Pharmacy License from California to New Jersey: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from California to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your California license transfers into New Jersey through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy — but New Jersey gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21.. Coming from California neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is New Jersey's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as New Jersey 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 → New Jersey
| California (current) | New Jersey (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.) | $125 (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge 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).) | Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling. |
| Licensing authority | California State Board of Pharmacy | New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Jersey sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, unrestricted pharmacist license in good standing in another state, obtained by examination.
- Submit the license transfer application through your NABP e-Profile (eLTP) and meet all NABP transfer criteria.
- Have practiced pharmacy at least 1,500 hours within the two years immediately preceding application, or complete a 1,420-hour Board-approved internship.
- Pass the MPJE/MJPE with a score of at least 75 after NABP authorization to test.
- Be at least 18, submit a passport-size photo, and satisfy good moral character and a criminal history background check.
- Pay the fees ($125 (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.)) and allow Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Jersey accept a California pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from California to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, verify your California license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from California to New Jersey?
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. New Jersey requires passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE, which N.J.A.C. 13:39 labels the MJPE) with a score of at least 75 after the Board authorizes testing through NABP; New Jersey had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to New Jersey cost?
$125 (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.) (New Jersey application-for-reciprocity fee per N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3; a separate initial licensure fee also applies ($140 first year / $70 second year of the biennial period). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate; fingerprint background-check surcharge is additional.).
How long will licensing in New Jersey take?
Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling. — Board does not publish a pharmacist reciprocity processing time; its Phases and Timelines page covers exam, intern, and pharmacy applications but not pharmacist reciprocity. Excludes NABP eLTP review (~3-5 business days) and MPJE scheduling..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy — Applications (Pharmacist by Reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (New Jersey: 1,500 hours within two years; pass the MPJE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- New Jersey Administrative Code N.J.A.C. 13:39-1.3 — Board of Pharmacy fee schedule (reciprocity $125) ↗ (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)
- NABP — Licensure Transfer / eLTP (used only to move the NAPLEX record to California) ↗ (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]