United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Protecting People and the Environment
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Operator Licensing for New Reactors

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 new power reactor facilities.

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 the following.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 29, 2012