Pharmacy License from North Carolina to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from North Carolina to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the official NABP licensure transfer application. Hawaii requires passing the Hawaii-edition MPJE with a score of 75; an MPJE passed for another state is not accepted. Hawaii has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your North Carolina license transfers into Hawaii through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) — but Hawaii gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the official NABP licensure transfer application. Hawaii requires passing the Hawaii-edition MPJE with a score of 75; an MPJE passed for another state is not accepted. Hawaii has not adopted the Uniform MPJE.. Coming from North Carolina neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Hawaii's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Hawaii allows.
What changes, North Carolina → Hawaii
| North Carolina (current) | Hawaii (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.) | $50 (Hawaii non-refundable application fee $50 (payable to 'Commerce and Consumer Affairs'); biennial license and Compliance Resolution Fund fees are billed on approval and vary by point in the licensing biennium; separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply) |
| 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.) | board does not publish a processing-time estimate for reciprocity; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days; abandoned applications are destroyed after one year |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Pharmacy | Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Hawaii sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the official NABP licensure transfer application within 90 days of its issuance by NABP.
- Document at least 1,500 hours of practice as a licensed pharmacist within the five years preceding the application.
- Hold a current, valid license in good standing in a state whose qualifications equal or exceed Hawaii's.
- Pass the Hawaii MPJE (minimum score 75).
- Pay the fees ($50 (Hawaii non-refundable application fee $50 (payable to 'Commerce and Consumer Affairs'); biennial license and Compliance Resolution Fund fees are billed on approval and vary by point in the licensing biennium; separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply)) and allow board does not publish a processing-time estimate for reciprocity; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days; abandoned applications are destroyed after one year.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Hawaii accept a North Carolina pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from North Carolina to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the official NABP licensure transfer application. Hawaii requires passing the Hawaii-edition MPJE with a score of 75; an MPJE passed for another state is not accepted. Hawaii has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from North Carolina to Hawaii?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the official NABP licensure transfer application. Hawaii requires passing the Hawaii-edition MPJE with a score of 75; an MPJE passed for another state is not accepted. Hawaii has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
What will the move to Hawaii cost?
$50 (Hawaii non-refundable application fee $50 (payable to 'Commerce and Consumer Affairs'); biennial license and Compliance Resolution Fund fees are billed on approval and vary by point in the licensing biennium; separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply) (Hawaii non-refundable application fee $50 (payable to 'Commerce and Consumer Affairs'); biennial license and Compliance Resolution Fund fees are billed on approval and vary by point in the licensing biennium; separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply).
How long will licensing in Hawaii take?
board does not publish a processing-time estimate for reciprocity; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days; abandoned applications are destroyed after one year — board does not publish a processing-time estimate for reciprocity; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days; abandoned applications are destroyed after one year.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Hawaii Administrative Rules 16-95-22.5 — Application and requirements for pharmacist license by reciprocity (via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii Board of Pharmacy — Application Forms and Publications (pharmacist requirements/instructions, $50 fee, Hawaii MPJE) ↗ (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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