Pharmacy License from Illinois to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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.
What changes, Illinois → Maine
| Illinois (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $200 (Illinois endorsement fee $200 for a pharmacist licensed in another state/territory (Ill. Admin. Code tit. 68 sec. 1330.20(b)(3), effective 6/2/2023); separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply) | $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 | IDFPR does not publish a fixed processing-time estimate for pharmacist endorsement; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days | Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — 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 Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois 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 Illinois 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)
- IDFPR — Pharmacy (application forms; ILPRO as MPJE alternative) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois Administrative Code tit. 68 sec. 1330.20 — Fees (endorsement $200) (via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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