How do I get a job as a mortgage broker?

Get licensed first, then find a sponsoring employer. The path is to create an NMLS account, complete 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education, pass the national SAFE MLO test with a score of at least 75%, submit fingerprints for the FBI background check, authorize a credit report, and file the state application. In most states you cannot originate until a state-licensed mortgage company sponsors your license; the company submits the sponsorship request in NMLS and the state regulator approves it.

You must be licensed, and Alabama requires employer sponsorship: a mortgage company must submit a sponsorship request before your mortgage loan originator license application will be approved, and an application from someone not employed by a mortgage company is incomplete. Many candidates complete the 20 hours of education and pass the SAFE test before securing employment, then finish the sponsorship step after being hired by a licensed company.

In Alaska, the Mortgage Broker license is held by a company, not an individual. The practical route is to get hired by an Alaska-licensed Mortgage Broker/Lender, which then sponsors your individual MLO license. To open your own brokerage instead, the company must file Form MU1 through NMLS with a $1,000 license fee and a $500 application fee, post a $75,000 electronic surety bond, and submit an unaudited financial statement, a business plan, and two control persons.

Which license you need depends on your employer. If you work for a lender or broker licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) under the California Financing Law or the Residential Mortgage Lending Act, you need a DFPI mortgage loan originator license, which requires company sponsorship. If you hold a Department of Real Estate (DRE) license and work under a licensed broker, you add the DRE endorsement instead. Either way you must complete 20 hours of education, pass the SAFE test, and clear background and credit checks.

In Connecticut, a mortgage broker is a company license, so individuals typically join a licensed brokerage rather than start one. To originate loans for a broker, you need a mortgage loan originator license, which requires 21 hours of prelicensing education, a passing score of at least 75% on the SAFE test, and active sponsorship from the broker company. Starting your own brokerage instead requires at least $50,000 in tangible net worth, a surety bond, and a qualified individual with 3 years of mortgage experience.

First obtain a Florida loan originator license: you must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, complete 20 hours of approved prelicensing education, and pass the SAFE MLO test. A loan originator in Florida must be an employee of, or an independent contractor for, a licensed mortgage broker or mortgage lender, and may work for only one at a time. Once hired, your employer submits a sponsorship request through NMLS, which activates the license and lets you originate loans. To run the company itself, you would need the entity-level mortgage broker license.

In Georgia, mortgage brokering happens under a company license, so your path in is to become a licensed loan originator employed by a broker. You must complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, pass the SAFE test with a score of 75 or higher, and submit the MU4 application through NMLS with a sponsorship request from your employer. Practitioners suggest starting the sponsor search while your application is pending so you can begin originating as soon as the license is approved.

To run your own mortgage broker business in Hawaii, you need the sole proprietor package: an individual mortgage loan originator (MLO) license plus a mortgage loan originator company (MLOC) license for the business, filed on Forms MU1, MU2, and MU4 through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The company must maintain a principal place of business in Hawaii and designate a qualifying individual who holds a Hawaii MLO license. Otherwise, you can work for an existing licensed company, which then sponsors your individual license.

A mortgage broker in Idaho is a licensed company, not an individual job title, so the individual path is to become a mortgage loan originator. Complete 20 hours of Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)-approved pre-licensure education, pass the SAFE MLO test, and file the MU4 application; an employer then submits a sponsorship request that the Department of Finance accepts or rejects. Your license can be issued as Approved-Inactive until sponsorship is approved, and you may not originate loans in that status.

To work as a mortgage loan originator in Illinois, you must be employed by an Illinois residential mortgage licensee, and you may work for only one licensee at a time. The licensing path runs through NMLS: create an account, complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-license education, pass the SAFE MLO test, file the MU4 form, and have your employer submit a sponsorship request for IDFPR to approve.

Complete the MLO licensing path, then secure sponsorship. First create an NMLS account, finish 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education, pass the SAFE test, and clear the fingerprint background and credit checks. You then need a sponsoring employer, because Indiana requires MLOs to be W-2 employees of a company licensed by the Department of Financial Institutions or the Secretary of State. Many applicants start the sponsor search while the application is still pending.

In Iowa, mortgage brokering is licensed at the company level, so individuals enter the field as mortgage loan originators (MLOs). To qualify, you complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education, pass the SAFE MLO test, and clear an FBI fingerprint background check. Iowa will issue your license in an Approved-Inactive status if you meet all requirements but do not yet have a sponsoring employer, so you can finish licensing while job hunting; the Iowa Division of Banking asks approved-inactive applicants to email fblicensing@iowa.gov.

In Kansas, a mortgage broker is a licensed company, not a job title, so the path is to become a licensed loan originator for one. Complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education, pass the SAFE test with a score of 75% or higher, clear the criminal background check and credit review, and file the MU4 application. A Kansas-licensed mortgage company must submit a sponsorship request through NMLS before the license is approved, and you may only work for one licensed company at a time.

In Kentucky, individuals doing brokerage work operate as mortgage loan originators. You must complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education, pass the national test with uniform state content, and file the MU4 form through NMLS with an electronic background check and credit report consent. Your employer must submit a sponsorship request that the Department of Financial Institutions accepts, and you must be covered by a surety bond. To own the brokerage itself, you need the separate mortgage loan broker license, which requires a $1,000 fee and a $50,000 surety bond.

Individuals in Louisiana work as licensed mortgage loan originators; the mortgage broker license is a company-level credential. To work in the field, complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education, pass the SAFE test, and file the MU4 form through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) with a background check and credit report. A licensed company must sponsor your application before the Office of Financial Institutions approves it.

In Maryland, individuals originate loans as mortgage loan originators (MLOs); the broker or lender license is held at the company level. To work for a mortgage company, first obtain your MLO license by completing 20 hours of prelicensing education, passing the SAFE test, and filing the MU4 application with background and credit checks. Your employer must then submit a sponsorship request through NMLS before you can originate loans.

In Massachusetts, the individual role at a mortgage brokerage is the licensed mortgage loan originator. You must complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-license education (including 3 hours of Massachusetts law), pass the SAFE MLO Test with a score of at least 75%, and file an MU4 application through NMLS. Your employer then submits a sponsorship request, which the Division of Banks reviews, and all Massachusetts loan originators work as W2 employees.

In Mississippi a mortgage broker is a company, so the path is a business license from the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance rather than a job application. The initial license fee is $2,000, and an initial applicant posts a $50,000 surety bond. The company must also have a qualifying individual who is an owner or employee with at least 2 years of directly related mortgage experience.

To work in mortgage brokering in Montana, first obtain an individual MLO license: complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education, pass the SAFE test, clear the background and credit checks, and pay the $400 application fee through NMLS. Montana requires loan originators to be W-2 employees sponsored by a Montana-licensed broker or lender, so you must find an employer willing to sponsor your license. To open your own brokerage, you need 3 years of MLO experience plus the company license.

You can submit a Nebraska mortgage loan originator license application before you are employed, but the Department of Banking and Finance cannot approve it until a licensed employer submits a sponsorship request, and applications pending more than 120 days can be withdrawn. Employers often prefer a bachelor's degree or related experience in banking, customer service, or sales, though state law requires neither. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 17,100 loan-officer openings per year from 2025 to 2035.

In Nevada, the job offer comes first. The Division of Mortgage Lending requires MLO applicants to be employed by, or hold an offer from, a licensed mortgage company or certificate-of-exemption holder, and a license cannot be issued without valid sponsorship from a Nevada-licensed location. Once you have the offer, you complete 30 hours of pre-licensing education, pass the SAFE MLO test, and file the MU4 through NMLS.

To work at a New Hampshire mortgage brokerage, you need a Mortgage Loan Originator License: complete at least 20 hours of education approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), including 2 hours of New Hampshire law; pass the national test component with Uniform State Content; and file the Individual Form (MU4). Your employer then submits a sponsorship request, and the New Hampshire Banking Department must approve it before your license takes effect. An originator may represent only one mortgage banker, broker, or servicer at a time.

In New York, loan officers at brokers work as licensed mortgage loan originators (MLOs), and the license process is built for people who are not yet hired. You may apply through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) before you have a job; once the Department of Financial Services confirms you meet every requirement other than affiliation, it sends a sponsorship notification, and you must affiliate with a New York-licensed mortgage banker or registered broker within 30 days. The employer files the sponsorship request, and the license is not effective until sponsorship is in place.

In North Dakota you take one of two paths. To originate loans for a broker, obtain a mortgage loan originator license (20 hours of prelicensing education, a passing SAFE test score, and an Individual Form MU4 filing) and secure sponsorship from a licensed money broker. To own or run the brokerage itself, apply for a money broker license: a $400 application fee, $400 annual license fee, $25,000 in company net worth, a $50,000 surety bond, and a designated Qualifying Individual with a background check and credit report.

Get hired by a mortgage company actively licensed by the Division of Financial Institutions, because an Ohio license only becomes active after the employer submits a sponsorship request that the state accepts. Applicants who complete all licensing steps without a job may hold an Approved-Inactive license until a company sponsors them, but they cannot conduct business in that status.

In Oklahoma, "mortgage broker" is a company-level license, so the individual path into the field is to become a licensed mortgage loan originator. You complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, pass the SAFE test, and submit the MU4 application; an employer must then submit a sponsorship request through NMLS, and the Oklahoma Department of Consumer Credit must accept it before your license is active. Most entry-level loan originator positions are commission-based, and companies that hire newly licensed originators generally provide mentorship during onboarding.

To operate as a mortgage broker in Rhode Island, a company applies for a Loan Broker License through NMLS. Requirements include a $20,000 electronic surety bond filed in NMLS, financial statements, a certificate of good standing from the Rhode Island Secretary of State dated within 60 days of filing, a business plan, and a Qualifying Individual who holds an active Rhode Island MLO license as a W-2 employee. Individuals who want to work at a brokerage instead get licensed as MLOs and find a sponsoring employer.

In Tennessee, start by earning the individual mortgage loan originator license: 20 hours of pre-licensure education, a passing score on the SAFE test, a criminal background check, and a credit report, all filed through NMLS. A licensed company must then sponsor your license; the employer submits the sponsorship request and the state accepts or rejects it. If you finish all requirements without a sponsoring company, Tennessee can issue the license as Approved-Inactive until sponsorship is acquired, and you cannot conduct business in that status.

In Utah, you get started by earning a mortgage loan originator license and then securing a sponsoring company. You complete the required education, pass the national exam, and submit an application through NMLS with fingerprints and a credit report authorization. If you finish everything before finding a job, the Utah Division of Real Estate can issue your license as Approved-Inactive until a mortgage company sponsors you, though you cannot conduct business in that status.

In Vermont, broker work runs through a licensed company: you must either be a W-2 employee of a firm holding a Vermont mortgage broker license, or obtain your own broker license. Vermont regulation requires authorized individuals to be W-2 employees, not 1099 independent contractors; an independent contractor must obtain an independent broker license, which costs $1,100 at application and requires a surety bond of at least $25,000.

In Washington, a mortgage broker is a company license, so individuals work at brokerages as mortgage loan originators. To qualify, you complete 22 hours of pre-licensing education (including 4 hours of Washington law), pass the SAFE test, and file your application through NMLS; a licensed or exempt company must then sponsor you to activate the license. To open your own brokerage, you need a $1,001 application, a $20,000 surety bond, and a Designated Broker with two years of mortgage experience who passed the Designated Broker Test.

In Wyoming, individuals work as state-licensed mortgage loan originators sponsored by mortgage broker or lender companies, so the path is to get the MLO license first. Complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved education, pass the SAFE MLO test, and file the MU4 application through NMLS. Wyoming offers an "Approved-Inactive" license status, so you can hold the license while job-hunting, but you cannot originate loans until a company sponsorship is approved.