How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Pennsylvania

Checked against Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Not required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: Technician registration $30, or $15 when converting from an active trainee registration. Trainee registration $15 (no renewal). Biennial technician renewal $70. Late renewal adds $5 for each month or part of a month (49 Pa. Code 27.31 and 27.91).
Regulated by: Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs)

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Who can apply

Technician: be at least 17 years old (49 Pa. Code 27.701).
Technician: have a high school diploma or equivalent and complete a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program.
Technician trainee: be at least 16; no diploma or training is needed yet.
Everyone: submit to a criminal history record check.
Everyone: complete 3 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting training before the first registration.

Step by step

Create an account in the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS).
If you have not finished training yet, apply for a Pharmacy Technician Trainee registration ($15) so you can work under a pharmacist's direct and immediate personal supervision.
Complete 3 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting training and the criminal history record check.
Complete a Board-approved training program; if your employer trains you, download the certification form inside your PALS application and have the pharmacist manager complete it.
Apply for Pharmacy Technician registration in PALS ($30, or $15 if converting from an active trainee registration).
Renew every two years in odd-numbered years ($70) with 2 hours of child abuse CE.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: A Board-approved program must cover and test competency in 14 areas, including the dispensing process, pharmaceutical calculations, compounding, hazardous drug handling, diversion prevention, and federal and state pharmacy law. Approved providers include a pharmacy employer, ASHP/ACPE-accredited programs, programs recognized by PTCB or NHA for their exams, nationally or regionally accredited schools, the U.S. Armed Forces, and schools licensed by the State Board of Private Licensed Schools (49 Pa. Code 27.702). The rule sets no minimum hours. Employers do not register their programs in advance but must certify completion on a Board form.

Exam: The Board lists no examination requirement for technicians or trainees. PTCB or ExCPT certification is not part of the state requirements.

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

What it costs in Pennsylvania

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

Pharmacy technician trainee registration (only if you register before finishing training; no renewal)(optional)$15
Board-approved training program (an employer program counts; school tuition is set by the school)$
3-hour child abuse recognition and reporting training (provider-priced)$
Criminal history record check$
Pharmacy technician registration ($15 instead if converting from an active trainee registration)$30

Estimated total in Pennsylvania$30Plus 3 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Criminal history record check fee (amount not published by the Board)
3-hour child abuse recognition and reporting course from a Board-approved provider (price set by the provider)
Tuition for a training program if you train through a school rather than an employer (set by the program)

Pay in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania adds a local income tax on top of the state rate, so look up the local rate for your area before you budget.

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

What other sites get wrong about Pennsylvania

Myth: Pennsylvania pharmacy technicians do not need state board registration or a training program.

Fact: Since June 28, 2025 the State Board of Pharmacy registers technicians and trainees. A technician must be 17, hold a diploma or equivalent, finish a Board-approved training program, pass a criminal history check, complete child abuse training and pay a $30 fee. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: Technician registrations renew every two years in odd-numbered years for $70, so a first registration may be shorter than two years. Each renewal requires at least 2 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting CE. If you miss the deadline you must stop practicing until you renew, may face discipline, and pay an extra $5 for each month or part of a month late. Trainee registrations cannot be renewed.

Good to know in Pennsylvania

Trainee registration: A person may receive only one trainee registration. It expires 2 years after it is issued or when the person becomes a registered technician, whichever comes first. The $15 trainee fee is applied toward the technician registration.

Grandfathering has closed: People who worked as technicians for at least one year between January 29, 2019 and January 29, 2021 could register without the diploma and training requirements only if they applied by June 28, 2026. That provision (49 Pa. Code 27.705) has expired.

Registered in another state?: Under Act 41, the Board may endorse an out-of-state technician whose license is active, in good standing and from a state with substantially equivalent requirements.

Why this is new: Pennsylvania's technician and trainee registration rules took effect June 28, 2025 (55 Pa.B. 4335).

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy (Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs) before you apply.