Pharmacy License from Illinois to Iowa: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Iowa Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Iowa requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the MPJE-Iowa Edition on April 1, 2026 (Iowa is an NABP early-adopter jurisdiction); an applicant who already passed the UMPJE in another state is not required to retake it..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Illinois license transfers into Iowa through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy — but Iowa gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Iowa requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the MPJE-Iowa Edition on April 1, 2026 (Iowa is an NABP early-adopter jurisdiction); an applicant who already passed the UMPJE in another state is not required to retake it.. Coming from Illinois neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Iowa's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Iowa allows.
What changes, Illinois → Iowa
| Illinois (current) | Iowa (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) | $180 ($180 Iowa pharmacist license (application) fee; a $45 criminal history background check fee is added ($225 total collected in the online portal). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a fixed processing-time estimate for pharmacist endorsement; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days | Board publishes no review-time estimate for license transfer; a request to retake the exam three or more times is at the Board's discretion. Excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — State Board of Pharmacy | Iowa Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Iowa sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the license transfer application through your NABP e-Profile (eLTP).
- Pass the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) within one year of NABP approval, unless already passed in another state.
- Complete a criminal history background check ($45 fee).
- License-transfer application is valid for one year from the date of receipt.
- Pay the fees ($180 ($180 Iowa pharmacist license (application) fee; a $45 criminal history background check fee is added ($225 total collected in the online portal). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee)) and allow Board publishes no review-time estimate for license transfer; a request to retake the exam three or more times is at the Board's discretion. Excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Iowa accept a Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Iowa requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the MPJE-Iowa Edition on April 1, 2026 (Iowa is an NABP early-adopter jurisdiction); an applicant who already passed the UMPJE in another state is not required to retake it..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Illinois to Iowa?
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. Iowa requires passing the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which replaced the MPJE-Iowa Edition on April 1, 2026 (Iowa is an NABP early-adopter jurisdiction); an applicant who already passed the UMPJE in another state is not required to retake it..
What will the move to Iowa cost?
$180 ($180 Iowa pharmacist license (application) fee; a $45 criminal history background check fee is added ($225 total collected in the online portal). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee) ($180 Iowa pharmacist license (application) fee; a $45 criminal history background check fee is added ($225 total collected in the online portal). Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the UMPJE exam fee).
How long will licensing in Iowa take?
Board publishes no review-time estimate for license transfer; a request to retake the exam three or more times is at the Board's discretion. Excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling — Board publishes no review-time estimate for license transfer; a request to retake the exam three or more times is at the Board's discretion. Excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Iowa DIAL — Pharmacist Licensure (license transfer) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa DIAL — Transition to the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE effective 2026-04-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE participating states (Iowa: UMPJE effective 2026-04-01) ↗ (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
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