Looking for trustworthy information about getting a pharmacy tech Texas license? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements to become a Texas pharmacy technician.
Fact-checked against the state board, September 2026
Does Texas regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes, they do.
Is certification required to practice in Texas?
National certification is required to become a Registered Pharmacy Technician. It is not required to register as a Pharmacy Technician Trainee, which lets you work while you prepare for the exam.
A few people can petition the Board for an exemption from certification: technicians who had been continuously employed as a pharmacy technician in Texas for at least 10 years as of September 1, 2001, and technicians who work in a county with a population of 50,000 or less and can document their training and competency. See 22 Texas Administrative Code §297.7.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
The Texas State Board of Pharmacy accepts both the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) from PTCB and the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
When is registration required?
Before practicing as a pharmacy technician OR a pharmacy technician trainee.
Is registration required?
Yes. You must obtain your registration certificate BEFORE working in a pharmacy.
What do I have to do to become registered?
Note: a trainee registration can be obtained only once. It lasts up to two years and cannot be renewed, extended, or transferred.
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED), or be working toward one for no more than two years.
- For a Registered Pharmacy Technician: hold current certification from PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT). Trainees do not need certification.
- Apply online through the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (pharmacy.texas.gov, Applicants section).
- Complete fingerprinting with the Board’s approved vendor for a criminal history check (vendor fee is generally under $50).
- Pay the non-refundable application fee: $88 for a pharmacy technician or $55 for a pharmacy technician trainee.
Is training required?
Yes. Every pharmacy that employs technicians or trainees must have a training program directed by the pharmacist-in-charge, with a written training manual covering topics such as pharmacy law, safety, drug nomenclature, dosage forms, and prescription preparation. The pharmacy documents each person’s training and competency. Formal education programs are optional.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
Yes. Registered pharmacy technicians must complete 20 contact hours of approved CE every two-year renewal period. That must include at least 1 hour on Texas pharmacy laws or rules and one human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. No more than 5 hours may come from in-service training at work. Holding national certification from PTCB or NHA does not exempt you from Texas CE, although CE earned for certification can count if it meets TSBP standards. Technicians are exempt during their first registration period except for the human trafficking course. Trainees have no CE requirement.
How often is renewal required?
Registered pharmacy technicians renew every two years, by the last day of the month in which their registration was originally issued. Renewal is online (available within 60 days of expiration), costs $85, and requires the 20 CE hours and fingerprints on file. You cannot work while your registration is expired. If it has been expired 90 days or less, you pay 1.5 times the renewal fee; from 90 days to one year, 2 times the fee. After more than one year you must apply for initial registration again. Trainee registrations expire after two years and cannot be renewed.
What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address?
Technicians and trainees must notify the Texas State Board of Pharmacy within 10 days of a change of address or legal name. You can update your address online through the TSBP licensing system or submit the Board’s change form.
Other good info to know about being a pharmacy technician in Texas
- Students in a formal pharmacy technician program must hold an active TSBP registration (usually as a trainee) before performing technician duties during an externship.
- TSBP asks applicants to allow at least six weeks for processing. Applicants with a criminal history should expect it to take several months.
Essential Contact Info for Pharmacy Tech Texas
Texas State Board of Pharmacy George H. W. Bush State Office Building 1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 13.100 Austin, TX 78701-1319 Phone: (512) 305-8000 Fax: (512) 305-8082 Website: pharmacy.texas.gov
Professional association: Texas Pharmacy Association, texaspharmacy.org
Texas Q & A
Update, September 2026:
Update the reply to Brenda: ‘Registered Pharmacy Technicians in Texas renew every two years. If your registration has been expired for more than one year, you must apply for initial registration again. Renewal costs $85 and is done online at pharmacy.texas.gov. You need 20 CE hours each renewal period, including 1 hour of Texas law and a human trafficking prevention course. PTCB or NHA certification does not waive this requirement. Trainee registrations last up to two years and cannot be renewed.’ Also replace the tsbp.state.tx.us link in the last reply with pharmacy.texas.gov.
Registration
I will no longer be working as a pharmacy technician in the state of Texas and was wondering if I can still register every 2 years as a pharmacy technician? I will not be working in a retail or hospital pharmacy, but still want to keep up with my PTCB and TSBP license just in case the new “non CphT” job does not work out.
PharmacyTechPros Response: You should probably contact the Texas Board of Pharmacy with your question, but perhaps one of the site visitors can add their two cents, too.
Expired license?
by Brenda
(Dallas, TX)
How do I renew an expired license?
PharmacyTechPros Response: Brenda, for Registered Pharmacy Technicians in Texas, you must renew your registration every 2 years. If your registration has been expired for more than 1 year, you must submit an initial application. Renewals cost $80 and you can do them online here.
Note that if you have a trainee registration, that is only valid for 2 years. You can NOT renew this type of registration.
Also note that there are continuing education (CE) requirements. If you are a Registered Pharmacy Technician, you must do 20 contact hours per renewal period. The state of Texas waives this requirement if the you maintain certification through the PTCB. If you are a trainee, you are not required to obtain CE hours.
We have more information on requirements in Texas above.
Good luck!
Unknowingly worked on expired license for 2 weeks
by A.K.
(Dallas, TX)
I am not offering tips here but, I am kindly seeking advice/tips from the Pharmacy tech pros. Hoping to receive advice/tips that can help us in this situation.
My teenage daughter has been working as a Pharmacy Tech for a couple of years at a local Pharmacy (National Retail Chain), while going to school. She was very much liked by the staff and her supervisor and was getting to do more and more responsible work. She really enjoyed her work.
At the beginning of this summer her license expired. She was busy with school and did not have time to renew it. She stopped working, and I took her on a couple weeks trip as the school had just ended and I had not spent time with her lately. When she came back from the trip, she applied for the renewal and completed all the formalities, and was waiting for the renewal and still not working, while in touch with her work place. According to her, her supervisor looked up in the state database and saw her name as active license (I am not in that field, so I am not really sure how it all works). They assumed her renewal went through and she started working again.
Well, she was working again for sometime (perhaps for 4 weeks) and one day last week, she was told that she worked for 2 weeks on expired license and she was fired. She is totally devastated. She says she would not be able to work for that chain ever again and she is studying to be Pharmacist. It is very difficult for me to see her in this situation.
I am not sure if it is entirely her fault? Employers (like a big national chain) should have some processes in place to make sure such a thing does not happen (at least when they are recruiting easy-going teenagers, who are not experienced with the gotchhas of life). I am not here to put blame on anyone. I am trying to get some advice/tips.
Is there anyway to reverse this, such as community service or even monetary fine? Appeal with the employer? I guess the appeal with the employer has to be at a higher level and not at the level that made the decision to fire her? Appeal with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy? (I know the Texas Real Estate Board has an appeal process for slips up on part of Realtors. But I do not know anything about the Pharmacy field).
Help, help, please help.
Response from PharmacyTechPros:
I am so sorry to hear of this, and applaud you for seeking help for your daughter. Yes, definitely appeal with the Texas Board of Pharmacy. They should be able to offer advice, and maybe even be a liaison with the employer. Wishing you and your daughter all the best!
Renewing expired tx pharm tech license
by Bobbie Henderson
(Houston,texas)
is it possible to renew my Texas certified pharmacy technician license that has been expired for three or more years and what are the steps to do so?
Response from PharmacyTechPros.com:
Bobbie, you must contact the Texas Board of Pharmacy. Follow this link to find their contact information:
http://www.tsbp.state.tx.us/
Wishing you all the best.