Pharmacy License from California to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Maine requires passing the MPJE (Maine edition) via NABP before the reciprocity/score-transfer application is filed. Maine 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 Maine through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Maine Board of Pharmacy — but Maine gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Maine requires passing the MPJE (Maine edition) via NABP before the reciprocity/score-transfer application is filed. Maine 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 Maine's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Maine 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 → Maine
| California (current) | Maine (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.) | $171 (Maine-payable fees for a transferring pharmacist total $171: a $75 reciprocity/score-transfer license fee plus a $96 NABP Preliminary Application for Transfer fee, both payable to Treasurer, State of Maine. A $21 criminal background check fee is added ($192 total). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee) |
| 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).) | Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Maine Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Pass the MPJE (Maine edition) via NABP before applying.
- Complete the NABP Preliminary Application for Transfer of Pharmaceutic Licensure (eLTP) and submit the NABP transfer application.
- Submit the Maine reciprocity/score-transfer application with proof of age, transcripts, license verification, a moral character form, and internship documentation.
- Complete a criminal background check ($21 fee).
- Pay the fees ($171 (Maine-payable fees for a transferring pharmacist total $171: a $75 reciprocity/score-transfer license fee plus a $96 NABP Preliminary Application for Transfer fee, both payable to Treasurer, State of Maine. A $21 criminal background check fee is added ($192 total). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee)) and allow Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Maine requires passing the MPJE (Maine edition) via NABP before the reciprocity/score-transfer application is filed. Maine is not an NABP UMPJE participating jurisdiction as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Maine?
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. Maine requires passing the MPJE (Maine edition) via NABP before the reciprocity/score-transfer application is filed. Maine is not an NABP UMPJE participating jurisdiction as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to Maine cost?
$171 (Maine-payable fees for a transferring pharmacist total $171: a $75 reciprocity/score-transfer license fee plus a $96 NABP Preliminary Application for Transfer fee, both payable to Treasurer, State of Maine. A $21 criminal background check fee is added ($192 total). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee) (Maine-payable fees for a transferring pharmacist total $171: a $75 reciprocity/score-transfer license fee plus a $96 NABP Preliminary Application for Transfer fee, both payable to Treasurer, State of Maine. A $21 criminal background check fee is added ($192 total). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee).
How long will licensing in Maine take?
Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling — Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maine Board of Pharmacy (OPOR) — Individual Licenses (reciprocity/score transfer fees, steps) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Reciprocity instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE participating states (Maine 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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]