Pharmacy License from Illinois to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: South Carolina Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; the score and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile/eLTP. South Carolina requires passing the MPJE (South Carolina edition) and attending a monthly virtual board interview before the license is granted. SC had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Illinois license transfers into South Carolina through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy — but South Carolina gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; the score and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile/eLTP. South Carolina requires passing the MPJE (South Carolina edition) and attending a monthly virtual board interview before the license is granted. SC had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21.. Coming from Illinois neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is South Carolina's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as South Carolina allows.
What changes, Illinois → South Carolina
| Illinois (current) | South Carolina (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) | $375–$473 (SC Board of Pharmacy application fee $375 (non-refundable) plus a $98 initial licensure fee due after passing the MPJE; the $250 MPJE exam fee and NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are separate) |
| 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; the path is application -> board email to register for the MPJE -> pass the MPJE -> monthly virtual board interview -> initial licensure application -> license issued; application is valid one year from receipt |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — State Board of Pharmacy | South Carolina Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete the NABP eLTP (Licensure Transfer) application through your NABP e-Profile.
- Pass the MPJE (South Carolina edition); $250 MPJE exam fee paid to NABP/Pearson VUE.
- Attend the required monthly virtual board interview (Webex) before licensure.
- Complete 500 hours of practical experience only if you were first licensed within the past year.
- Submit a Verification of Lawful Presence affidavit and a 2x2 photo.
- Pay the fees ($375–$473 (SC Board of Pharmacy application fee $375 (non-refundable) plus a $98 initial licensure fee due after passing the MPJE; the $250 MPJE exam fee and NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are separate)) and allow Board does not publish a processing time; the path is application -> board email to register for the MPJE -> pass the MPJE -> monthly virtual board interview -> initial licensure application -> license issued; application is valid one year from receipt.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Carolina accept a Illinois pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Illinois to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy, verify your Illinois license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; the score and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile/eLTP. South Carolina requires passing the MPJE (South Carolina edition) and attending a monthly virtual board interview before the license is granted. SC had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Illinois to South Carolina?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; the score and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile/eLTP. South Carolina requires passing the MPJE (South Carolina edition) and attending a monthly virtual board interview before the license is granted. SC had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to South Carolina cost?
$375–$473 (SC Board of Pharmacy application fee $375 (non-refundable) plus a $98 initial licensure fee due after passing the MPJE; the $250 MPJE exam fee and NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are separate) (SC Board of Pharmacy application fee $375 (non-refundable) plus a $98 initial licensure fee due after passing the MPJE; the $250 MPJE exam fee and NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are separate).
How long will licensing in South Carolina take?
Board does not publish a processing time; the path is application -> board email to register for the MPJE -> pass the MPJE -> monthly virtual board interview -> initial licensure application -> license issued; application is valid one year from receipt — Board does not publish a processing time; the path is application -> board email to register for the MPJE -> pass the MPJE -> monthly virtual board interview -> initial licensure application -> license issued; application is valid one year from receipt.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- South Carolina Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Application by Reciprocity (Requirements & Instructions, rev 7/22) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- South Carolina Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist Applications and Forms ↗ (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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