Pharmacy License from North Dakota to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Carolina Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from North Dakota to North Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, verify your North Dakota license, and meet North Carolina's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. North Carolina requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) — which replaced the state MPJE effective April 1, 2026 — before submitting the license transfer application; a passing score is valid two years and up to five attempts are allowed..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your North Dakota license transfers into North Carolina through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy — but North Carolina gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. North Carolina requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) — which replaced the state MPJE effective April 1, 2026 — before submitting the license transfer application; a passing score is valid two years and up to five attempts are allowed.. Coming from North Dakota neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is North Carolina's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as North Carolina allows.
What changes, North Dakota → North Carolina
| North Dakota (current) | North Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 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. | $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.) |
| Processing time | 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. | ~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.) |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy | North Carolina Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Carolina's current requirements on the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a pharmacist license obtained by examination, in good standing (NC reciprocates only exam-based licenses).
- Submit the license transfer application through your NABP e-Profile (eLTP).
- Pass the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) before submitting the transfer application.
- Submit to a criminal background check finding no disqualifying criminal conviction.
- Complete 500 intern hours (inactive 2-5 years), or 1,500 intern hours plus NAPLEX and UMPJE (inactive 5+ years), if not recently practicing.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow ~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.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina accept a North Dakota pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from North Dakota to North Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, verify your North Dakota license, and meet North Carolina's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. North Carolina requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) — which replaced the state MPJE effective April 1, 2026 — before submitting the license transfer application; a passing score is valid two years and up to five attempts are allowed..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from North Dakota to North Carolina?
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 Carolina requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) — which replaced the state MPJE effective April 1, 2026 — before submitting the license transfer application; a passing score is valid two years and up to five attempts are allowed..
What will the move to North Carolina cost?
$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.) (North Carolina reciprocity application fee, non-refundable/non-transferable. NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE exam fee are separate.).
How long will licensing in North Carolina take?
~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 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..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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