Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Pharmacy

Instructions for Filing a Nonresident Wholesaler Application

California pharmacy law requires that any person (including a business) located outside of California that ships, mails or delivers dangerous drugs or devices into this state at wholesale shall be considered a nonresident wholesaler. Such a person shall be licensed by the California State Board of Pharmacy as a nonresident wholesaler (also referred to as an out-of-state distributor). The license must be obtained PRIOR to conducting this business in California.

An application for a nonresident wholesaler must include the following:

  1. Application form
  2. $600 made payable to the California State Board of Pharmacy
  3. Background affidavit
  4. Name of designated representative-in-charge*
  5. Name of Agent for Service of Process in California
  6. Fingerprint cards and processing fee -- $51/set payable to the California State Board of Pharmacy.
  7. Out of state license verification
  8. A surety bond or other equivalent means of security
The designated representative-in-charge must file a separate application with the board if he or she is not already licensed in California as a pharmacist or designated representative (also known as an “exemptee”). The application form is available by selecting the following link Designated Representative Application.

Specific application forms are available for downloading. Please select the appropriate link for the application based on your business ownership structure. Please download the appropriate application in its entirety. Failure to submit a complete application may result in significant delays in the issuance of a license. Contact the board office at (916) 445-5014 to request fingerprint cards.

Please allow the board 4 – 6 weeks to process the application and either issue the license or send a deficiency letter. Do not call the board on the status of an application that has been pending less than four weeks.

Note: Under California law, the name used to describe any business, located outside California that ships drugs into California at wholesale, will change on January 1, 2006, from the former name, out of state distributor, to nonresident wholesaler. For conventional use, the board will refer to such a business as a nonresident wholesaler throughout this application.

* Similarly under California law, the name used to describe any individual who is in charge of any wholesale drug premises (in California or elsewhere) will change on January 1, 2006, from the former name, exemptee, to designated representative. For conventional use, the board will refer to such an individual as a designated representative throughout this application.