Pharmacy License from Illinois to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arizona State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Arizona requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the Arizona-specific MPJE effective April 1, 2026 (the Arizona MPJE was retired March 31, 2026). If you have already passed the UMPJE in another state you need not retake it; you submit the eLTP application and apply with the Arizona board. Retakes are limited (petition the executive director after 3 failures, the Board after 4; five attempts maximum)..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Illinois license transfers into Arizona through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy — but Arizona gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Arizona requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the Arizona-specific MPJE effective April 1, 2026 (the Arizona MPJE was retired March 31, 2026). If you have already passed the UMPJE in another state you need not retake it; you submit the eLTP application and apply with the Arizona board. Retakes are limited (petition the executive director after 3 failures, the Board after 4; five attempts maximum).. Coming from Illinois neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Arizona's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Arizona allows.
What changes, Illinois → Arizona
| Illinois (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $200 (Illinois endorsement fee $200 for a pharmacist licensed in another state/territory (Ill. Admin. Code tit. 68 sec. 1330.20(b)(3), effective 6/2/2023); separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply) | $300–$350 (Two official Arizona figures disagree: the Board's current reciprocity instruction sheet (ASBP_Reciprocity_Instructions.pdf) and a 2020 instruction sheet both state a $300 application fee, while the live online reciprocity application charges '$350.00 License application fee'; the range captures both — confirm at submission. Non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a fixed processing-time estimate for pharmacist endorsement; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days | Board does not publish a processing-time figure for reciprocity; timing depends on UMPJE scheduling/results and NABP eLTP review. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — State Board of Pharmacy | Arizona State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Take and pass the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE); it need not be taken in Arizona.
- Submit the NABP eLTP license transfer application, then apply with the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy.
- Hold a pharmacist license obtained by examination that is current and in good standing in another jurisdiction.
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or hold a valid U.S. passport (non-immigrant visa holders must contact the Board before applying).
- Pay the fees ($300–$350 (Two official Arizona figures disagree: the Board's current reciprocity instruction sheet (ASBP_Reciprocity_Instructions.pdf) and a 2020 instruction sheet both state a $300 application fee, while the live online reciprocity application charges '$350.00 License application fee'; the range captures both — confirm at submission. Non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.)) and allow Board does not publish a processing-time figure for reciprocity; timing depends on UMPJE scheduling/results and NABP eLTP review..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arizona accept a Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Arizona requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the Arizona-specific MPJE effective April 1, 2026 (the Arizona MPJE was retired March 31, 2026). If you have already passed the UMPJE in another state you need not retake it; you submit the eLTP application and apply with the Arizona board. Retakes are limited (petition the executive director after 3 failures, the Board after 4; five attempts maximum)..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Illinois to Arizona?
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. Arizona requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the Arizona-specific MPJE effective April 1, 2026 (the Arizona MPJE was retired March 31, 2026). If you have already passed the UMPJE in another state you need not retake it; you submit the eLTP application and apply with the Arizona board. Retakes are limited (petition the executive director after 3 failures, the Board after 4; five attempts maximum)..
What will the move to Arizona cost?
$300–$350 (Two official Arizona figures disagree: the Board's current reciprocity instruction sheet (ASBP_Reciprocity_Instructions.pdf) and a 2020 instruction sheet both state a $300 application fee, while the live online reciprocity application charges '$350.00 License application fee'; the range captures both — confirm at submission. Non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.) (Two official Arizona figures disagree: the Board's current reciprocity instruction sheet (ASBP_Reciprocity_Instructions.pdf) and a 2020 instruction sheet both state a $300 application fee, while the live online reciprocity application charges '$350.00 License application fee'; the range captures both — confirm at submission. Non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.).
How long will licensing in Arizona take?
Board does not publish a processing-time figure for reciprocity; timing depends on UMPJE scheduling/results and NABP eLTP review. — Board does not publish a processing-time figure for reciprocity; timing depends on UMPJE scheduling/results and NABP eLTP review..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Arizona State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter (April 2026) — Uniform MPJE Fact Sheet: UMPJE effective 2026-04-01, AZ MPJE retired 2026-03-31 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arizona State Board of Pharmacy — Application for Pharmacist Licensure by Reciprocity (online portal; fee shown $350.00) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arizona State Board of Pharmacy — Application Instructions for Pharmacist Applying by Reciprocity (instruction sheet; fee $300) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Pharmacy (application forms; ILPRO as MPJE alternative) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois Administrative Code tit. 68 sec. 1330.20 — Fees (endorsement $200) (via Cornell LII) ↗ (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]