Pharmacy License from New York to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from New York to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your New York license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Colorado requires passing the Board-approved jurisprudence examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is granted..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your New York license transfers into Colorado through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations) — but Colorado gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Colorado requires passing the Board-approved jurisprudence examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is granted.. Coming from New York neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Colorado's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Colorado allows.
What changes, New York → Colorado
| New York (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $339 (New York fee for licensure plus first registration, paid with Form 1; not charged twice if already paid with the NABP application. NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate.) | Colorado (DORA / Division of Professions and Occupations) does not publish the pharmacist license-transfer application fee on an openly accessible page; the fee is stated on the application form inside DPO Online Services. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. |
| Processing time | NYS Education Department does not publish a specific endorsement processing time; add NABP eLTP review, Board approval to sit for the MPJE, and MPJE scheduling. | No board-stated processing time for pharmacist license transfer; NABP eLTP verification typically takes several business days before the Division reviews the application. |
| Licensing authority | New York State Board of Pharmacy (NYS Education Department, Office of the Professions) | Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the license transfer preliminary application through your NABP e-Profile (eLTP), then the official application to the Division.
- Pass the Board-approved jurisprudence examination (MPJE).
- Have been licensed as a pharmacist for at least one year in another state, or have met Colorado internship requirements at original licensure.
- All licenses held in any state must be active, current, and in good standing with no active disciplinary action.
- Pay the fees (Colorado (DORA / Division of Professions and Occupations) does not publish the pharmacist license-transfer application fee on an openly accessible page; the fee is stated on the application form inside DPO Online Services. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee.) and allow No board-stated processing time for pharmacist license transfer; NABP eLTP verification typically takes several business days before the Division reviews the application..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a New York pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from New York to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your New York license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Colorado requires passing the Board-approved jurisprudence examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is granted..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from New York to Colorado?
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. Colorado requires passing the Board-approved jurisprudence examination — the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) — before the transferred license is granted..
What will the move to Colorado cost?
Colorado (DORA / Division of Professions and Occupations) does not publish the pharmacist license-transfer application fee on an openly accessible page; the fee is stated on the application form inside DPO Online Services. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. (Colorado (DORA / Division of Professions and Occupations) does not publish the pharmacist license-transfer application fee on an openly accessible page; the fee is stated on the application form inside DPO Online Services. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee.).
How long will licensing in Colorado take?
No board-stated processing time for pharmacist license transfer; NABP eLTP verification typically takes several business days before the Division reviews the application. — No board-stated processing time for pharmacist license transfer; NABP eLTP verification typically takes several business days before the Division reviews the application..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Colorado State Board of Pharmacy — Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 3 CCR 719-1 — Colorado pharmacy rules, Licensing / license transfer ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYS Office of the Professions — Licensure Transfer by Endorsement (step-by-step instructions; fee $339; apply via NABP eLTP; pass the MPJE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYS Office of the Professions — Pharmacist License Requirements (age 21, ACPE degree, NAPLEX/MPJE within 5 years, PharmD experience exemption) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (New York: pass the MPJE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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