Looking for Massachusetts pharmacy tech license information? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements for pharmacy technicians in Massachusetts.
Fact-checked against the state board, September 2026
Does Massachusetts regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.
Is certification required to practice in Massachusetts?
No, national certification is not required, but you must qualify for a state license through one of four Board-approved pathways. You can pass a national certification exam (PTCB, NHA’s ExCPT, or the NRCPhT). You can complete a PTCB-recognized, ASHP-accredited or military training program and pass its competency exam with a score of at least 75%. You can work at least 500 hours as a licensed pharmacy technician trainee and pass an employer-administered competency exam with at least 75%. Or you can transfer an existing pharmacy technician license from another state.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
The Board accepts the PTCB’s Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), the National Healthcareer Association’s ExCPT, and the NRCPhT. It also accepts a program- or employer-administered competency exam of at least 50 questions, passed with a score of at least 75%, taken after a qualifying training program or after 500 hours as a pharmacy technician trainee.
When is registration required?
Massachusetts issues licenses rather than registrations. Before you train in a pharmacy, you must hold a Pharmacy Technician-in-Training license. You must be at least 16, and there is no fee. Before you work as a pharmacy technician, you must hold a full pharmacy technician license.
Is licensure required?
Yes.
What do I have to do to become licensed?
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a high school graduate (or equivalent), or be currently enrolled in a program that awards one.
- Be of good moral character and have no drug-related felony convictions.
- Qualify through one of the Board-approved pathways (national certification, an approved training program plus exam, 500 trainee hours plus exam, or an out-of-state license transfer).
- Apply online through the Massachusetts Health Professions Licensing Portal. Include your Social Security number, a 2×2 passport-style photo, your high school or GED details, proof of national certification if you have it, and verification of any out-of-state technician license.
- Pay the $150 non-refundable application fee.
Applications are processed by Professional Credential Services (PCS): 877-887-9727 or [email protected].
Is training required?
Only if you are not nationally certified. In that case, you can complete a PTCB-recognized, ASHP-accredited or military/Public Health Service training program. Or you can work at least 500 hours as a licensed pharmacy technician trainee. Either way, you must then pass a competency exam with a score of at least 75%.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
Massachusetts does not currently require continuing education to renew a pharmacy technician license. If you hold a national certification such as the CPhT, you must still complete the CE your certifying body requires. The Board has proposed regulation changes that could add technician CE, so check the Board’s website for updates.
How often is renewal required?
Every two years. Pharmacy technician licenses expire on your birthday, and you renew online through the Health Professions Licensing Portal. The state fee schedule lists the renewal fee as $60 for the two-year cycle. Renew on time: working after your license expires counts as unlicensed practice, and late renewals owe back fees plus a late fee.
What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address?
Keep your contact information current with the Board by updating it in the Health Professions Licensing Portal. If you have questions, email the Board at [email protected].
Other good info to know about Massachusetts pharmacy tech requirements
- A pharmacy technician trainee must hold a Pharmacy Technician-in-Training license. A trainee may not work in that role for more than 1,500 hours or one year, whichever is shorter, unless the Board grants an extension or the trainee is under 18 or has not yet completed 500 hours.
- Pharmacy technicians must wear a name tag showing their first name and the title “Pharmacy Technician.”
- A pharmacist may supervise up to three support personnel if at least one is a pharmacy intern or certified pharmacy technician. The limit rises to four if at least two are certified technicians, two are interns, or one is a certified technician and one is an intern.
- Technicians may not perform tasks requiring professional judgment, such as drug utilization review or administering vaccines.
- The supervising pharmacist is responsible for all actions of the pharmacy technician.
Essential Contact Info for Massachusetts Pharmacy Techs
Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-registration-in-pharmacy 250 Washington Street Boston, MA 02108 Phone: (617) 973-0960 Email: [email protected]
Professional Association: Massachusetts Pharmacists Association (MPhA), https://www.masspharmacists.org/
