Pharmacy License from California to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Minnesota Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into Minnesota through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy — but Minnesota gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Minnesota's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Minnesota 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 → Minnesota
| California (current) | Minnesota (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.) | $332 ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee 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).) | 4–6 weeks (board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE.) |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Minnesota Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Minnesota's current requirements on the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a license in good standing and complete the license transfer through the NABP Clearinghouse (eLTP).
- Complete the NABP Preliminary Application for License Transfer, then file the NABP Official Transfer Application with the Minnesota Board and the application fee.
- Pass the MPJE (Minnesota edition).
- Complete a fingerprint criminal background check.
- Submit a notarized copy of your birth certificate or passport.
- Pay the fees ($332 ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Minnesota?
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 / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
What will the move to Minnesota cost?
$332 ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.) ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.).
How long will licensing in Minnesota take?
4–6 weeks (board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE.) — board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Minnesota Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Licensure by License Transfer (Reciprocity) checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota eLicense — Pharmacist License (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 151.065 — Board of Pharmacy application and license fees ↗ (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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