Pharmacy License from Kentucky to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Kentucky to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Kentucky license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Kentucky license transfers into Pennsylvania through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy — but Pennsylvania gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer.. Coming from Kentucky neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Pennsylvania's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Pennsylvania allows.
What changes, Kentucky → Pennsylvania
| Kentucky (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $275 (Kentucky Board application fee (includes a $25 National Practitioner Data Bank query), payable via the Licensure Gateway. The IdentoGO fingerprint fee is at the applicant's cost. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee) | $45 (Pennsylvania reciprocity application fee paid on PALS; separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. Foreign pharmacy graduates additionally need FPGEC certification) |
| Processing time | Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling | Board does not publish a fixed timeline; applications are processed in the order received, and supporting documents (FBI check within 180 days; others under six months) must be current when submitted |
| Licensing authority | Kentucky Board of Pharmacy | Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) application, then apply on PALS (pals.pa.gov).
- Pass the Pennsylvania MPJE (unless exempt via pre-1983 licensure or a passed FDLE).
- Document 1,500 acceptable intern hours, or one year of full-time practice in another U.S. state, or a one-year U.S. residency.
- Obtain an FBI Identity History Summary Check dated within 180 days and submit an NPDB self-query report.
- Complete 3 hours of Act 31 child-abuse recognition training and 4 hours of ABC-MAP opioid education.
- Pay the fees ($45 (Pennsylvania reciprocity application fee paid on PALS; separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. Foreign pharmacy graduates additionally need FPGEC certification)) and allow Board does not publish a fixed timeline; applications are processed in the order received, and supporting documents (FBI check within 180 days; others under six months) must be current when submitted.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Kentucky pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Kentucky to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Kentucky license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Kentucky to Pennsylvania?
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. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer..
What will the move to Pennsylvania cost?
$45 (Pennsylvania reciprocity application fee paid on PALS; separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. Foreign pharmacy graduates additionally need FPGEC certification) (Pennsylvania reciprocity application fee paid on PALS; separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. Foreign pharmacy graduates additionally need FPGEC certification).
How long will licensing in Pennsylvania take?
Board does not publish a fixed timeline; applications are processed in the order received, and supporting documents (FBI check within 180 days; others under six months) must be current when submitted — Board does not publish a fixed timeline; applications are processed in the order received, and supporting documents (FBI check within 180 days; others under six months) must be current when submitted.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy — Reciprocal Licensure Instructions (PharmM) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania Pharmacist Licensure Snapshot (Department of State) — $45 fee ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Pharmacy — Reciprocal Licensure Information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Pharmacy — Procedures for Obtaining a Kentucky Pharmacist License [License Transfer] (updated 2024-12-10) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE participating states (Kentucky not listed) ↗ (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]