Pharmacy License from California to Missouri: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Missouri Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP e-LTP. Missouri requires passing the Missouri MPJE (state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination) with a minimum score of 75; Missouri has not adopted the Uniform MPJE, and MPJE scores from other states are not accepted..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into Missouri through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy — but Missouri gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP e-LTP. Missouri requires passing the Missouri MPJE (state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination) with a minimum score of 75; Missouri has not adopted the Uniform MPJE, and MPJE scores from other states are not accepted.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Missouri's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Missouri 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 → Missouri
| California (current) | Missouri (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.) | $450 (Missouri application fee payable to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, non-refundable; separate NABP e-LTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee paid to NABP; MACHS fingerprint fee is additional) |
| 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).) | 3–5 weeks (board asks applicants to allow up to 3 weeks after passing the MPJE for final approval; NABP takes up to ~2 weeks to certify the exam score to the board; excludes NABP e-LTP review and exam scheduling) |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | Missouri Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Missouri sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Missouri's current requirements on the Missouri Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- File the preliminary license transfer/reciprocity application through your NABP e-Profile (e-LTP).
- Submit the Missouri pharmacist license transfer/reciprocity application with the $450 fee.
- Pass the Missouri MPJE with a minimum score of 75 (a retake application is required after a failure).
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check via the Missouri Automated Criminal History System (MACHS/IdentoGO).
- Hold a current active US pharmacist license, with either at least one year of licensure or 1,500 intern hours (verified through NABP).
- Pay the fees ($450 (Missouri application fee payable to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, non-refundable; separate NABP e-LTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee paid to NABP; MACHS fingerprint fee is additional)) and allow 3–5 weeks (board asks applicants to allow up to 3 weeks after passing the MPJE for final approval; NABP takes up to ~2 weeks to certify the exam score to the board; excludes NABP e-LTP review and exam scheduling).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Missouri accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP e-LTP. Missouri requires passing the Missouri MPJE (state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination) with a minimum score of 75; Missouri has not adopted the Uniform MPJE, and MPJE scores from other states are not accepted..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to Missouri?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP e-LTP. Missouri requires passing the Missouri MPJE (state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination) with a minimum score of 75; Missouri has not adopted the Uniform MPJE, and MPJE scores from other states are not accepted..
What will the move to Missouri cost?
$450 (Missouri application fee payable to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, non-refundable; separate NABP e-LTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee paid to NABP; MACHS fingerprint fee is additional) (Missouri application fee payable to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, non-refundable; separate NABP e-LTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee paid to NABP; MACHS fingerprint fee is additional).
How long will licensing in Missouri take?
3–5 weeks (board asks applicants to allow up to 3 weeks after passing the MPJE for final approval; NABP takes up to ~2 weeks to certify the exam score to the board; excludes NABP e-LTP review and exam scheduling) — board asks applicants to allow up to 3 weeks after passing the MPJE for final approval; NABP takes up to ~2 weeks to certify the exam score to the board; excludes NABP e-LTP review and exam scheduling.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Missouri Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Licensure Transfer/Reciprocity Application & FAQ ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Missouri Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Forms page ↗ (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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