Pharmacy License from Kentucky to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Texas State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Kentucky to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Kentucky license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP Licensure Transfer (eLTP). Texas requires passing the Texas Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (the MPJE for Texas), minimum score 75, before the reciprocal license is granted. TX had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Kentucky license transfers into Texas through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy — but Texas gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP Licensure Transfer (eLTP). Texas requires passing the Texas Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (the MPJE for Texas), minimum score 75, before the reciprocal license is granted. TX had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21.. Coming from Kentucky neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Texas's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Texas allows.
What changes, Kentucky → Texas
| Kentucky (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $275 (Kentucky Board application fee (includes a $25 National Practitioner Data Bank query), payable via the Licensure Gateway. The IdentoGO fingerprint fee is at the applicant's cost. Separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee) | $255 (Texas reciprocity application fee $255 paid to TSBP; the NABP Licensure Transfer/eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the MPJE exam fee are separate and paid to NABP) |
| Processing time | Board publishes no review-time estimate; excludes NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling | ~8 weeks (TSBP advises allowing at least 8 weeks to review the application and supplemental documents (older reciprocity instructions stated 6 weeks); excludes NABP preliminary/eLTP processing (~4-6 weeks) and MPJE result reporting (~3 weeks); licenses are issued weekly, generally on Fridays) |
| Licensing authority | Kentucky Board of Pharmacy | Texas State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Register with NABP for Licensure Transfer (eLTP) and to take the MPJE.
- Pass the Texas Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE), minimum score 75.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check.
- Origin state must grant reciprocal licensing to Texas-licensed pharmacists (mutual reciprocity).
- Current and prior licenses must not be restricted, suspended, revoked, or surrendered.
- Pay the fees ($255 (Texas reciprocity application fee $255 paid to TSBP; the NABP Licensure Transfer/eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the MPJE exam fee are separate and paid to NABP)) and allow ~8 weeks (TSBP advises allowing at least 8 weeks to review the application and supplemental documents (older reciprocity instructions stated 6 weeks); excludes NABP preliminary/eLTP processing (~4-6 weeks) and MPJE result reporting (~3 weeks); licenses are issued weekly, generally on Fridays).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a Kentucky pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Kentucky to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Kentucky license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP Licensure Transfer (eLTP). Texas requires passing the Texas Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (the MPJE for Texas), minimum score 75, before the reciprocal license is granted. TX had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Kentucky to Texas?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP Licensure Transfer (eLTP). Texas requires passing the Texas Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (the MPJE for Texas), minimum score 75, before the reciprocal license is granted. TX had not adopted the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE) as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to Texas cost?
$255 (Texas reciprocity application fee $255 paid to TSBP; the NABP Licensure Transfer/eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the MPJE exam fee are separate and paid to NABP) (Texas reciprocity application fee $255 paid to TSBP; the NABP Licensure Transfer/eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) and the MPJE exam fee are separate and paid to NABP).
How long will licensing in Texas take?
~8 weeks (TSBP advises allowing at least 8 weeks to review the application and supplemental documents (older reciprocity instructions stated 6 weeks); excludes NABP preliminary/eLTP processing (~4-6 weeks) and MPJE result reporting (~3 weeks); licenses are issued weekly, generally on Fridays) — TSBP advises allowing at least 8 weeks to review the application and supplemental documents (older reciprocity instructions stated 6 weeks); excludes NABP preliminary/eLTP processing (~4-6 weeks) and MPJE result reporting (~3 weeks); licenses are issued weekly, generally on Fridays.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Texas State Board of Pharmacy — Apply: Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas State Board of Pharmacy — Instructions and Requirements for Licensure by Reciprocity (LIC-014) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Pharmacy — Reciprocal Licensure Information ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Pharmacy — Procedures for Obtaining a Kentucky Pharmacist License [License Transfer] (updated 2024-12-10) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Uniform MPJE participating states (Kentucky not listed) ↗ (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]