Pharmacy License from North Carolina to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from North Carolina to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, verify your North Carolina license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP, with NABP acting as the Board's agent to conduct the preliminary reciprocity evaluation. Massachusetts requires passing the MPJE with a score of at least 75; Massachusetts has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your North Carolina license transfers into Massachusetts through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy — but Massachusetts gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP, with NABP acting as the Board's agent to conduct the preliminary reciprocity evaluation. Massachusetts requires passing the MPJE with a score of at least 75; Massachusetts has not adopted the Uniform MPJE.. Coming from North Carolina neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Massachusetts's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Massachusetts allows.
What changes, North Carolina → Massachusetts
| North Carolina (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $600 (North Carolina reciprocity application fee, non-refundable/non-transferable. NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the UMPJE exam fee are separate.) | The Massachusetts state reciprocity application fee could not be verified on a fetch-accessible official page (mass.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated access, and the 801 CMR 4.02 rate schedule was not machine-readable); it is collected through the Health Professions Licensing Portal (vendor Professional Credential Services). A recurring '$525' figure is the MPJE reciprocity fee paid to NABP/PCS, not the state application fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) apply. Left null rather than guess. |
| Processing time | ~2 weeks (Board allows ~10 business days to review the application; add 10 business days for each clarification request. Application expires one year from submission; excludes NABP eLTP review and exam scheduling.) | No board-stated processing timeframe found on an accessible official page; NABP conducts the preliminary evaluation and, once approved, the reciprocity application is valid for one year. |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Pharmacy | Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Be licensed by examination in another U.S. state and be in good standing in all states where you hold a license.
- Submit a preliminary NABP license transfer application (eLTP); NABP evaluates your qualifications as the Board's agent.
- Pass the MPJE with a score of at least 75.
- Provide documentation of internship experience per 247 CMR 8.01 (foreign graduates: NABP FPGEC certification plus a 1,500-hour internship).
- Pay the fees (The Massachusetts state reciprocity application fee could not be verified on a fetch-accessible official page (mass.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated access, and the 801 CMR 4.02 rate schedule was not machine-readable); it is collected through the Health Professions Licensing Portal (vendor Professional Credential Services). A recurring '$525' figure is the MPJE reciprocity fee paid to NABP/PCS, not the state application fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) apply. Left null rather than guess.) and allow No board-stated processing timeframe found on an accessible official page; NABP conducts the preliminary evaluation and, once approved, the reciprocity application is valid for one year..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Massachusetts accept a North Carolina pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from North Carolina to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, verify your North Carolina license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP, with NABP acting as the Board's agent to conduct the preliminary reciprocity evaluation. Massachusetts requires passing the MPJE with a score of at least 75; Massachusetts has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from North Carolina to Massachusetts?
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, with NABP acting as the Board's agent to conduct the preliminary reciprocity evaluation. Massachusetts requires passing the MPJE with a score of at least 75; Massachusetts has not adopted the Uniform MPJE..
What will the move to Massachusetts cost?
The Massachusetts state reciprocity application fee could not be verified on a fetch-accessible official page (mass.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated access, and the 801 CMR 4.02 rate schedule was not machine-readable); it is collected through the Health Professions Licensing Portal (vendor Professional Credential Services). A recurring '$525' figure is the MPJE reciprocity fee paid to NABP/PCS, not the state application fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) apply. Left null rather than guess. (The Massachusetts state reciprocity application fee could not be verified on a fetch-accessible official page (mass.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated access, and the 801 CMR 4.02 rate schedule was not machine-readable); it is collected through the Health Professions Licensing Portal (vendor Professional Credential Services). A recurring '$525' figure is the MPJE reciprocity fee paid to NABP/PCS, not the state application fee. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) apply. Left null rather than guess.).
How long will licensing in Massachusetts take?
No board-stated processing timeframe found on an accessible official page; NABP conducts the preliminary evaluation and, once approved, the reciprocity application is valid for one year. — No board-stated processing timeframe found on an accessible official page; NABP conducts the preliminary evaluation and, once approved, the reciprocity application is valid for one year..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Mass.gov — Apply for a pharmacist license (Board of Registration in Pharmacy) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 247 CMR 3.02 — Licensure by Reciprocity (Code of Massachusetts Regulations, via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- North Carolina Board of Pharmacy — Licensure by Reciprocity (fee $600; UMPJE effective 2026-04-01; intern-hour and background-check rules) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (North Carolina: pass the UMPJE prior to submitting the transfer application) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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