Pharmacy License from Pennsylvania to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Hawaii accept a Pennsylvania pharmacist license?
A pharmacist license transfers from Pennsylvania to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the official NABP licensure transfer application. Hawaii requires passing the Hawaii-edition MPJE with a score of 75; an MPJE passed for another state is not accepted. Hawaii has not adopted the Uniform MPJE.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Pennsylvania license transfers into Hawaii through the NABP Electronic Licensure Transfer Program — NABP forwards your license and NAPLEX history to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) — but Hawaii gates the license behind its own pharmacy-law exam. Coming from Pennsylvania neither speeds this up nor slows it down; the eLTP is origin-neutral, so the timeline below is Hawaii's standard out-of-state queue. Open the e-Profile transfer and book the law exam as early as Hawaii allows.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Hawaii
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Hawaii. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Hawaii (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Hawaii to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Hawaii.
- Application fee
Hawaii lists $50 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $45 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Hawaii and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Hawaii (this move): NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the official NABP licensure transfer application. Hawaii requires passing the Hawaii-edition MPJE with a score of 75; an MPJE passed for another state is not accepted. Hawaii has not adopted the Uniform MPJE.
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): NAPLEX is not retaken; license history transfers via the NABP eLTP. Pennsylvania requires passing the Pennsylvania MPJE unless you were initially licensed before January 26, 1983, or you passed the FDLE (Federal Drug Law Exam) for the license that is the basis of the transfer.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Hawaii
| Pennsylvania (current) | Hawaii (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) | $50 (Hawaii non-refundable application fee $50 (payable to 'Commerce and Consumer Affairs'); biennial license and Compliance Resolution Fund fees are billed on approval and vary by point in the licensing biennium; separate NABP eLTP fees ($300 + $100 per jurisdiction) and the MPJE exam fee apply) |
| 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 estimate for reciprocity; NABP eLTP review is 3-5 business days; abandoned applications are destroyed after one year |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy | Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Hawaii sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Board of Pharmacy (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the official NABP licensure transfer application within 90 days of its issuance by NABP.
- Document at least 1,500 hours of practice as a licensed pharmacist within the five years preceding the application.
- Hold a current, valid license in good standing in a state whose qualifications equal or exceed Hawaii's.
- Pass the Hawaii MPJE (minimum score 75).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NAPLEX moving from Pennsylvania to Hawaii?
No — the NAPLEX is a one-time national exam that transfers with your record.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Hawaii Administrative Rules 16-95-22.5 — Application and requirements for pharmacist license by reciprocity (via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii Board of Pharmacy — Application Forms and Publications (pharmacist requirements/instructions, $50 fee, Hawaii MPJE) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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