Pharmacy Technician Licensure

Professional Licensure Disclosure

COCC prepares students for jobs that require a license to practice in Oregon. If you plan to work in another state, please check with that state's licensing board. Remember that licensure can help you find a job, even in states that don’t require a license.  

Beyond training or licensure, states may have additional requirements including but not limited to: living in the state for a certain amount of time; taking state-approved tests; registering with the state; previous work experience; proof of Oregon state licensure. 

COCC provides the information below at the direction of the U.S. Department of Education and National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). Since rules can change, be sure to check the state you want to move to and ask about current guidelines.

STATE/TERRITORY	COCC SATISFIES REQUIREMENTS?	PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OR LICENSE AUTHORITY	NOTES
Alabama	Yes, with additional requirements	Alabama Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state. If nationally certified (PTCB or ExCPT exam) no training required.
Alaska	N/A	Alaska Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state. On-the-job training. However, proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam allows you to perform more advanced duties.
Arizona	Yes	Arizona State Board of Pharmacy	Must license with state. Additional on-the-job training required.  Must pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Arkansas	N/A	Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the Board of Pharmacy. No proof of education required.
California	Yes, with additional requirements	California State Board of Pharmacy	Must license with state. Proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam OR Affidavit of completed coursework.
Colorado	Yes	Colorado State Board of Pharmacy	Must license with the state. Provide documentation of your current certification by an approved national certification board.
Connecticut	N/A	Connecticut Commission of Pharmacy	Must register with the Board of Pharmacy. No proof of education required.
Delaware	N/A	Delaware State Board of Pharmacy	Registration required. On-the-job training.
District of Columbia	Yes	District of Columbia Board of Pharmacy	Must license with state. In addition to approved training program, must be certified by PTCB or NHA.
Florida	Yes	Florida Board of Pharmacy	Central Oregon Community College is an accredited training provider for the Florida Board of Pharmacy.
Georgia	N/A	Georgia Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state but does not have to be certified. Georgia law and Board rules do not allow pharmacy technicians to reciprocate their registration from other states.
Hawaii	N/A	State of Hawaii Board of Pharmacy	License/Registration Not Required
Idaho	N/A	Idaho State Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the Board of Pharmacy. No proof of education required. To be registered as a Certified Technician must have proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Illinois	Yes	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation - State Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the Board of Pharmacy. To be registered as a Certified Technician must have proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Indiana	Yes, with additional requirements	Indiana Board of Pharmacy	Reciprocity evaluated by state board, requires verification of state license, work experience, and clinical supervision.
Iowa	Yes	Iowa Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state and have national certification through PTCB or NHA.
Kansas	Yes	Kansas State Board of Pharmacy	Must license with state and have proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Kentucky	N/A	Kentucky Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state. No educational or certification requirements.
Louisiana	YES, with additional requirements	Louisiana Board of Pharmacy	Must license with state. Proof of training completion sent to Board and passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Maine	N/A	Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation - Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the Board of Pharmacy. No proof of education required.
Maryland	Yes	Maryland Board of Pharmacy	Proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam or evidence of completion of training program.  Reciprocity applicants must submit evidence of registration in another state under requirements similar to the registration requirements in Maryland (legible photocopy of state registration) and a letter of good standing from the state Board in the state(s) of current registration.
Massachusetts	Yes	Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy	Proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam; or evidence of completion of training program. If licensed / registered as a Pharmacy Technician in another U.S. state or jurisdiction, a letter of verification of licensure must be provided, regardless of its status (e.g., current, expired, etc.).
Michigan	Yes, with additional requirements	Michigan Board of Pharmacy	Requires NABP E-profile ID number; additional trainings; Must submit PTCB or ExCPT exam scores.
Minnesota	Yes	Minnesota Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state but do not have to be certified. Pharmacy technician training programs accredited by ASHP are automatically approved. Accepted proof of training includes certificate of completion from institution/college or signed transcript.
Mississippi	N/A	Mississippi Board of Pharmacy Licensure	Must register with state. National certification not required but may be required by employer.
Missouri	N/A	Missouri Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state. Missouri does not mandate certification or minimum education or training requirements to be registered as a technician. However, additional training is required for some activities.
Montana	Yes	Montana Board of Pharmacy	Must license with the state and be certified by passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Nebraska	Yes	Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit	Must register with state. Must pass PTCB or ExCPT exam. No other training requirements.
Nevada	Yes, with additional requirements	Nevada State Board of Pharmacy	Must complete 350 hours in Nevada as a registered pharmaceutical technician-in-training
New Hampshire	N/A	New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy	Certification not required to become licensed but is an option.
New Jersey	N/A	New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy	Certification not required to become registered.
New Mexico	Yes	New Mexico Board of Pharmacy	A written record of training and education must be submitted to the board with certification exam documentation to obtain certified pharmacy technician registration.
New York	Yes	New York State Board of Pharmacy	Must license with the state and provide proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
North Carolina	Yes	North Carolina Board of Pharmacy	Under North Carolina law, a technician may be simply registered or registered and certified. To be certified you must pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
North Dakota	Yes	North Dakota Board of Pharmacy	Must also be certified by PTCB exam.
Ohio	Yes	State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy	Under Ohio law, a technician may be simply registered or registered and certified. To be certified you must pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Oklahoma	N/A	Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy	Oklahoma specific on-the-job training required.
Oregon	Yes	Oregon Board of Pharmacy
Pennsylvania	N/A	Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy	License/Registration Not Required
Rhode Island	Yes, with additional requirements	Rhode Island Board of Pharmacy	Requires NABP E-profile ID number; additional trainings; 2 levels of technician; Must submit PTCB or ExCPT exam scores to be a Pharmacy Technician II.
South Carolina	Yes	South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation - Board of Pharmacy	Must register with state but no exam or education requirements for Pharmacy Technician. Must complete PTCB exam and approved training program for Certified Pharmacy Technician.
South Dakota	Yes	South Dakota Board of Pharmacy	The South Dakota Board of Pharmacy does not require an approved education curriculum or school for technicians. They do require passage of the Certification Examination through either the PTCB or the NHA (ExCePt) within two years of registering as a technician in training.
Tennessee	N/A	Tennessee Board of Pharmacy	Must register but certification not required.
Texas	Yes	Texas State Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the state and pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Utah	Yes	Utah Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the state and pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam.
Vermont	Yes	Vermont Board of Pharmacy	No formal training required. However, to complete certain functions you must be certified and complete a training program.
Virginia	Yes	Virginia Board of Pharmacy	Must register with the state. Must complete board approved training program or pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam for certification.
Washington	YES, with additional requirements	Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission	Additional training required. Must pass a national exam.
West Virginia	YES, with additional requirements	West Virginia Board of Pharmacy	Verification forms required; Must pass PTCB or ExCPT exam for certification.
Wisconsin	N/A	Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board	No formal training required.
Wyoming	N/A	Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy	On-the-job training or for more advanced functions, proof of passing the PTCB or ExCPT exam.