Pharmacy License from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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, North Carolina → Colorado
| North Carolina (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $600 (North Carolina reciprocity application fee, non-refundable/non-transferable. NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE 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 | ~2 weeks (Board allows ~10 business days to review the application; add 10 business days for each clarification request. Application expires one year from submission; excludes NABP eLTP review and exam 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 | North Carolina Board of Pharmacy | 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 North Carolina pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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)
- North Carolina Board of Pharmacy — Licensure by Reciprocity (fee $600; UMPJE effective 2026-04-01; intern-hour and background-check rules) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (North Carolina: pass the UMPJE prior to submitting the transfer application) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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