How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in New Hampshire

Checked against New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Not required
Training: Not required
Term: 2 years
State fee: The Board rules (Ph 803.02, 804.01, 808.02, 809.01) set a $100 application fee and a $100 renewal fee. OPLC's fee page (as archived May 31, 2025) lists $128 for application and renewal for registered, certified and advanced technicians, which includes a mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee.
Regulated by: New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC)

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Who can apply

Registered pharmacy technician: at least 16 years old, with a high school or equivalent diploma or working toward one (Ph 803.01).
Certified pharmacy technician: at least 18 years old, with a high school or equivalent diploma, and holding national certification such as PTCB or NHA (Ph 808.01).
You must not have been convicted of a drug- or pharmacy-related felony or misdemeanor, or admitted to facts sufficient for such a finding.
A registered technician is someone employed by a pharmacy (Ph 802.01), so you apply once you have a pharmacy job.

Step by step

Get hired by a New Hampshire pharmacy.
Within 15 days of your start date, file the 'Initial Application for Pharmacy Technician Registration' (form PT-1, or the online equivalent) with OPLC and pay the fee.
Post your registration in the pharmacy within 30 days.
Optional: pass the PTCB or NHA exam and apply to the Board as a certified pharmacy technician within 15 days of starting work in that role.
Renew online every two years by March 15; registrations expire March 31.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: The Board's rules set no training hours or school requirement for registered or certified technicians. A certified technician who does sterile or non-sterile compounding must first finish an ASHP, PTCB or other nationally recognized compounding training program (Ph 808.01(b)).

Exam: A registered technician needs no exam. Certified technician status requires passing and keeping PTCB or NHA national certification. Licensed advanced pharmacy technicians must also pass a Board-approved jurisprudence exam (Ph 1803.01).

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

What it costs in New Hampshire

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 ($100 in Board rules Ph 803.02/808.02; OPLC's fee page lists $128, which includes a mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee)$
PTCE exam fee (PTCB), only for certified technician status; NHA's ExCPT is priced by NHA(optional)$129
Certificate fee (OPLC fee page)(optional)$20

Estimated total in New Hampshire$0Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Certificate fee: $20 (OPLC fee page)
License verification fee: $10 (OPLC fee page)
PTCB or NHA exam fee, only for certified status (paid to the certifying body)

Pay in New Hampshire

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

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

What other sites get wrong about New Hampshire

Myth: New Hampshire charges a non-refundable $25 application fee, and technician licenses are renewed annually for $25.

Fact: The Board rules set a $100 application fee, and OPLC's fee page lists $128. Registrations expire every two years on March 31, and renewal costs $100 under the rules or $128 per OPLC. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: All technician registrations and certifications expire every two years on March 31. Renew online with the renewal fee no later than March 15 ($100 under the Board rules; $128 on OPLC's fee page). The rules set no CE for registered technicians. Certified technicians must keep national certification and its CE current, keep CE records for 3 years, and do at least 0.4 CEU in compounding if they compound. The Board audits at least 10% of certified technicians each year. If you lapse, file a reinstatement application with the fee and a signed statement explaining the lapse.

Good to know in New Hampshire

When can you start working?: Ph 803.01(a) lets you register within 15 days of your start date, but Ph 803.01(b) and RSA 318:15-a say no one may perform technician duties unless registered by OPLC. Ask the Board or your employer which applies to you before you start technician tasks.

Advanced pharmacy technician: A licensed advanced pharmacy technician must have 2,000 hours as a certified technician, 4 advanced assessment-based programs from a national certification provider (including product verification and immunization administration) and a Board-approved jurisprudence exam (Ph 1803.01).

Transferring from another state: Applicants with out-of-state experience must meet the New Hampshire certification requirements before they get certified status (Ph 808.01(c)). There is no separate reciprocity route in the rules.

Fee conflict: The Board rules still list $100, while OPLC's fee page lists $128 including a $28 Professional Health Program fee. Expect to pay the amount OPLC charges when you apply.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) before you apply.