Pharmacy License from Illinois to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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.
What changes, Illinois → North Dakota
| Illinois (current) | North Dakota (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) | 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 | 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 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 | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Dakota accept a Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois 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 Illinois 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..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Illinois 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)
- 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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]