Pharmacy License from Illinois to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Minnesota Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Illinois license transfers into Minnesota through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy — but Minnesota gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE.. Coming from Illinois neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Minnesota's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Minnesota allows.
What changes, Illinois → Minnesota
| Illinois (current) | Minnesota (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) | $332 ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a fixed processing-time estimate for pharmacist endorsement; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days | 4–6 weeks (board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE.) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — State Board of Pharmacy | Minnesota Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Minnesota's current requirements on the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a license in good standing and complete the license transfer through the NABP Clearinghouse (eLTP).
- Complete the NABP Preliminary Application for License Transfer, then file the NABP Official Transfer Application with the Minnesota Board and the application fee.
- Pass the MPJE (Minnesota edition).
- Complete a fingerprint criminal background check.
- Submit a notarized copy of your birth certificate or passport.
- Pay the fees ($332 ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota accept a Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Illinois to Minnesota?
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 / NABP Clearinghouse. Minnesota requires registering for and passing the MPJE (Minnesota edition) before the transferred license is granted; Minnesota has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
What will the move to Minnesota cost?
$332 ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.) ($332 Minnesota license transfer (reciprocity) fee as listed on the mn.gov eLicense pharmacist page, criminal background check included (the reciprocity application fee itself is $300 per Minn. Stat. 151.065). Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the Minnesota-edition MPJE fee are additional.).
How long will licensing in Minnesota take?
4–6 weeks (board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE.) — board's checklist states the NABP preliminary license-transfer process takes about 4-6 weeks; the criminal background check adds ~2-3 weeks; the board recommends submitting the application and fees 2-3 months before taking the MPJE..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Minnesota Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Licensure by License Transfer (Reciprocity) checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota eLicense — Pharmacist License (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 151.065 — Board of Pharmacy application and license fees ↗ (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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