Looking for North Dakota pharmacy technician license information? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements for pharmacy technicians in North Dakota.
Fact-checked against the state board, September 2026
Does North Dakota regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.
Is certification required to practice in North Dakota?
Yes.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
North Dakota accepts certification from either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCE/CPhT) or the National Healthcareer Association (ExCPT).
When is registration required?
You may apply for registration after completion of the Board-approved educational and training program and achieving certification. Or you may apply for pharmacy technician-in-training status and complete the requirements to be a licensed pharmacy technician within 2 years.
Is licensure required?
North Dakota calls it a registration rather than a license, but every pharmacy technician must register with the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy and renew that registration every year. Registered technicians may use the title ‘registered pharmacy technician’ or ‘R. Ph. Tech.’
What do I have to do to become licensed?
- Complete an ASHP-accredited pharmacy technician program, either an academic program or an ASHP-accredited on-the-job training program.
- Earn national certification through PTCB or NHA (ExCPT).
- Submit the Registration Application for Pharmacy Technician to the North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy with the $35 fee, a recent 2×3 photo, and copies of your program certificate and national certificate.
- If you are still in training, you can instead register as a pharmacy technician-in-training ($10 fee plus a photo), naming your supervising pharmacist and training program. You have up to two years to finish, and you must send a progress report with each renewal.
Is training required?
Yes. North Dakota requires completion of an ASHP-accredited academic program or an ASHP-accredited on-the-job training program. Technicians-in-training work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist while they complete it.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
Yes. Although exempt from CE requirements for your first license renewal, thereafter you must complete 10 hours of CE each year prior to renewal. In addition, you must satisfy the CE requirements to maintain your national certification.
How often is renewal required?
Every year. Registrations are due by March 1. The renewal fee is $35, or $45 if you renew after March 1. A registration not renewed within 60 days is cancelled and must be reinstated. You can renew online at nodakpharmacy.com.
What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address?
Report the change to the Board within 15 days.
Other good info to know about North Dakota pharmacy tech requirements
- Technicians must wear a name badge that clearly identifies them as a ‘pharmacy technician’ and must identify themselves as a technician on the phone.
- Your technician certificate and annual registration card, or copies, must be displayed or kept on file at the pharmacy where you work.
- Technicians may not consult with patients about their medications or perform tasks reserved for pharmacists, and the pharmacist is legally responsible for technicians’ work.
- A pharmacist may supervise up to four technicians in retail and hospital pharmacies and up to five in closed-door pharmacies that do not deal directly with patients.
- Under written pharmacy policies, one registered technician may check another’s work (‘tech-check-tech’).
Essential Contact Info for North Dakota Pharmacy Technicians
North Dakota State Board of Pharmacy https://www.nodakpharmacy.com/ 1838 E Interstate Ave, Suite D Bismarck, ND 58503 Telephone: 701-877-2404 Fax: 701-877-2405 Licensing email: [email protected]
Professional association: North Dakota Pharmacists Association (NDPhA), https://www.nodakpharmacy.net/
