Pharmacy License from Pennsylvania to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Michigan accept a Pennsylvania pharmacist license?
Yes — Michigan recognizes pharmacist licenses from all states, including Pennsylvania. 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 an NABP eLTP transfer without adding its own law exam, so a Pennsylvania 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's different between Pennsylvania and Michigan
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Michigan. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Michigan (this page): Full reciprocity.
Michigan to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The two directions differ: Pennsylvania and Michigan do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- 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 Michigan.
- Application fee
Michigan lists $137.70 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $45 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Michigan and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Michigan (this move): 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.
- 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 → Michigan
| Pennsylvania (current) | Michigan (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) | $137.70 (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 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 | 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 | Pennsylvania 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 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 Michigan?
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.
- 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)
- 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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