Pharmacy License from California to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kansas Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Kansas requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) with the Kansas Plus Module — Kansas is an NABP early adopter, effective April 1, 2026. During the transition the Kansas MPJE remains an accepted option and is offered through March 31, 2027, after which only the UMPJE/Kansas Plus Module is accepted..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into Kansas through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Kansas Board of Pharmacy — but Kansas gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Kansas requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) with the Kansas Plus Module — Kansas is an NABP early adopter, effective April 1, 2026. During the transition the Kansas MPJE remains an accepted option and is offered through March 31, 2027, after which only the UMPJE/Kansas Plus Module is accepted.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Kansas's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Kansas 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 → Kansas
| California (current) | Kansas (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.) | $182 (Kansas reciprocity/transfer application fee per the board Pharmacists page; reduced to $125 if the applicant holds an active Kansas intern registration. A $47 KBI/FBI fingerprint background-check fee is added. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee) |
| 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).) | Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Kansas Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit Form LA-01R (Licensure Application by Reciprocity/Transfer) together with the NABP eLTP application.
- Pass the UMPJE with the Kansas Plus Module (or the Kansas MPJE during the transition period).
- Submit fingerprints and Form S-100 for a KBI/FBI criminal background check and enroll in the KBI/FBI Rap Back program.
- Reciprocity/transfer pathway applies to pharmacists licensed in another state more than 90 days who did not transfer their NAPLEX score to Kansas.
- Pay the fees ($182 (Kansas reciprocity/transfer application fee per the board Pharmacists page; reduced to $125 if the applicant holds an active Kansas intern registration. A $47 KBI/FBI fingerprint background-check fee is added. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee)) and allow Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Kansas requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) with the Kansas Plus Module — Kansas is an NABP early adopter, effective April 1, 2026. During the transition the Kansas MPJE remains an accepted option and is offered through March 31, 2027, after which only the UMPJE/Kansas Plus Module is accepted..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Kansas?
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. Kansas requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) with the Kansas Plus Module — Kansas is an NABP early adopter, effective April 1, 2026. During the transition the Kansas MPJE remains an accepted option and is offered through March 31, 2027, after which only the UMPJE/Kansas Plus Module is accepted..
What will the move to Kansas cost?
$182 (Kansas reciprocity/transfer application fee per the board Pharmacists page; reduced to $125 if the applicant holds an active Kansas intern registration. A $47 KBI/FBI fingerprint background-check fee is added. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee) (Kansas reciprocity/transfer application fee per the board Pharmacists page; reduced to $125 if the applicant holds an active Kansas intern registration. A $47 KBI/FBI fingerprint background-check fee is added. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee).
How long will licensing in Kansas take?
Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling — Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Kansas Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacists (LA-01R reciprocity/transfer, fee, S-100/KBI-FBI background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kansas Board of Pharmacy — Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) transition ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE participating states (Kansas: UMPJE effective 2026-04-01, Kansas MPJE retires 2027-03-31) ↗ (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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