General Licensing
Many of our customers acquire a Thermo Scientific Niton XRF device under the provisions of a general license (GL). A GL is a license that is issued automatically to the customer by the regulator in their jurisdiction. There is no license application to fill out, and no license document is issued. Thermo Fisher Scientific submits a report to your regulatory agency within 120 days of your receipt of the device identifying you as a new general licensee. If the device is distributed under a general license, then there is a label on the device that describes it as being generally licensed and contains basic information about the license requirements.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has a number of helpful web sites dedicated to providing you with the information and tools you will need to operate in compliance under your general license. If you have questions about general licensing, these web sites are a great place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
The NRC GL Registration and Tracking Program
The NRC’s GL Toolkit – Links to Regulations and Pertinent Forms
The Federal Regulations for General Licensees:
10 CFR 31.5 – Your basic requirements as a general licensee
10 CFR 20.2201 – Reports of Theft or Loss of Licensed Material
10 CHR 20.2202 – Notification of Incidents
10 CFR 30.51 – Records
Please note that these are the specific regulations for anyone operating under a general license in a non-agreement state (i.e., ID, MT, WY, SD, MO, MI, IN, WV, VA, VT, CT, NJ, DE, DC, AK). If you are in one of the agreement states (i.e., those not listed above), then you should obtain and review the state specific requirements for possession and use of a generally licensed measuring device.
Some states do not allow portable devices to be generally licensed (KS, LA, MD, NC, ND, NH, NY, OH, and OR). Other states allow such devices to be generally licensed only if they remain at a fixed address (AL, GA, MA, NE, and WI). Therefore, not all customers have the option to be generally licensed. If you are in a state with these restrictions or plan to work in one of these states, it is likely you will need to get a specific license.
