How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Alabama

Checked against Alabama State Board of Pharmacy (ALBOP) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Not required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: $60 application fee plus $40 background check fee ($100 total) for initial registration; $60 renewal every two years. All fees are non-refundable.
Regulated by: Alabama State Board of Pharmacy (ALBOP)

Take the free PTCB practice test →

Who can apply

Be at least 17 years old (Ala. Admin. Code r. 680-X-2-.14(4)).
Consent to a Board-approved criminal background check and pay its cost.
Upload a driver's license and a recent photo with the online application.
A pharmacist whose license was denied, revoked, suspended or restricted for discipline cannot register as a technician.

Step by step

Create a profile in the ALBOP Gateway on albop.com.
In Gateway, choose Applications, then 'New Pharmacy Technician Application', and complete it.
Pay the $60 application fee and $40 background check fee within 7 days, or the application is cancelled.
Upload the required documents (driver's license and recent photo) through the checklist.
When you get the approval email, print your registration from Gateway.
Within 6 months of registration, finish a Board-approved training program or pass the PTCB or NHA exam, and upload proof within 30 days of finishing.
Renew by December 31 of each odd-numbered year and complete 6 hours of CE (2 live) each cycle.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Technicians first registered on or after January 1, 2020 must complete a Board-approved training program within 6 months after registration (Board staff may extend this by up to 6 months) and submit proof within 30 days of completion. Passing a Board-recognized certification exam (PTCB or NHA) counts as the training program. The Board lists approved programs on its technician page; it does not set a number of hours.

Exam: No state exam and no national certification is required to register. Passing the PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT) exam is one way to meet the training requirement. Certified technicians also count toward the higher technician-to-pharmacist ratios (up to 4 technicians if 2 are certified).

No national exam required here. If you plan to get PTCB certified anyway, practice for the PTCE free →

What it costs in Alabama

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Technician registration application fee (ALBOP)$60
Criminal background check fee (ALBOP)$40
Board-approved technician training program (required unless you pass PTCB or NHA instead)(optional)$
PTCE exam fee (PTCB), optional way to satisfy the training rule; NHA's ExCPT is priced by NHA$129

Estimated total in Alabama$100

Cost details from the state

Board-approved training program tuition, unless you meet the training rule by passing PTCB or NHA (set by the program)
PTCB PTCE exam: $129 as of Oct 2026, paid to PTCB (optional route to meet the training rule)

Pay in Alabama

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in Alabama after taxes.

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in Alabama by household size.

What other sites get wrong about Alabama

Myth: Alabama technicians must be at least 18, pay a $50 application fee and renew every year for $25.

Fact: The minimum age is 17. Initial registration costs $60 plus a $40 background check, and renewal is $60 every two years (due December 31 of odd-numbered years). source

Myth: You must send proof of your technician training to the Board within 10 days of finishing it.

Fact: The current rule gives you 30 days after completing training to submit proof through Gateway. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: All technician registrations expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal opens October 1 and costs $60. You need 6 hours of ACPE-accredited or Board-approved CE per cycle, at least 2 of them live (in person or live virtual), completed by December 31 of the renewal year. Technicians first registered in 2026 need 3 hours (1 live) for the 2027 renewal; those first registered in 2027 need none. A lapsed registration is reinstated by paying the renewal fee, the $40 background check fee and a late fee of $5 per lapsed month (capped at 24 months, $120), plus 3 hours of CE (1 live) per year expired, up to 15 hours.

Good to know in Alabama

Reinstatement fee change: Rule 680-X-2-.14(9) was amended effective April 13, 2026. The late penalty is now $5 per lapsed month (maximum 2 years of penalties and lapsed fees). The December 2024 version of the rule charged $20 per lapsed year.

Training deadline extension: Board staff may grant a request to extend the 6-month training period by up to 6 more months (r. 680-X-2-.14(9)(a)).

Do not upload CE as training: The Board says continuing education certificates are not accepted as proof of technician training.

Change of job: You must notify the Board within 10 days of changing employment.

Leaving the field: If you let your registration lapse and later return, you must reinstate the old registration and pay back fees and penalties; you cannot start over with a new application.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Alabama State Board of Pharmacy (ALBOP) before you apply.