State pharmacy technician requirements
Michigan Pharmacy Technician License Requirements (2026)
Michigan uses pharmacy technician license language. Michigan requires a person performing statutory pharmacy technician functions to be licensed or otherwise authorized under Part 177. LARA's guide says the pharmacy technician license type allows a licensee to engage in the practice of pharmacy. This guide explains the application path, training and certification role, fees, renewal, and where Pharmacy Tech Scholar℠ may fit.
This guide is for educational purposes only. State laws, rules, forms, fees, and agency instructions can change. Use the applicable state board or licensing agency information when making application, course purchase, or credential decisions.
Quick Answer
Credential
Michigan requires a person performing statutory pharmacy technician functions to be licensed or otherwise authorized under Part 177. LARA's guide says the pharmacy technician license type allows a licensee to engage in the practice of pharmacy.
Working Before Approval
Michigan has limited exceptions/paths: a student enrolled in a Board-approved pharmacy technician program is exempt from some licensure requirements while in the program, and a temporary pharmacy technician license may be issued to an applicant who has met requirements other than the proficiency examination.
Michigan Requirements At A Glance
| Official state term | Pharmacy technician license |
|---|---|
| Credential required | Michigan requires a person performing statutory pharmacy technician functions to be licensed or otherwise authorized under Part 177. LARA's guide says the pharmacy technician license type allows a licensee to engage in the practice of pharmacy. |
| Work before credential | Michigan has limited exceptions/paths: a student enrolled in a Board-approved pharmacy technician program is exempt from some licensure requirements while in the program, and a temporary pharmacy technician license may be issued to an applicant who has met requirements other than the proficiency examination. |
| Minimum age | No simple statewide minimum-age rule is listed in the application workflow. Follow the application for any age-related item. |
| Education | For licensure by examination or endorsement, the applicant must have graduated from an accredited high school or comparable school/educational institution, or passed the GED or graduate equivalency examination. |
| Background check | A criminal background check is required after the online application is submitted, except for certain relicensure applicants whose license expired within the last three years. Applicants also answer good moral character questions. |
| Fingerprinting | Michigan health professional licensing materials connect the criminal background check process with fingerprints under MCL 333.16174(3), and LARA states that a prior CBC/fingerprints for another BPL-regulated health profession may remove the need to be fingerprinted again. Exact pharmacy technician fingerprint instructions are sent after application submission through MiPLUS or the vendor workflow. |
| Application method | Online through MiPLUS. LARA says pharmacy technician applications are in date-received order, average processing for a new license is 4 to 6 weeks if required documents are received, applications/fees are valid for two years, and the license PDF is emailed immediately on issuance. |
How To Start
- Apply for a Michigan pharmacy technician license through MiPLUS.
- Submit required documents early; new-license processing depends on a complete file.
- Use an approved exam, Board-approved employer program, or other accepted route for licensure.
- Wait for the license PDF from LARA before using the license for technician work.
- Renew every two years and complete the required CE or training documentation for your cycle.
Trainee Or Entry Path
Temporary pharmacy technician license; student exemption in a Board-approved program; limited pharmacy technician license
Temporary license: applicant preparing for the proficiency examination who has completed all requirements except the required examination. Student exemption: student enrolled in a Board-approved pharmacy technician program. Limited license: narrow grandfathered category for certain individuals employed as pharmacy technicians on December 22, 2014 with qualifying continuous employment and hours.
Temporary pharmacy technician licenses are valid for one year from issuance and nonrenewable. Students must complete a Board-approved program within two years of beginning the program to maintain the student exemption. Limited license holders are generally tied to the qualifying employer/location framework in MCL 333.17739c.
Temporary license holders must pass an approved pharmacy technician examination for full licensure. Students in Board-approved programs still need to meet applicable licensure requirements. Limited license details should be treated as a narrow legacy path.
Certification And Training
Certification
Michigan requires proof of passing an approved examination for standard licensure by examination. PTCB and NHA are specifically accepted, but applicants may also qualify through another nationally recognized Board-approved examination or a Board-approved employer-based training program examination. PTCB certification is therefore an accepted route, not the only possible route.
Training
Michigan's rules define Board-approved program categories and Board-approved employer-based training/exam options. A PTCB-recognized online education/training program alone should not be treated as a Michigan Board-approved program unless the Board accepts that documentation for the applicant's route.
Fees
| Initial application | $137.70 for Pharmacy Technician By Exam or Endorsement, listed as application fee plus 2-year license fee in the 2026 LARA licensing guide. |
|---|---|
| Background check | Background-check instructions and vendor fees are handled in the post-application CBC workflow through MiPLUS and the vendor instructions. |
| Fingerprinting | Fingerprint/vendor fees are handled through the post-application MiPLUS and vendor instructions. |
| Renewal | $61.20 pharmacy technician renewal fee. |
| Late or reinstatement | $20 late fee during the 60-day grace period; pharmacy technician relicensure listed at $157.70 in the 2026 LARA licensing guide. |
| Temporary pharmacy technician license | $15.30. |
| Certified license verification | $15 per recipient/address request. |
Renewal And Continuing Education
Two years. Expiration dates vary; LARA says renewal opens no sooner than 90 days before expiration and there is a 60-day grace period after expiration.
20 hours during the 2 years immediately preceding renewal for licensees licensed for the full 2-year cycle. The renewal application is completed in MiPLUS. Licensees certify CE completion at renewal and retain documentation for at least four years. Human trafficking and implicit bias training have separate rules and do not automatically count as CE unless the training also meets CE standards.
Scope And Supervision Note
Licensed pharmacy technicians may perform statutory technician functions and additional delegated tasks under pharmacist supervision, including certain technology-assisted final product verification and remote processing tasks when rule requirements are met.
Michigan defines pharmacy technician functions in statute and requires the pharmacy/dispensing prescriber to ensure the technician is licensed or otherwise authorized, performs only authorized functions, and generally works under pharmacist or dispensing-prescriber supervision/personal charge unless a remote pharmacy or rule-based exception applies.
Where Pharmacy Tech Scholar℠ May Fit
May support a PTCB pathMichigan accepts passing the PTCB exam as one route toward full pharmacy technician licensure.
Pharmacy Tech Scholar℠ fits at the PTCB/PTCE preparation step if you plan to use that exam route. Michigan still controls the MiPLUS application, background and fingerprint process, required trainings, proof documents, and license approval.
Pharmacy Tech Scholar℠ is an online PTCB-recognized education/training course. State requirements vary and may change. The course does not replace state applications, Board decisions, PTCB decisions, employer requirements, or other state-specific steps. Use the applicable Board and PTCB information before purchasing course access.
FAQ
Does Michigan require a pharmacy technician license?
Yes. Michigan requires a person performing statutory pharmacy technician functions to be licensed or otherwise authorized under Part 177. LARA's guide says the pharmacy technician license type allows a licensee to engage in the practice of pharmacy.
Can I work while my application is pending?
Michigan has limited exceptions/paths: a student enrolled in a Board-approved pharmacy technician program is exempt from some licensure requirements while in the program, and a temporary pharmacy technician license may be issued to an applicant who has met requirements other than the proficiency examination.
Is PTCB certification required?
Michigan requires proof of passing an approved examination for standard licensure by examination. PTCB and NHA are specifically accepted, but applicants may also qualify through another nationally recognized Board-approved examination or a Board-approved employer-based training program examination. PTCB certification is therefore an accepted route, not the only possible route.
Where may Pharmacy Tech Scholar℠ fit?
Pharmacy Tech Scholar℠ may help with the PTCB/PTCE step if you plan to use that Michigan exam route. The MiPLUS application, background and fingerprint process, required trainings, proof documents, and license approval remain separate.
Official Sources
- Pharmacy, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing, Board of Pharmacy (accessed 2026-06-02).
- Michigan Pharmacy Technician Licensing Guide, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (accessed 2026-06-02).
- Michigan Administrative Code R 338.3651 to R 338.3665 – Pharmacy Technicians, Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules (accessed 2026-06-02).
- MCL 333.17739b Pharmacy technician; temporary license, Michigan Legislature (accessed 2026-06-02).
- MCL 333.17739c Pharmacy technician; limited license, Michigan Legislature (accessed 2026-06-02).
- MCL 333.17739 Pharmacy technician; functions; licensure, Michigan Legislature (accessed 2026-06-02).
- MCL 333.17739a Pharmacy technician; licensure; requirements, Michigan Legislature (accessed 2026-06-02).
- Changes to the Fingerprinting Process for Health Licensees, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (accessed 2026-06-02).
- Michigan Board of Pharmacy Approved Pharmacy Technician Training Programs and Examinations, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Board of Pharmacy (accessed 2026-06-02).
- Application for Board Approval of a Pharmacy Technician Training Program and/or Examination, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (accessed 2026-06-02).
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (accessed 2026-06-02).
- PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program Directory, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (accessed 2026-06-02).
- License Renewal Fees, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (accessed 2026-06-02).
