Pharmacy License from Arkansas to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗
Yes — Michigan recognizes pharmacist licenses from all states, including Arkansas. Apply to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Michigan takes a NABP eLTP transfer without adding its own law exam, so a Arkansas pharmacist's move is mostly administrative: transfer your license and NAPLEX record through your NABP e-Profile to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing), clear the Clearinghouse disciplinary screen and background check, and you are licensed. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile / NABP licensure transfer report. Michigan requires NO pharmacy law exam — it does not administer the MPJE — so no jurisprudence examination is taken; instead the applicant attests to sufficient knowledge of Michigan's pharmacy code and board rules.. Start the e-Profile transfer first — NABP's verification carries the longest lead time.
What changes, Arkansas → Michigan
| Arkansas (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $235–$310 (Arkansas reciprocity application fee, per the Board's License by Reciprocity Application: $310 if the license is issued in an even-numbered year (e.g., 2026), $235 if issued in an odd-numbered year (the underlying statutory license-transfer fee is $200). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) apply and are not included here.) | $137.7 (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a fixed processing time; after the law exam and Board-member meeting a temporary license may be issued that expires at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. The reciprocity application is void if not completed within one year of receipt. | LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay. |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy | Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply for licensure by endorsement through MiPLUS and submit the NABP licensure transfer report.
- Hold a current pharmacist license in good standing in another U.S. state (or a Canadian license meeting the rule's conditions).
- Attest to sufficient knowledge of the Michigan Public Health Code and Board of Pharmacy rules.
- Pass a fingerprint-based Michigan State Police and FBI criminal background check.
- Complete Michigan's one-time human-trafficking and opioids/controlled-substances awareness trainings.
- Pay the fees ($137.7 (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.)) and allow LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Arkansas pharmacist license?
Yes — Michigan recognizes pharmacist licenses from all states, including Arkansas. Apply to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Arkansas to Michigan?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile / NABP licensure transfer report. Michigan requires NO pharmacy law exam — it does not administer the MPJE — so no jurisprudence examination is taken; instead the applicant attests to sufficient knowledge of Michigan's pharmacy code and board rules..
What will the move to Michigan cost?
$137.7 (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.) (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.).
How long will licensing in Michigan take?
LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay. — LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 338.523 — Pharmacist license by endorsement; requirements (Michigan rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Pharmacy (Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy — License by Reciprocity Application (Arkansas Jurisprudence Exam; even/odd-year fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy — official board page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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