228.21a), others register under Ch. 216; in practice sub-MeV ion implanters have been licensed, so a written DEP classification is the reliable path.
Rhode Island Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
216-RICR-40-20-13 § 13.3.1 (term undefined anywhere in the RICR)		 Registration 216-RICR-40-20-3 § 3.3(B)(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in No definition of “particle accelerator” exists anywhere in the current RICR, so ordinary meaning governs and Part 13’s flat authorization requirement captures accelerators — no energy floor or extraction clause to argue from.
South Carolina Arguably outside Extraction clause, no energy floor
R.61-65 RHC 8.21		 Registration (R.61-64) R.61-64 RHB 2.2.1 — 0.5 mrem/h clause The definition turns on discharging particles “into a medium external to the accelerating device” with no energy floor — a machine whose beam terminates inside the vacuum chamber is arguably outside it; machines register, and sellers/installers register in two classes (RHB 2.6/2.7); no reciprocity agreements are in effect.
South Dakota Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
ARSD 44:03 (no accelerator definition)		 License (radiation machines) ARSD 44:03:01:06.01 — “for other purposes” lead-in No accelerator regime; South Dakota licenses radiation-producing devices rather than registering them — a heavier mechanism than most states.
Tennessee Captured Broad definition — no floor, no extraction clause
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-20-04-.04(1)(fff)		 Certified registration (pre-approval) 0400-20-10-.07(1)(b) — 0.5 rem/yr shielding-removed variant “Any device used to impart kinetic energy to electrically charged particles” — no energy floor, no extraction clause (the 0.9 MeV/extraction language is an inclusion, not a limit); accelerators need certified registration with agency pre-approval before operation, and “cyclotron” is separately defined.
Texas Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
25 TAC § 289.231(c)(46)		 Registration (§ 289.226) § 289.226(d)(1) — “for other purposes” lead-in; electron microscopes expressly exempt at (d)(5) “Designed to discharge … usually in excess of 1 MeV”; the § 289.229 accelerator rules are definition-gated, so a machine designed not to discharge falls to generic registration under § 289.226, which also covers services and mobile authorization.
Utah Ambiguous CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Utah Admin. Code R313-12-3		 Registration (annual) R313-16-220 — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; annual registration with fees, plus servicing notification (R313-16-233).
Vermont Captured No accelerator definition — generic radiation-machine rules
Radiological Health Rule (“radiation machine … includes any accelerator”; term never defined)		 Registration Part A, § 4.1.4 — “for other purposes” lead-in The rule states that “radiation machine … includes any accelerator” without ever defining the term, so an accelerator is captured and the accelerator sections apply; registration, not licensing.
Virginia Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
12VAC5-481-10		 Registration 12VAC5-481-270.A — favorable lead-in (no “for other purposes”) CRCPD-model definition; the exemption lead-in reads simply “radiation incidental to its operation” — the most favorable wording surveyed, and Virginia practice exempts electron microscopes on it.
Washington Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
WAC 246-220-010		 Registration WAC 246-224-0020(1) — favorable, keyed to external emission below threshold CRCPD-model definition; the machine-facility exception is keyed to external emission below threshold, language well suited to fully enclosed machines; note a vehicle containing a machine is itself a radiation-machine facility (WAC 246-224-0010).
West Virginia Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
W. Va. Code R. § 64-23-3.61		 Registration § 64-23-5.2.a.5 — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; radiation machines register.
Wisconsin Arguably outside CRCPD-model definition (extraction clause + “usually >1 MeV”)
Wis. Admin. Code DHS 157.03(5)		 Registration DHS 157.86(2)(a) — “for other purposes” lead-in CRCPD-model definition; registration, with temporary out-of-state use on written notice (DHS 157.86(3)).
Wyoming No program No applicable machine program
None — no radiation-machine program		 No program None — no machine regulations exist Wyoming has no radiation-machine regulatory program of any kind; the state radiological services program is advisory, not regulatory.

Method and caveats