Pharmacy License from Pennsylvania to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alabama State Board of Pharmacy ↗
A pharmacist license transfers from Pennsylvania to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Alabama requires passing the Alabama MPJE (the state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination, applied for separately through NABP) before a license is issued; Alabama has not adopted the Uniform MPJE as of 2026-07-21..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Pennsylvania license transfers into Alabama through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy — but Alabama gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Alabama requires passing the Alabama MPJE (the state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination, applied for separately through NABP) before a license is issued; Alabama has not adopted the Uniform MPJE as of 2026-07-21.. Coming from Pennsylvania neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Alabama's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Alabama allows.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Alabama
| Pennsylvania (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $45 (Pennsylvania reciprocity application fee paid on PALS; separate NABP eLTP fees apply ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) plus the MPJE exam fee. Foreign pharmacy graduates additionally need FPGEC certification) | $300 (Alabama reciprocity application fee set by Admin Code 680-X-2-.17(2); non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the Alabama MPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a fixed timeline; applications are processed in the order received, and supporting documents (FBI check within 180 days; others under six months) must be current when submitted | Board does not publish a processing-time figure; reciprocity requires a virtual Board interview held once per month on Board-meeting days, so timing tracks the Board's monthly meeting cycle plus NABP eLTP/MPJE completion. |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy | Alabama State Board of Pharmacy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the NABP eLTP license transfer application through your NABP e-Profile.
- Apply through NABP to take and pass the Alabama MPJE (separate application from the eLTP).
- Upload proof of U.S. citizenship (e.g., birth certificate or U.S. passport).
- Be personally interviewed by two or more Board members (interviews held virtually once a month on Board-meeting days).
- Furnish confirmation of original licensure by examination in another state (the out-of-state license need not be kept active after Alabama licensure).
- Pay the fees ($300 (Alabama reciprocity application fee set by Admin Code 680-X-2-.17(2); non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the Alabama MPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.)) and allow Board does not publish a processing-time figure; reciprocity requires a virtual Board interview held once per month on Board-meeting days, so timing tracks the Board's monthly meeting cycle plus NABP eLTP/MPJE completion..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alabama accept a Pennsylvania pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Pennsylvania to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Alabama requires passing the Alabama MPJE (the state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination, applied for separately through NABP) before a license is issued; Alabama has not adopted the Uniform MPJE as of 2026-07-21..
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Pennsylvania to Alabama?
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. Alabama requires passing the Alabama MPJE (the state-specific Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination, applied for separately through NABP) before a license is issued; Alabama has not adopted the Uniform MPJE as of 2026-07-21..
What will the move to Alabama cost?
$300 (Alabama reciprocity application fee set by Admin Code 680-X-2-.17(2); non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the Alabama MPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.) (Alabama reciprocity application fee set by Admin Code 680-X-2-.17(2); non-refundable. Separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 application + $100 per jurisdiction) and the Alabama MPJE exam fee apply and are not included here.).
How long will licensing in Alabama take?
Board does not publish a processing-time figure; reciprocity requires a virtual Board interview held once per month on Board-meeting days, so timing tracks the Board's monthly meeting cycle plus NABP eLTP/MPJE completion. — Board does not publish a processing-time figure; reciprocity requires a virtual Board interview held once per month on Board-meeting days, so timing tracks the Board's monthly meeting cycle plus NABP eLTP/MPJE completion..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Alabama Administrative Code Rule 680-X-2-.17 — Reciprocity (fee $300.00) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama Administrative Code Rule 680-X-2-.34 — Fees for Applicants for Pharmacist License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist how-to-apply (reciprocity steps: eLTP + AL MPJE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama Board of Pharmacy — Policy 24-001 Pharmacist Licensure by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NABP — Electronic Licensure Transfer Program (eLTP) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy — Reciprocal Licensure Instructions (PharmM) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania Pharmacist Licensure Snapshot (Department of State) — $45 fee ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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