Pharmacy License from Illinois to New Jersey: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Illinois license transfers into New Jersey through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy — but New Jersey gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) 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 New Jersey's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as New Jersey allows.
What changes, Illinois → New Jersey
| Illinois (current) | New Jersey (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) | $125 (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a fixed processing-time estimate for pharmacist endorsement; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days | Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — State Board of Pharmacy | New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Jersey sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, unrestricted pharmacist license in good standing in another state, obtained by examination.
- Submit the license transfer application through your NABP e-Profile (eLTP) and meet all NABP transfer criteria.
- Have practiced pharmacy at least 1,500 hours within the two years immediately preceding application, or complete a 1,420-hour Board-approved internship.
- Pass the MPJE/MJPE with a score of at least 75 after NABP authorization to test.
- Be at least 18, submit a passport-size photo, and satisfy good moral character and a criminal history background check.
- Pay the fees ($125 (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.)) and allow Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Jersey accept a Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Illinois to New Jersey?
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. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to New Jersey cost?
$125 (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.) (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.).
How long will licensing in New Jersey take?
Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling. — Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy — Applications (Pharmacist by Reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (New Jersey: 1,500 hours within two years; pass the MPJE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- New Jersey Administrative Code N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3 — Board of Pharmacy fee schedule (reciprocity $125) ↗ (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)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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