How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Illinois

Checked against Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Board of Pharmacy · Verified 2026-10-10

Exam: Required
Training: Not required
Term: 1 years
State fee: $50 new application fee (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1330.20(a)(1), in effect from April 1, 2026 per IDFPR variance; the older checklist shows $40)
Regulated by: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Board of Pharmacy

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Who can apply

Be at least 16 to register as a pharmacy technician (18 for the Certified or Student designation).
Attest that you are attending high school or a GED program, or have graduated from one.
Provide date and place of birth and a Social Security number (or SSN affidavit).

Step by step

Apply online through the IDFPR online licensing portal and pay the fee.
Keep a copy of your submitted application at the pharmacy; with a complete application and fee you may assist a pharmacist for up to 60 days before IDFPR issues the license.
Complete the pharmacy's on-site technician training within 6 months of starting work.
Pass the PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT) exam and finish a technician education program, then add the Certified designation (or the Student designation if you are in pharmacy school) by your second renewal.
Renew every year by March 31.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: No training is needed before you apply. Within 6 months of starting work, your pharmacy must train you (or get proof of prior training) in technician duties, policies, compounding/packaging/labeling, terminology, recordkeeping and calculations. The Certified designation also requires proof of finishing a pharmacy technician education program.

Exam: No exam is needed for the first registration. Licenses issued after December 31, 2007 must add the Certified designation (pass PTCB's PTCE or NHA's ExCPT) or the Student designation by the second renewal.

Practice for the PTCE (PTCB) exam free — medications, federal requirements, patient safety and order entry →

What it costs in Illinois

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

IDFPR new application fee$50
Pharmacy technician education program (needed later for the Certified designation)(optional)$
National certification exam for the Certified designation, due by your second renewal (PTCB's PTCE; NHA's ExCPT is priced by NHA)(optional)$129

Estimated total in Illinois$50

Cost details from the state

National certification exam fee (PTCB's PTCE or NHA's ExCPT), paid to the exam provider; amount not recorded here (needed for the Certified designation)
Renewal fee $35 per year (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1330.20(a)(2))

Help while you start out in Illinois

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

Once you're registered

Renewal: Licenses expire every year on March 31; the renewal fee is $35 per year (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1330.20(a)(2)). Only Certified Pharmacy Technicians need CE: 10 hours in the 12 months before expiration (none for the first renewal), including 1 hour each of sexual harassment prevention, implicit bias, cultural competency, pharmacy law/ethics and patient safety, from ACPE-approved providers. The sexual harassment, implicit bias and cultural competency hours may also come from any IDFPR-approved CE provider or a State of Illinois or county agency.

Good to know in Illinois

Work while pending: After you submit a complete application and fee, you may assist a pharmacist for up to 60 days before the license is issued, if a copy of the application is kept at the pharmacy.

Application valid 3 years: Your submitted application stays valid for 3 years from the date IDFPR receives it.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Board of Pharmacy before you apply.