How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Mississippi

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

Exam: Not required
Training: Required
Term: Registrations are renewed every year; a registration not renewed by March 31 becomes inactive.
State fee: $50 registration fee plus $40 background check fee ($90 total) for a new registration. Late renewal after March 31: $50. The annual renewal amount is not listed on the Board's fee page; state law caps it at $100 plus up to a $5 surcharge.
Regulated by: Mississippi Board of Pharmacy

Take the free PTCB practice test →

Who can apply

Be at least 18 years old.
Have a high school diploma or GED.
Be of good moral character and pass a fingerprint-based state and FBI criminal background check.
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 Board's Licensure Gateway and complete the Pharmacy Technician Registration Application online (paper applications are no longer accepted).
Pay $90: a $50 registration fee and a $40 background check fee.
Watch for the background packet with an FD-258 fingerprint card the Board mails after you apply.
Get fingerprinted by someone trained to do it and mail the signed card back to the Board within two weeks so results arrive before your application expires at 90 days.
Start work only after your registration is active, and get any training your pharmacist-in-charge requires.
Renew every year in the Gateway by March 31.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Training is not a condition of registration, but under Article XL the pharmacist-in-charge must make sure each technician is certified, has finished an accredited training program, or gets a pharmacy training program covering terminology, calculations, dispensing and labeling, pharmacy law, record keeping, medication storage, diversion awareness and medication safety. The Board sets no required hours.

Exam: No exam is required. The Board no longer requires PTCB certification for registration or renewal, but employers may require it.

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

What it costs in Mississippi

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

Pharmacy technician registration fee (Mississippi Board of Pharmacy)$50
Background check fee (paid to the Board)$40
Fingerprinting by police, sheriff or another trained person (fee, if any, set by them)$
PTCE exam fee (PTCB), optional; only if an employer requires certification$129

Estimated total in Mississippi$90Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Fingerprinting by a local police or sheriff's office or other trained person (the Board says there may or may not be a fee)
Training program or national certification only if your employer requires it

Pay in Mississippi

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

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

What other sites get wrong about Mississippi

Myth: Mississippi technicians registered after April 1, 2011 must pass the PTCB exam and keep that certification.

Fact: The Board's current Article XL no longer requires pharmacy technicians to be PTCB certified; employers may still require it. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: Renew every year online in the Licensure Gateway. A registration not renewed by March 31 becomes inactive, and you may not do technician work until it is renewed; renewals after March 31 pay a $50 late fee. Article XL lists no continuing education requirement for technicians.

Good to know in Mississippi

Certification is optional: The Board no longer requires pharmacy technicians to be PTCB certified, but an employer may require certification for the job.

Keep your Gateway profile current: Update any change of employer or home address in the Board's licensing system within 10 days, including when you become unemployed.

Supervision ratio: A pharmacist may supervise no more than three pharmacy technicians at a time.

Application expires: Your criminal background results must arrive before the 90-day application expiration deadline, so return the fingerprint card within two weeks of receiving the packet.

Sources

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