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Verify a License Covers: California Board of Pharmacy.California Board of Pharmacy
California Pharmacy CE Requirements
California pharmacists need 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice.
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At a glance
California pharmacy license renewal
| Licenses covered | Pharmacist (RPh) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per CE period | 30 hours [1] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [1] |
| Renewal and reporting | Pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two-year renewal period. [1] |
| State-mandated topics | Board-provided law and ethics webinars; Cultural competency [1] |
This summary covers the licenses listed above. The topics below are selected verified requirements; consult the board’s full rules for all subjects and conditions.
State-mandated topics
- Board-provided law and ethics webinars — 2 hours [1]
At least 2 of the 30 CE hours must be completed via a Board-provided law webinar (1 hour) and a Board-provided ethics webinar (1 hour).
- Cultural competency — 1 hour [1]
All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians renewing their license must complete at least 1 hour of continuing education regarding cultural competency.
Good to know
- New pharmacist licensees are exempt from completing continuing education during their first renewal period. [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the California Board of Pharmacy ↗ before you renew.
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Confirm your due date, complete the required education, and submit to the licensing authority.
Personal License Renewal Covers: California Board of Pharmacy.Renewal at a glance
| Credential | Pharmacist |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Confirm the cycle and expiration date for your specific license with the board. |
| Verified fees | A current fee has not been confirmed in this guide. Check the board’s fee schedule before paying. |
| Renewal application | Personal License Renewal |
Fees can differ for active, inactive, late, and reinstatement applications. Your official license record controls your deadline.
Source review dates · 2 sources
Dates show when we retrieved the source pages. They do not certify a person’s license, guarantee a portal is online, or establish that every renewal rule was reviewed.
- Board of Pharmacy | Contact Your Board | NABP Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
- California State Board of Pharmacy Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
Free continuing education
Free pharmacy CE
The California Board of Pharmacy pages we checked do not name an accreditor we track, so we do not mark individual courses as accepted here. Check a course's approval against the board's rule before relying on it.
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More exam preparation for pharmacists →California Pharmacist Jurisprudence Exam (CPJE)
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These are exam-preparation resources, separate from continuing education credit. Exam registration fees and eligibility are set by the exam sponsor.
Questions
California pharmacy CE, answered
How many CE hours do California pharmacists need?
California pharmacists need 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice. Pharmacists must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two-year renewal period.
Does California require specific CE topics for pharmacists?
Board-provided law and ethics webinars (2 hours): At least 2 of the 30 CE hours must be completed via a Board-provided law webinar (1 hour) and a Board-provided ethics webinar (1 hour). Cultural competency (1 hours): All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians renewing their license must complete at least 1 hour of continuing education regarding cultural competency.
Do free online CE courses count in California?
The board pages we checked do not say which providers are accepted. Confirm with the California Board of Pharmacy.
Sources & verification
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. We fetched each page on the date shown and confirmed the exact wording below appears on it.
- Continuing Education Information - California State Board of Pharmacy ↗www.pharmacy.ca.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (8)
“See Business and Professions Code section 4202. Pharmacists are required to complete 30 hours of CE per renewal period (every two years). See Business and Professions Code section 4231. This must include completion of a Board-provided law webinar, a Board-provided ethics webinar, and a cultural competency”
“See Business and Professions Code section 4202. Pharmacists are required to complete 30 hours of CE per renewal period (every two years). See Business and Professions Code section 4231. This must include completion of a Board-provided law webinar, a Board-provided ethics webinar, and a cultural competency”
“See Business and Professions Code section 4202. Pharmacists are required to complete 30 hours of CE per renewal period (every two years). See Business and Professions Code section 4231. This must include completion of a Board-provided law webinar, a Board-provided ethics webinar, and a cultural competency”
“See Business and Professions Code section 4202. Pharmacists are required to complete 30 hours of CE per renewal period (every two years). See Business and Professions Code section 4231. This must include completion of a Board-provided law webinar, a Board-provided ethics webinar, and a cultural competency”
“See Business and Professions Code section 4202. Pharmacists are required to complete 30 hours of CE per renewal period (every two years). See Business and Professions Code section 4231. This must include completion of a Board-provided law webinar, a Board-provided ethics webinar, and a cultural competency”
“California Code of Regulations section 1732.5(b), at least 2 of the 30 CE hours required for a pharmacist’s license renewal must be completed by participation in a Board-provided law webinar (1 hour) and a Board-provided ethics webinar (1 hour). Licensees must view both webinars to satisfy this requirement. Licensees may view these webinars on the Board’s”
“and Professions Code sections 4202 and 4231, all pharmacy technicians and pharmacists renewing their license after January 1, 2024 are required to complete at least 1 hour of CE regarding cultural competency. The Board will not be providing a course and cannot recommend or endorse a specific course. Licensees may choose which course they would prefer to complete, as”
“education course. CE Exemptions New Licensees All new pharmacist licensees are exempt from completing CE during their first renewal period. Pharmacist licensees will not need to have completed CE until the end of their second renewal period. This applies to all CE requirements. All new advanced pharmacist”