Pharmacy License from California to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Louisiana Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Louisiana requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for Louisiana (MPJE-La); the NABP Official Application for License Transfer is completed after the MPJE-La is passed and before the state pharmacist-license application. Louisiana is not an NABP UMPJE participating jurisdiction as of 2026-07-21..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into Louisiana through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy — but Louisiana gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Louisiana requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for Louisiana (MPJE-La); the NABP Official Application for License Transfer is completed after the MPJE-La is passed and before the state pharmacist-license application. Louisiana is not an NABP UMPJE participating jurisdiction as of 2026-07-21.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Louisiana's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Louisiana allows.
One wrinkle at the origin: California sits outside the eLTP, so confirm with NABP and the California State Board of Pharmacy how your license history will be transmitted before you rely on the standard transfer timeline.
What changes, California → Louisiana
| California (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $260 (California pharmacist examination-for-licensure application fee, non-refundable. Non-California residents add a $49 fingerprint-card fee ($32 DOJ + $17 FBI); the CPJE administration fee is paid separately to PSI; and an initial license fee applies on issuance. NABP score/license-transfer fees are separate.) | $450 (Louisiana Board license-transfer fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE-La exam fee; fingerprint/background-check costs are additional) |
| Processing time | 6–7 weeks (Board advises allowing 45 days to process the application; excludes CPJE scheduling and fingerprint-card clearance (fingerprint cards take about six weeks).) | 2–3 weeks (Board issues the credential within 14 business days (about 2-3 weeks) of the final requirement being fulfilled if nothing prevents issuance; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE-La scheduling) |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Louisiana Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Pass the MPJE-Louisiana (MPJE-La) before submitting the license-transfer application.
- Complete the NABP Official Application for License Transfer (eLTP), then submit the Application for New Louisiana Pharmacist License.
- Complete a criminal background check with the Louisiana State Police (LSP) and the FBI.
- Pay the fees ($450 (Louisiana Board license-transfer fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE-La exam fee; fingerprint/background-check costs are additional)) and allow 2–3 weeks (Board issues the credential within 14 business days (about 2-3 weeks) of the final requirement being fulfilled if nothing prevents issuance; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE-La scheduling).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Louisiana requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for Louisiana (MPJE-La); the NABP Official Application for License Transfer is completed after the MPJE-La is passed and before the state pharmacist-license application. Louisiana is not an NABP UMPJE participating jurisdiction as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Louisiana?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Louisiana requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for Louisiana (MPJE-La); the NABP Official Application for License Transfer is completed after the MPJE-La is passed and before the state pharmacist-license application. Louisiana is not an NABP UMPJE participating jurisdiction as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to Louisiana cost?
$450 (Louisiana Board license-transfer fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE-La exam fee; fingerprint/background-check costs are additional) (Louisiana Board license-transfer fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE-La exam fee; fingerprint/background-check costs are additional).
How long will licensing in Louisiana take?
2–3 weeks (Board issues the credential within 14 business days (about 2-3 weeks) of the final requirement being fulfilled if nothing prevents issuance; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE-La scheduling) — Board issues the credential within 14 business days (about 2-3 weeks) of the final requirement being fulfilled if nothing prevents issuance; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE-La scheduling.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Louisiana Board of Pharmacy — Application Process Transparency, Pharmacist License ($450, 14-business-day issuance, transfer applicants exempt from experience hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana Board of Pharmacy — Examinations (Pharmacy Interns & Pharmacists) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE participating states (Louisiana not listed) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California State Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Examination for Licensure application packet (17M-29 rev 1/2026): $260 fee, CPJE, 1,500/900 hours, fingerprints, 45-day processing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California State Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist applicants page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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