Pharmacy License from California to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy ↗

A pharmacist license transfers from California to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. North Dakota requires passing the North Dakota law examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is issued; North Dakota had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Your California license transfers into North Dakota through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy — but North Dakota gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. North Dakota requires passing the North Dakota law examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is issued; North Dakota had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) 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 North Dakota's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as North Dakota 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 → North Dakota

Side-by-side: California vs North Dakota (Pharmacy (pharmacist)), verified 2026-07-21
	California (current)	North Dakota (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.)	Fee is set by the Board and capped by statute at $300 (NDCC 43-15-22, licensing without examination); the exact board-set license-transfer fee could not be verified on an official source because the ND Board site (nodakpharmacy.com) was unreachable during research (commonly cited as $175 on non-official sites). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate.
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 does not publish a reciprocity processing time; after the Board receives the completed eLTP application the applicant is issued an Authorization to Test for the ND MPJE. Add NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling.
Licensing authority	California State Board of Pharmacy	North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy

The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold a pharmacist license by examination in good standing; file the electronic license transfer (eLTP) application through NABP.
Possess the qualifications that were in effect in North Dakota when originally licensed by examination in the other state.
Pass the North Dakota law examination (MPJE) after receiving an Authorization to Test, to obtain licensure.
Complete all requirements of the NABP electronic license transfer program and hold a license transferred through the NABP Clearinghouse.
Pay the fees (Fee is set by the Board and capped by statute at $300 (NDCC 43-15-22, licensing without examination); the exact board-set license-transfer fee could not be verified on an official source because the ND Board site (nodakpharmacy.com) was unreachable during research (commonly cited as $175 on non-official sites). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate.) and allow Board does not publish a reciprocity processing time; after the Board receives the completed eLTP application the applicant is issued an Authorization to Test for the ND MPJE. Add NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling..

Official links

North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy ↗North Dakota application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does North Dakota accept a California pharmacist license?

Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to North Dakota?

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. North Dakota requires passing the North Dakota law examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is issued; North Dakota had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..

What will the move to North Dakota cost?

Fee is set by the Board and capped by statute at $300 (NDCC 43-15-22, licensing without examination); the exact board-set license-transfer fee could not be verified on an official source because the ND Board site (nodakpharmacy.com) was unreachable during research (commonly cited as $175 on non-official sites). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate. (Fee is set by the Board and capped by statute at $300 (NDCC 43-15-22, licensing without examination); the exact board-set license-transfer fee could not be verified on an official source because the ND Board site (nodakpharmacy.com) was unreachable during research (commonly cited as $175 on non-official sites). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate.).

How long will licensing in North Dakota take?

Board does not publish a reciprocity processing time; after the Board receives the completed eLTP application the applicant is issued an Authorization to Test for the ND MPJE. Add NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling. — Board does not publish a reciprocity processing time; after the Board receives the completed eLTP application the applicant is issued an Authorization to Test for the ND MPJE. Add NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling..

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.

North Dakota Administrative Code 61-03-01-04 — Licensure Transfer (eLTP application; pass the ND law exam and pay the appropriate fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
North Dakota Century Code 43-15-22 — Licensing without examination (fee set by board not to exceed $300) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (North Dakota: pass the MPJE) ↗ (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)
NABP — Licensure Transfer / eLTP (used only to move the NAPLEX record to California) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

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