Can I complete MLO pre-licensing courses online?

Yes. You complete the required pre-licensing education through NMLS-approved course providers, and both online and live formats are available. The SAFE Act requires at least 20 hours of NMLS-approved education, including 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, and 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products. You search, select, and enroll through approved providers, and your completions are reported to your NMLS record.

Yes. Alabama's licensing statute allows the required 20 hours of pre-licensing education to be completed in a classroom, online, or through another means approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). An online course counts as long as the provider and course appear on NMLS's approved-education list.

Yes. The required 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education can be completed online, and the course is commonly offered in an online, instructor-led format. The hours break down as 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 hours of electives. Alaska adds no state-specific law hours, and course completions are reported into NMLS.

Yes. Arizona requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, and approved providers commonly deliver the coursework online in self-paced and live webinar formats. The annual 8 hours of continuing education are also available online through NMLS-approved providers.

Yes. Arkansas rules (23 CAR 301-405) allow prelicensing education in classroom, online, or other NMLS-approved formats, and courses provided by an employer or affiliate count if NMLS-approved. Arkansas requires 20 hours (at least 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional lending) and adds no state-specific law hours; the NMLS listing for Arkansas shows no expiration of prelicensing education.

Yes. The 20 hours of pre-licensing education required for the mortgage loan originator (MLO) endorsement can be completed from any Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)-approved provider in any area of the United States, and the hours may be split across multiple courses taken over time. Only NMLS-approved education counts toward the requirement; real estate license continuing education cannot be substituted.

Yes. Colorado accepts online pre-licensing education from providers approved by both NMLS and the Colorado Private Occupational School Board, which oversees schools that enroll Colorado students. The required 20 hours, including the 2-hour Colorado-specific elective, can be completed online, and the 2 state-specific hours may also be taken as a standalone course.

Yes. The 21 required hours of prelicensing education (20 hours of federal-baseline topics plus 1 hour of Connecticut law) can be completed through NMLS-approved providers, and the coursework is commonly delivered online. Connecticut's 1-hour state-specific requirement may be satisfied by either a Connecticut comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course.

Yes. Delaware requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education before you apply: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on lending standards for nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 elective hours. Approved education providers commonly deliver these courses online in self-paced, video, or webinar formats, so you can finish the coursework without attending classes in person.

Yes. NMLS-approved providers offer the full DC 20-hour pre-licensing course online, and some allow completion within days rather than weeks. The course must cover 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage lending, 9 hours of electives, and 3 hours of DC law, and it must be NMLS-approved to count toward licensure.

Yes. Florida requires 20 hours of prelicensing education approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), including at least 2 hours on Florida law, and NMLS-approved providers deliver this coursework online, including self-paced formats. The SAFE mortgage test is separate: you take it in person at a Prometric test center, because online proctoring is limited to candidates who qualify for testing accommodations.

Yes. The 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education can be completed online, and approved providers offer self-paced formats that some students finish within days. Georgia adds no state-specific hours, so the standard national 20-hour course satisfies the state's requirement.

Yes. Under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 454F-6, pre-licensing education may be offered in a classroom, online, or by any other means approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS), provided the course and provider are NMLS-approved. Hawaii also accepts NMLS-approved pre-licensing education completed for any other state as credit toward its 20-hour requirement.

Yes. The required 20 hours of Idaho pre-licensure education, including the 2 hours of Idaho law, are offered in online formats by NMLS-approved education providers. You can complete the coursework without attending a class in person, though the SAFE MLO test itself must be taken at an approved testing site.

Yes. The 20 hours of pre-licensing education required for an Illinois mortgage loan originator license must come from an NMLS-approved provider, and approved providers commonly deliver this coursework online. NMLS maintains the catalog of approved courses, and Illinois adds no state-specific hours beyond the standard package.

Yes. The Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) states that the required 20 hours of Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)-approved pre-licensing education may be completed online or in person, and Indiana rule 750 IAC 9-3-5 permits classroom, online, or other approved delivery. On the DFI track, courses are not required to be specific to Indiana; the Secretary of State (SOS) track requires 2 hours of Indiana law within the 20.

Yes. Kansas requires 20 hours of pre-licensing professional education, and approved courses are available online as well as in the classroom. Each course must be approved by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner or its designee before credit is granted, and one hour of education means at least 50 minutes of approved instruction.

Yes. Kentucky requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education and does not add a classroom-format requirement; approved providers commonly deliver the course online, including instructor-led online classes. Kentucky adds no state-specific hours beyond the standard SAFE course of 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional lending, and 12 hours of electives.

Yes. Louisiana requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education with no state-specific hours added, and approved providers deliver the course in online self-paced and other remote formats. The course and the provider must both be approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), and any NMLS-approved 20-hour course satisfies the state's requirement.

Yes. Maine law (Title 9-A, Section 13-106) allows prelicensing education to be delivered in a classroom, online, or by any other means approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The 20 required hours and the course provider must both be approved by NMLS.

Yes. Maryland law allows prelicensing education to be offered in a classroom, online, or by any other delivery method the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) approves. All prelicensing courses and providers must be NMLS-approved; Maryland stopped approving courses and providers itself in 2010. The required 20 hours include 5 hours of Maryland-specific law, which can be satisfied with a Maryland comprehensive course or a state-specific elective.

Yes. Massachusetts requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-license education, including 3 hours of Massachusetts law, and approved providers offer these courses online. The 3 hours of state-specific education can be satisfied by either a Massachusetts comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course. The requirement is NMLS approval, not classroom attendance.

Yes, the 20 hours of Michigan pre-licensure education can be completed online. NMLS-approved providers offer the coursework as self-paced online courses and as live or recorded webinars, in addition to classroom options. The 2 hours of Michigan state-specific law can also be completed online, either through a Michigan comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course.

Yes. Minnesota accepts prelicensing education delivered in the classroom, online, or by other means approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS). The required 20 hours, including 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, and 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, can be completed through an NMLS-approved online provider.

Yes. Mississippi's 20 hours of prelicensing education must come from an NMLS-approved provider, and approved providers offer courses in online formats. The same flexibility applies to continuing education, which the state allows by classroom, online, or any other NMLS-approved means.

Yes. Missouri statute allows prelicensing education through classroom, online, or other approved means, so online courses satisfy the requirement. The 20 required hours include 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 hours of electives, and Missouri adds no state-specific hours beyond that baseline.

Yes. Providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) offer online, self-paced prelicensing courses that satisfy Montana's requirement. You need 20 hours total: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, 2 hours of Montana-specific law, and elective coursework for the remaining hours.

Yes. Nebraska law allows pre-licensing education to be provided by classroom instruction, online courses, or other NMLS-approved means, so you can complete the required hours online. The total requirement is 22 hours, including 2 hours of Nebraska-specific law, and all courses must be NMLS-approved.

Yes. NMLS-approved providers offer Nevada's 30-hour pre-licensing education online, including the 4 hours of Nevada law. Online courses let you complete the 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional lending, and 18 hours of electives on your own schedule. Approved courses and providers are listed in the NMLS education catalog.

Yes. New Hampshire requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, including 2 hours of New Hampshire law, and approved providers offer that coursework in online self-paced, video, and live webinar formats. In-person classroom attendance is therefore not required to meet the education requirement.

Yes. NMLS-approved education providers offer New Jersey's required 20 hours of pre-licensure education, including the 4 hours of New Jersey-specific law, in online formats. Providers report course completions into NMLS, which can take up to seven days, so finish early enough for the credits to post before you apply for your license.

Yes. New Mexico requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, including 3 hours of New Mexico law, and approved providers commonly deliver these courses online in self-paced, video, and webinar formats. Your course completions are reported to and tracked in your NMLS record.

Only in certain formats. New York regulation 3 NYCRR 420.11 requires mortgage loan originators with less than four years of MLO experience to complete pre-licensing education only in a traditional live classroom, a fully interactive video or audio conference, or a comprehension-gated format where the student cannot advance without demonstrating understanding of prior subjects. MLOs with four or more years of experience may complete half the required hours in online programs, webcasts, recordings, or computer-based learning.

Yes. North Carolina requires the 24 hours of prelicensing education to be completed in a classroom or classroom-equivalent setting approved by NMLS, and NMLS-approved providers offer online courses that satisfy this standard. Online instruction counts toward the requirement the same as classroom instruction, as long as the provider is NMLS-approved.

Yes. The 24 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education Ohio requires, including the 4-hour Ohio-specific law component, can be completed online. Keep the five-year clock in mind: pre-licensure education and test results expire 5 years after you earn the credit, and submitting an application does not stop that clock. Only an approved application resets it.

Yes. NMLS-approved pre-licensure education for Oregon is offered in online self-paced, online instructor-led, video, and webinar formats. The coursework must total 20 hours, including 4 hours of Oregon law, and course costs vary by provider. Webinar formats typically require a computer or tablet with a webcam, with the student visible on screen during class.

Yes. Pennsylvania requires NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, and NMLS approves online course formats, so you can complete the required 20 hours, including the 3 hours of Pennsylvania law, online. Providers report course completions into NMLS, and reporting can take up to 7 days, so allow time before your application deadline.

Yes. The required 20 hours of pre-licensing education, including the 3 hours of South Carolina-specific content, are available online from NMLS-approved providers, and the coursework has no in-person requirement. Choose the state-specific component that matches your regulator: the Board of Financial Institutions for lender employees, or the Department of Consumer Affairs for broker-side originators, since education credit only applies to the matching license.

Yes. Tennessee's 20-hour pre-licensure education requirement is met with NMLS-approved courses, and providers offer online self-paced formats as well as live webinars. The required hours are 3 of federal law, 3 of ethics, 2 of non-traditional lending, 2 of Tennessee law, and 10 of electives.

Yes. Texas requires 23 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, made up of the 20-hour national SAFE course (3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional lending, and 12 hours of electives) plus 3 hours of Texas law, and NMLS-approved providers offer this coursework in online formats. As long as the provider is NMLS-approved, the education counts toward your application, which you file through NMLS. The hours must be completed within the 3 years before your application date.

Yes. Prelicensing education is available online from providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), including self-paced formats. Your provider banks completed hours to your NMLS education record; for the Utah Division of Real Estate license, the provider also banks the Utah-specific course hours. You should verify in your NMLS account that the hours posted.

Yes. Vermont law allows prelicensing education to be delivered in a classroom, online, or by other means approved by NMLS. The 20 required hours, including the 2 hours of Vermont law and regulations, must come from courses and providers reviewed and approved by NMLS.

Yes. Virginia law allows pre-licensing education courses to be delivered in the classroom, online, or by other means approved by the Registry (NMLS), provided the course itself is NMLS-approved. The required 20 hours consists of 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 hours of electives. Courses may even be delivered by your employer or an affiliated entity.

Yes. Washington's 22 hours of pre-licensing education, including the 4 hours of Washington law, can be completed online or in a classroom with an NMLS-approved provider, and costs vary by provider. You cannot submit the license application until the hours are completed and posted to your NMLS record.

Yes. West Virginia accepts prelicensing education delivered in a classroom, online, or by any other means approved by NMLS, and courses may be offered by an approved provider or by the applicant's employer. The 24-hour requirement is the same in any format, including the 4 hours of West Virginia law.

Yes. Wisconsin requires only the standard 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, and NMLS-approved providers offer it in online and webinar formats. Wisconsin adds no state-specific course hours or subjects beyond the national curriculum. Package prices vary by provider.

Yes. Wyoming requires 20 hours of Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)-approved pre-licensure education, and approved providers deliver the coursework online in self-paced, video, and webinar formats. Wyoming adds no state-specific hours beyond the national baseline of 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 hours of electives.