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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Pharmacy License to Pennsylvania: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy ↗

Yes — Pennsylvania accepts an eLTP transfer of your license, then gates it behind the state's own pharmacy-law exam. NABP handles the verification through your e-Profile and the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy makes the licensing decision. 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.. The NAPLEX is never repeated. 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).

Moving to Pennsylvania from a specific state?

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The move into Pennsylvania runs on two steps in sequence. First the NABP eLTP carries your license and NAPLEX record to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy; then Pennsylvania's own law exam gates the license. Neither re-tests your pharmacy education — the eLTP is verification, and the law exam covers Pennsylvania's pharmacy law. Open the e-Profile transfer early, because NABP's verification and scheduling the law exam are the two steps that set your timeline, not the application itself.

No interstate compact for pharmacy; transfer runs through the NABP eLTP and the PA State Board of Pharmacy (under BPOA) makes the licensure decision. Pennsylvania still administers the Pennsylvania MPJE and was not on NABP's Uniform MPJE early-adopter list as of 2026-07-21. Act 41 out-of-state license portability is a separate alternative pathway. Reciprocity instructions PDF is Rev. 1/20.

Pennsylvania requirements at a glance

Out-of-state pharmacist license transfer requirements for Pennsylvania, verified 2026-07-21
ExamNAPLEX 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.
Additional requirements
  • 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
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)
Processing timeBoard 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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Submit the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) application, then apply on PALS (pals.pa.gov).
  5. Pass the Pennsylvania MPJE (unless exempt via pre-1983 licensure or a passed FDLE).
  6. 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.
  7. Obtain an FBI Identity History Summary Check dated within 180 days and submit an NPDB self-query report.
  8. Complete 3 hours of Act 31 child-abuse recognition training and 4 hours of ABC-MAP opioid education.
  9. 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

Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy ↗Pennsylvania application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Pennsylvania:

Alabama → PennsylvaniaAlaska → PennsylvaniaArizona → PennsylvaniaArkansas → PennsylvaniaCalifornia → PennsylvaniaColorado → PennsylvaniaConnecticut → PennsylvaniaDelaware → PennsylvaniaDistrict of Columbia → PennsylvaniaFlorida → PennsylvaniaGeorgia → PennsylvaniaHawaii → PennsylvaniaIdaho → PennsylvaniaIllinois → PennsylvaniaIndiana → PennsylvaniaIowa → PennsylvaniaKansas → PennsylvaniaKentucky → PennsylvaniaLouisiana → PennsylvaniaMaine → Pennsylvania
All 50 origin states
Maryland → PennsylvaniaMassachusetts → PennsylvaniaMichigan → PennsylvaniaMinnesota → PennsylvaniaMississippi → PennsylvaniaMissouri → PennsylvaniaMontana → PennsylvaniaNebraska → PennsylvaniaNevada → PennsylvaniaNew Hampshire → PennsylvaniaNew Jersey → PennsylvaniaNew Mexico → PennsylvaniaNew York → PennsylvaniaNorth Carolina → PennsylvaniaNorth Dakota → PennsylvaniaOhio → PennsylvaniaOklahoma → PennsylvaniaOregon → PennsylvaniaRhode Island → PennsylvaniaSouth Carolina → PennsylvaniaSouth Dakota → PennsylvaniaTennessee → PennsylvaniaTexas → PennsylvaniaUtah → PennsylvaniaVermont → PennsylvaniaVirginia → PennsylvaniaWashington → PennsylvaniaWest Virginia → PennsylvaniaWisconsin → PennsylvaniaWyoming → Pennsylvania

Frequently asked questions

Does my pharmacist license transfer to Pennsylvania?

Yes — Pennsylvania accepts an eLTP transfer of your license, then gates it behind the state's own pharmacy-law exam. NABP handles the verification through your e-Profile and the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy makes the licensing decision. 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.. The NAPLEX is never repeated. 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).

Do I have to retake the NAPLEX to get licensed in Pennsylvania?

No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam and no board makes you sit it again. 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 does licensing in Pennsylvania cost an out-of-state pharmacist?

$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 does 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.

Which law exam does Pennsylvania require after an eLTP transfer?

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.. The law exam is separate from the NAPLEX and covers Pennsylvania's own pharmacy law; confirm whether the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy currently gives the MPJE or the Uniform MPJE (verified 2026-07-21).

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]