How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Louisiana

Checked against Louisiana Board of Pharmacy · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: Pharmacy Technician Certificates expire June 30 every year. The Candidate registration lasts 24 months and cannot be renewed.
State fee: Candidate registration $50; Pharmacy Technician Certificate application $100; certificate renewal $60 per year; delinquent renewal $30 per year; reinstatement $200 (the reinstatement application asks for $290 in total).
Regulated by: Louisiana Board of Pharmacy

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Who can apply

Be of good moral character and non-impaired.
Candidate registration Option A: at least 18 and enrolled in a nationally accredited, Board-approved technician training program.
Option B: at least 16 and enrolled in a Louisiana Department of Education program with a pharmacy technician career path (Louisiana Secure ID required; under-18s need a Department of Labor Employment Certificate).
Option C: at least 18 with a Louisiana pharmacist (not on probation) who certifies an intent to train you in a pharmacy not on probation.
Pass a Louisiana State Police and FBI criminal background check; be at least 18 to receive the full Pharmacy Technician Certificate.

Step by step

Apply online for a Pharmacy Technician Candidate registration under Option A, B or C and pay the $50 fee.
Complete the Louisiana State Police/FBI background check using the instructions the Board emails you.
Once the candidate registration is issued, complete your training: the Board-approved program's hours (Option A) or at least 600 hours of practical experience in a Louisiana pharmacy (other options).
Pass the PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT) exam before your 24-month candidate registration expires.
Apply online for the Pharmacy Technician Certificate ($100) with proof of training and your exam certificate.
Renew the certificate every year between May 1 and June 30 with 10 hours of continuing education.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Option A candidates complete a nationally accredited, Board-approved training program and earn the practical hours its curriculum requires. Candidates registered any other way must earn at least 600 hours of practical experience in a Louisiana pharmacy (Board credit for at most 50 hours a week), and Option B candidates must also complete their Department of Education program. Hours must be earned while the candidate registration is active, in a pharmacy and under a pharmacist not on probation.

Exam: Candidates must pass a Board-approved certification exam: the PTCB PTCE (certificate dated 2000 or later) or the NHA ExCPT (certificate dated 2018 or later). Retakes follow the test vendor's policy. The Board will not extend the candidate registration while you wait to take or retake the exam.

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What it costs in Louisiana

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

Pharmacy Technician Candidate registration$50
Board-approved training program tuition (Option A only)(optional)$
Louisiana State Police/FBI background check$
PTCE exam fee (PTCB); NHA's ExCPT is priced by NHA$129
Pharmacy Technician Certificate application$100

Estimated total in Louisiana$279Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Louisiana State Police and FBI fingerprint background check, done through Board instructions (fee not stated on the Board pages)
Board-approved training program tuition, for Option A (set by the program)
PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT) exam fee, paid to the exam provider
$250 administrative hearing fee if a reinstatement applicant must appear before the Board's Reinstatement Committee

Help while you start out in Louisiana

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

How long it takes

If nothing prevents immediate issuance, the Board issues the candidate registration or technician certificate within 14 business days after the final requirement is met.

What other sites get wrong about Louisiana

Myth: The Louisiana pharmacy technician application fee is $25.

Fact: Louisiana's fee rule sets $50 for a candidate registration, $100 for the technician certificate and $60 per year to renew. source

Myth: You must be at least 18 to become a pharmacy technician in Louisiana.

Fact: Option B lets students as young as 16 register as candidates if enrolled in a Louisiana Department of Education pharmacy technician career path; the full certificate requires age 18. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: Certificates expire June 30 at midnight each year; online renewal runs May 1 to June 30 and costs $60. You need one technician-specific ACPE or Board-approved CPE unit (10 credit hours) earned in the 12 months before expiration, on file with NABP CPE Monitor; the Board checks it automatically during renewal. Technicians renewing for the first time (credential obtained between July 1 of the prior year and June 30) are exempt. A certificate not renewed by June 30 expires and must be reinstated.

Good to know in Louisiana

Candidate registration: The candidate registration is a training credential valid for 24 months and cannot be renewed. If you stop training for any reason other than finishing, you must return it to the Board within 10 days.

Practical hours expire: Practical experience hours expire two years after your candidate registration expires.

Out-of-state technicians: If you have held an active technician credential in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least one year, you may apply directly for the Pharmacy Technician Certificate; you still need a passed PTCE or ExCPT and the background check.

Military applicants: Eligible military members, Defense Department civilians and dependents with an out-of-state credential get priority processing, a licensing decision within 30 days, and may receive a 120-day special work permit.

Report changes: Candidates must notify the Board in writing within 10 days of a change of mailing address or work location.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Louisiana Board of Pharmacy before you apply.