Pharmacy License from North Dakota to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗
Yes — Michigan recognizes pharmacist licenses from all states, including North Dakota. Apply to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Michigan takes a NABP eLTP transfer without adding its own law exam, so a North Dakota pharmacist's move is mostly administrative: transfer your license and NAPLEX record through your NABP e-Profile to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing), clear the Clearinghouse disciplinary screen and background check, and you are licensed. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile / NABP licensure transfer report. Michigan requires NO pharmacy law exam — it does not administer the MPJE — so no jurisprudence examination is taken; instead the applicant attests to sufficient knowledge of Michigan's pharmacy code and board rules.. Start the e-Profile transfer first — NABP's verification carries the longest lead time.
What changes, North Dakota → Michigan
| North Dakota (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Fee is set by the Board and capped by statute at $300 (NDCC 43-15-22, licensing without examination); the exact board-set license-transfer fee could not be verified on an official source because the ND Board site (nodakpharmacy.com) was unreachable during research (commonly cited as $175 on non-official sites). NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee are separate. | $137.7 (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a reciprocity processing time; after the Board receives the completed eLTP application the applicant is issued an Authorization to Test for the ND MPJE. Add NABP eLTP review and MPJE scheduling. | LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay. |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy | Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply for licensure by endorsement through MiPLUS and submit the NABP licensure transfer report.
- Hold a current pharmacist license in good standing in another U.S. state (or a Canadian license meeting the rule's conditions).
- Attest to sufficient knowledge of the Michigan Public Health Code and Board of Pharmacy rules.
- Pass a fingerprint-based Michigan State Police and FBI criminal background check.
- Complete Michigan's one-time human-trafficking and opioids/controlled-substances awareness trainings.
- Pay the fees ($137.7 (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.)) and allow LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a North Dakota pharmacist license?
Yes — Michigan recognizes pharmacist licenses from all states, including North Dakota. Apply to the Michigan Board of Pharmacy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from North Dakota to Michigan?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record. NAPLEX is not retaken; NAPLEX scores and license history transfer via the NABP e-Profile / NABP licensure transfer report. Michigan requires NO pharmacy law exam — it does not administer the MPJE — so no jurisprudence examination is taken; instead the applicant attests to sufficient knowledge of Michigan's pharmacy code and board rules..
What will the move to Michigan cost?
$137.7 (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.) (LARA pharmacist licensure-by-endorsement total paid via MiPLUS (application processing fee plus the pharmacist license fee; the pharmacist license line alone is ~$60.60). An optional Michigan controlled substance license adds ~$85.85. No MPJE/UMPJE exam fee applies because Michigan requires no jurisprudence exam. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction, 2026-07-21) are additional. michigan.gov blocked direct fetch, so confirm the current total in MiPLUS.).
How long will licensing in Michigan take?
LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay. — LARA does not publish a guaranteed processing timeframe; the application remains valid for two years from the date received. Endorsement review runs after the NABP transfer report and the fingerprint background check clear; a missing out-of-state license verification is the most common cause of delay..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 338.523 — Pharmacist license by endorsement; requirements (Michigan rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Pharmacy (Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- North Dakota Administrative Code 61-03-01-04 — Licensure Transfer (eLTP application; pass the ND law exam and pay the appropriate fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- North Dakota Century Code 43-15-22 — Licensing without examination (fee set by board not to exceed $300) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — General Requirements for Licensure Transfer (North Dakota: pass the MPJE) ↗ (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]