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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of rescinding or revising guidance and policies posted on this webpage in accordance with Executive Order 14151 Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and Executive Order 14168 Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. In the interim, any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded that is inconsistent with these Executive Orders.

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Operator Licensing

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What We Regulate

The NRC licenses all individuals who either operate or supervise the operation of the controls of a commercially owned nuclear power reactor or a test/research (i.e., non-power) reactor in the United States. Although the regulations in this area generally apply to both power and research and test reactors, this site focuses primarily on the operator licensing activities at power reactor facilities. For more information on research and test reactors operator licensing, please refer to Operator Licensing for Research and Test Reactors.

There are approximately 3,600 active NRC-licensed power and 350 non-power reactor operators in the United States.

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How We Regulate

NRC regulates the licensing of reactor operators and senior operators through a combination of regulatory requirements: initial licensing, including written examinations and operating tests; oversight of requalification training and examination programs, including enforcement. For more detail, see:

Note: The Public Health Emergency has expired on May 11, 2023. All COVID-19 related exemptions are no longer being considered for the operator licensing and RTR programs.

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, January 16, 2025