Looking for pharmacy technician Illinois license info? Following are the important facts you need to know about the requirements for obtaining an Illinois pharmacy tech license.
Fact-checked against the state board, September 2026
Does Illinois regulate pharmacy technicians?
Yes.
Is certification required to practice in Illinois?
Not to get started. You can register as a pharmacy technician without national certification. However, every technician licensed after December 31, 2007 must add either a CERTIFIED or STUDENT designation by their second renewal. To earn the CERTIFIED designation, you must pass the PTCB or ExCPT exam and show proof of education, such as a pharmacy technician program diploma or a pharmacist-in-charge’s attestation that you completed on-the-job training.
What certification exam(s) is/are approved by the state?
Illinois accepts the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE) from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Is an Illinois pharmacy technician license required?
Yes. However, you may work in a pharmacy assisting a pharmacist for up to 60 days while your application is being processed. A copy of your application must be kept at the pharmacy where you are working during this period.
What do I have to do to become licensed?
To register as a pharmacy technician, you must be at least 16 and be attending or have graduated from high school or a GED program. Apply online through the IDFPR online application portal and pay the $40 non-refundable fee by card, ACH, or eCheck. Your application stays valid for three years. To register with the CERTIFIED designation, you must be at least 18 and submit proof of passing the PTCE or ExCPT plus proof of education: a pharmacy technician program certificate or diploma, or your pharmacist-in-charge’s training attestation on IDFPR form F2224. A STUDENT designation (age 18+) is available for students in an ACPE-accredited pharmacy school or an IDFPR-approved 1,200-hour course of clinical instruction.
Is training required?
Yes. You must complete the training required by the pharmacist-in-charge in the following areas:
- Duties and responsibilities of technicians and pharmacists.
- Tasks, technical skills, policies, and procedures.
- Compounding, packaging, labeling, and storage.
- Pharmaceutical and medical terminology.
- Record keeping requirements.
- Perform and apply mathematical calculations.
Are there Continuing Education (CE) requirements?
It depends on your designation. Registered pharmacy technicians who are not certified have no CE requirement. Certified Pharmacy Technicians must complete 10 hours of ACPE-approved CE in the 12 months before their license expires. Those hours must include one hour each of sexual harassment prevention, implicit bias awareness, cultural competency, pharmacy law/rules/ethics, and patient safety. CE is not required for your first renewal. Keep your certificates, because IDFPR may audit you.
How often is renewal required?
Every year. Illinois pharmacy technician licenses expire on March 31 regardless of when they were issued. Renew online through IDFPR’s Renew My License portal. If you still need to add your CERTIFIED or STUDENT designation, you must renew by mail and include the required documents.
What should I do if I change jobs or change my home address?
Keep your address current with IDFPR. You can update your information through IDFPR’s online licensing services or contact IDFPR at 1-888-473-4858. The Springfield office is at 320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor, Springfield, IL 62786.
Other good info to know about Illinois pharmacy tech requirements
- The pharmacy technician’s certificate of registration must be displayed and visible to the public in the pharmacy where the technician is employed.
- No pharmacist whose license has been denied, revoked, suspended or restricted for disciplinary purposes can be registered or employed as a Pharmacy Technician.
Contact Info for Associations for the Pharmacy Technicians in Illinois
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation, State Board of Pharmacy. Website: https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/pharm.html. Springfield: 320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor, Springfield, IL 62786. Chicago: 555 West Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60661. Phone: 1-888-473-4858 (TTY 1-866-325-4949).
Illinois Q & A
Pharm tech renewal
Response from PharmacyTechPros: The 2022 fee waiver and July 31 extension were one-time measures and no longer apply. Renewal fees are shown when you renew through IDFPR’s online portal. For questions, call IDFPR at 1-888-473-4858.
Lapsed License
If a resident of Illinois has not renewed their license since 2009, do they have to be certified before renewal?
Response from PharmacyTechPros: You would need to contact the state board of pharmacy. Contact information for the board can be found in the post above. Wishing you all the best.
Online Renewals Aren’t Working
Response from PharmacyTechPros: Thanks for the feedback. Illinois renewals are handled through IDFPR’s Renew My License portal at idfpr.illinois.gov. If you need to add a CERTIFIED or STUDENT designation at renewal, you’ll renew by mail using the Pharmacy Technician Designations form (F2224). For help, call IDFPR at 1-888-473-4858.
Reader questions
Comments are closed. For licensing questions, contact your state board of pharmacy.
For a certified pharmacy tech in Illinois, does certification with NHA have to be maintained once the test has been successfully passed for the CPTech?
Sally, thanks for your question.
As far as we understand the NHA certification does not need to be maintained to keep your certification valid in Illinois. However, maintaining a national certification is recommended. In that case, you’d be bound by the continuing education requirements of 20 hours every two years.
For specifics we’d contact the State of Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation through this link:
https://www.idfpr.com/profs/Email/prfGrp10.asp
My pharmacy tech license expired 6 years ago. I’ve since moved states, got married and changed my name. However my license still shows up as not renewed. I still have the physical copy of my license. Is there any way I can still renew the license without having to go back to school?