Pharmacy License from California to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maryland Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile (eLTP). Maryland requires passing a pharmacy jurisprudence exam with a score of 75 or higher (valid one year from the test date): Maryland is a Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) jurisdiction with the UMPJE effective June 1, 2026 while the Maryland-specific MPJE is being retired May 31, 2027, so during that transition either exam satisfies the requirement..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into Maryland through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy — but Maryland gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile (eLTP). Maryland requires passing a pharmacy jurisprudence exam with a score of 75 or higher (valid one year from the test date): Maryland is a Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) jurisdiction with the UMPJE effective June 1, 2026 while the Maryland-specific MPJE is being retired May 31, 2027, so during that transition either exam satisfies the requirement.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Maryland's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Maryland 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 → Maryland
| California (current) | Maryland (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.) | $300 ($300 Maryland reciprocity application fee (non-refundable administrative fee), paid by check or money order with the mailed application. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the UMPJE/MPJE exam fee are additional and 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).) | ~2 weeks (board asks applicants to allow about two weeks to process the application, then 7-10 business days for the printed license; excludes NABP eLTP review and UMPJE/MPJE scheduling.) |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Maryland Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete the NABP License Transfer Application through your NABP e-Profile (eLTP).
- Submit the Maryland Board reciprocity application by mail with the $300 fee and your NABP e-Profile number.
- Pass the pharmacy jurisprudence exam (UMPJE, or the Maryland MPJE during the transition) with a score of 75 or higher.
- Document at least 520 hours of pharmacy practice experience after graduation from an ACPE- or Board-approved school.
- Foreign graduates must hold NABP FPGEC certification.
- Pay the fees ($300 ($300 Maryland reciprocity application fee (non-refundable administrative fee), paid by check or money order with the mailed application. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the UMPJE/MPJE exam fee are additional and not included here.)) and allow ~2 weeks (board asks applicants to allow about two weeks to process the application, then 7-10 business days for the printed license; excludes NABP eLTP review and UMPJE/MPJE scheduling.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile (eLTP). Maryland requires passing a pharmacy jurisprudence exam with a score of 75 or higher (valid one year from the test date): Maryland is a Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) jurisdiction with the UMPJE effective June 1, 2026 while the Maryland-specific MPJE is being retired May 31, 2027, so during that transition either exam satisfies the requirement..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Maryland?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile (eLTP). Maryland requires passing a pharmacy jurisprudence exam with a score of 75 or higher (valid one year from the test date): Maryland is a Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) jurisdiction with the UMPJE effective June 1, 2026 while the Maryland-specific MPJE is being retired May 31, 2027, so during that transition either exam satisfies the requirement..
What will the move to Maryland cost?
$300 ($300 Maryland reciprocity application fee (non-refundable administrative fee), paid by check or money order with the mailed application. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the UMPJE/MPJE exam fee are additional and not included here.) ($300 Maryland reciprocity application fee (non-refundable administrative fee), paid by check or money order with the mailed application. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the UMPJE/MPJE exam fee are additional and not included here.).
How long will licensing in Maryland take?
~2 weeks (board asks applicants to allow about two weeks to process the application, then 7-10 business days for the printed license; excludes NABP eLTP review and UMPJE/MPJE scheduling.) — board asks applicants to allow about two weeks to process the application, then 7-10 business days for the printed license; excludes NABP eLTP review and UMPJE/MPJE scheduling..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maryland Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist License Application Instructions – Reciprocity (rev. 06/09/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Pharmacy — Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE Participating States ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]