How to Become a Medical Assistant in Oregon

Checked against Oregon Board of Medical Imaging (limited x-ray machine operator permits); Oregon State Board of Nursing (RN assignment to medical assistants) · Verified 2026-10-15

Exam: Not required
Training: Not required
Term: See state office
State fee: See state office
Rules set by: Oregon Board of Medical Imaging (limited x-ray machine operator permits); Oregon State Board of Nursing (RN assignment to medical assistants)

Take the free medical assistant practice test →

Who can apply

Oregon has no state license for medical assistants.
To take x-rays you must hold a Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) permit from the Oregon Board of Medical Imaging; you must be at least 18 (ORS 688.515).

Step by step

Finish a medical assisting program or get employer training. Oregon does not require a specific program.
Optionally earn a national certification (CMA-AAMA, RMA-AMT, CCMA-NHA or NCMA-NCCT). Oregon does not require one.
If you will take x-rays: complete an OBMI-recognized limited x-ray course and get a signed course completion certificate.
Apply through OBMI for the ARRT limited-scope exam and pass the Core module (70% or better).
Get a 6-month Temporary LXMO permit, complete your clinical experience under personal supervision, and pass the ARRT exam modules for each anatomic area.
Apply for the Permanent LXMO permit, all within 12 months of your course completion certificate.
Work under the supervision your employer and supervising provider set; an RN may assign you only work your position description authorizes.

Training and exam

Training: No state-mandated medical assistant program. The LXMO permit (only if you take x-rays) requires a Board-approved course with a Core module, at least one radiographic procedure module and lab practice, taught by a Board-approved instructor following the OBMI LXMO Instruction Manual (OAR 337-010-0030).

Exam: No state exam to work as a medical assistant; national certification is voluntary. For x-ray work, the LXMO permit requires the ARRT Limited Scope Examination: Core plus each radiographic procedure module you want on your permit, each passed with at least 70%, with three attempts per section in the 12-month window.

No state exam here, but most employers ask for national certification. Practice for the CMA/RMA/CCMA free →

What it costs in Oregon

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Medical assisting program tuition or employer training(optional)$
OBMI Temporary LXMO permit (only if you take x-rays)(optional)$30
OBMI fee per ARRT exam module, plus ARRT's own exam fee (only if you take x-rays)(optional)$
National certification exam (optional)$

Estimated total in Oregon$0

Cost details from the state

LXMO (only if you take x-rays): Temporary permit $30 (OAR 337-021-0010); $20 per exam module in addition to ARRT's own fees (OAR 337-010-0030); permanent permit renewal $5 per month of permit term under OAR 337-021-0040. A 2021 legislative fee document lists $216 for a two-year license or permit, so confirm the current permanent permit fee on the OBMI portal.
Fingerprint background check at the Oregon State Police fee (OAR 337-021-0055).
Training tuition varies by program.

How long it takes

The LXMO path (course certificate to permanent permit) must be completed within 12 months of the course completion date or the coursework must be retaken.

Good to know in Oregon

What a medical assistant can do in Oregon: The Oregon State Board of Nursing says an RN treats a medical assistant on the team as an unregulated assistive person (UAP) under OAR 851-006, and under OAR 851-045-0060(3) the RN may assign work the medical assistant is authorized by their organizational position description to perform in that practice setting.

What a medical assistant cannot do: No one may perform radiographic procedures without an OBMI permit. LXMO permits cannot cover fluoroscopy, bony thorax studies, abdominal studies, contrast studies or special head studies (ORS 688.515). Oregon has no state list of medical assistant tasks; what you may do depends on your employer's position description and the supervising provider.

X-ray: An LXMO permit is limited to the anatomic areas you passed: skull/sinus, spine, chest, extremities and/or podiatric, or bone densitometry (a separate permit). Temporary permit holders need personal supervision by a licensed physician, NP or PA. The permanent permit expires every 2 years on the first day of your birth month; renewal needs 18 CE hours per 2 years for 1-3 anatomic areas or 24 hours for 4 or more, and permanent permit holders work under direct supervision (supervisor in the building).

Renewing a temporary LXMO permit: The 6-month temporary LXMO permit may be renewed once to give you more time for clinical experience. The second temporary permit runs only for the months left in your 12-month window from the course completion certificate, so it may be shorter than 6 months.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Oregon Board of Medical Imaging (limited x-ray machine operator permits); Oregon State Board of Nursing (RN assignment to medical assistants) before you apply.