Pharmacy License from California to Alaska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Alaska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing), verify your California license, and meet Alaska's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Alaska no longer requires the MPJE (dropped effective May 19, 2024) and has not adopted the UMPJE. Reciprocity applicants must instead complete a 10-question Alaska Law Questionnaire through the My License portal; all 10 answers must be correct before the application proceeds..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into Alaska through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) — but Alaska gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Alaska no longer requires the MPJE (dropped effective May 19, 2024) and has not adopted the UMPJE. Reciprocity applicants must instead complete a 10-question Alaska Law Questionnaire through the My License portal; all 10 answers must be correct before the application proceeds.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Alaska's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Alaska allows.
One wrinkle at the origin: California sits outside the eLTP, so confirm with NABP and the California State Board of Pharmacy how your license history will be transmitted before you rely on the standard transfer timeline.
What changes, California → Alaska
| California (current) | Alaska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $260 (California pharmacist examination-for-licensure application fee, non-refundable. Non-California residents add a $49 fingerprint-card fee ($32 DOJ + $17 FBI); the CPJE administration fee is paid separately to PSI; and an initial license fee applies on issuance. NABP score/license-transfer fees are separate.) | $200 (Total $200 = $100 non-refundable application fee + $100 pharmacist license fee, per the Board's pharmacist reciprocity instructions. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) apply and are not included here.) |
| Processing time | 6–7 weeks (Board advises allowing 45 days to process the application; excludes CPJE scheduling and fingerprint-card clearance (fingerprint cards take about six weeks).) | 6–8 weeks (Board advises allowing 6 to 8 weeks for processing from the date the file is complete; excludes NABP eLTP review time.) |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alaska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alaska's current requirements on the Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the NABP official License Transfer (eLTP) application.
- Provide verification of a current pharmacist license in good standing from every jurisdiction where licensed, sent directly by that jurisdiction to the Division.
- Complete the 10-question Alaska Law Questionnaire (all answers must be correct) via the My License portal.
- Pay the fees ($200 (Total $200 = $100 non-refundable application fee + $100 pharmacist license fee, per the Board's pharmacist reciprocity instructions. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) apply and are not included here.)) and allow 6–8 weeks (Board advises allowing 6 to 8 weeks for processing from the date the file is complete; excludes NABP eLTP review time.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Alaska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alaska Board of Pharmacy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing), verify your California license, and meet Alaska's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Alaska no longer requires the MPJE (dropped effective May 19, 2024) and has not adopted the UMPJE. Reciprocity applicants must instead complete a 10-question Alaska Law Questionnaire through the My License portal; all 10 answers must be correct before the application proceeds..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Alaska?
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. Alaska no longer requires the MPJE (dropped effective May 19, 2024) and has not adopted the UMPJE. Reciprocity applicants must instead complete a 10-question Alaska Law Questionnaire through the My License portal; all 10 answers must be correct before the application proceeds..
What will the move to Alaska cost?
$200 (Total $200 = $100 non-refundable application fee + $100 pharmacist license fee, per the Board's pharmacist reciprocity instructions. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) apply and are not included here.) (Total $200 = $100 non-refundable application fee + $100 pharmacist license fee, per the Board's pharmacist reciprocity instructions. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) apply and are not included here.).
How long will licensing in Alaska take?
6–8 weeks (Board advises allowing 6 to 8 weeks for processing from the date the file is complete; excludes NABP eLTP review time.) — Board advises allowing 6 to 8 weeks for processing from the date the file is complete; excludes NABP eLTP review time..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Alaska Board of Pharmacy — FAQ (MPJE dropped 2024-05-19; Alaska Law Questionnaire; 6-8 week processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alaska Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Reciprocity Instructions (fee and requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California State Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Examination for Licensure application packet (17M-29 rev 1/2026): $260 fee, CPJE, 1,500/900 hours, fingerprints, 45-day processing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California State Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist applicants page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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