How much does a mortgage lender license cost?

Costs vary by state. The NMLS processing fee is $120 per company license, and state fees range widely: as of 2026, Georgia charges $1,150 for a Mortgage Lender License, Massachusetts charges $1,100 plus a $300 investigation fee, and New York charges $3,000 for a mortgage banker license. Fingerprint and credit report fees for control persons are added on top.

An Alaska Mortgage Broker/Lender license carries a $500 application fee plus a $1,000 license fee. Filing the company MU1 through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) adds a $120 initial processing fee and $15 credit reports for each control person. The company must also furnish a $75,000 electronic surety bond from a surety company authorized to do business in Alaska.

An Arizona loan originator license carries a $350 nonrefundable state application fee plus a $150 initial license fee, prorated by the quarters remaining until renewal. NMLS charges add $35 for the filing, $110 for the exam, $36.25 for the fingerprint background check, and $15 for the credit report. If your employer does not hold a $200,000 surety bond, you also pay $100 to the mortgage recovery fund.

A California Residential Mortgage Lending Act lender/servicer license costs $1,100 to file: a $100 investigation fee, a $900 application fee, and a $100 NMLS processing fee, all paid through NMLS and non-refundable. Fingerprint processing adds $20 per Live Scan or $62 per fingerprint card for each control person, officer, director, and qualifying individual. The company must also show $250,000 in tangible net worth and a $50,000 surety bond.

A Florida mortgage lender license application costs a $500 nonrefundable state application fee plus a $100 Mortgage Guaranty Trust Fund fee. Filing through the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) adds a $120 company processing fee, and each control person adds a $15 credit report fee and about $39 in state and FBI criminal history check fees, plus any live scan vendor charges. The applicant must also maintain a net worth of at least $63,000, or $250,000 with a servicing endorsement.

A new Georgia Mortgage Lender License application costs $1,150 plus NMLS fees, which the fee rule breaks down as a $900 license fee plus a $250 initial investigation fee. Each Georgia branch approval costs $330 plus NMLS fees, and the annual renewal fee is $900 plus NMLS fees.

Hawaii does not issue a separate mortgage lender license. Lenders that underwrite, close, or fund residential mortgage loans fall under the mortgage loan originator company (MLOC) license in Chapter 454F. The principal office costs $900 to apply, plus $35 per control person, a $300 Mortgage Loan Recovery Fund fee, and the $120 NMLS MU1 filing fee. Commercial, non-residential lending is outside the chapter.

The Illinois Residential Mortgage License, the company-level license, costs $2,700 for initial licensure and $2,700 for annual renewal in state fees, with NMLS processing fees charged on top. The company must also maintain an electronic surety bond of at least $25,000, scaled up to $150,000 by loan volume. An individual mortgage loan originator license costs $200 to apply for.

The application fee for a Louisiana mortgage lender license is $500, and the annual renewal fee is $400. A late renewal, filed after December 31 but before March 1, adds a $200 late fee. The Office of Financial Institutions also charges $400 for an examination per office location, and NMLS processing fees apply on top of the state fees.

A Maine supervised lender license, which covers mortgage lenders and servicers, costs $300 for the application per license and $150 for a branch. Renewal is $100 per main office or branch, and amendments are $25. All fees are collected through NMLS and are nonrefundable.

A Missouri residential mortgage loan broker license costs a one-time $300 application and investigation fee, which covers up to 5 background investigations, plus a $600 annual license fee. The company must also post a surety bond of at least $50,000, an amount the Division of Finance adjusts annually based on the prior year's loan volume.

The Montana mortgage lender application fee is $750 per entity and $250 per branch office, paid through NMLS and non-refundable. A lender must also maintain a minimum net worth of $250,000, evidenced by financial statements reviewed by a certified public accountant, and carry a surety bond of $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 based on annual loan volume. The annual renewal fee is $750 per entity and $62.50 per branch.

A company-level mortgage lender (mortgage banker) license in Nebraska costs a $400 application fee payable to the Department of Banking and Finance, plus $75 for each branch office, plus the $120 NMLS company processing fee. The company must also file a surety bond starting at $100,000, which scales with closed and serviced loan volume up to $200,000 for companies with more than $25 million in loans. A supplemental bond of up to $1,000,000 may be required.

A Residential Mortgage Lender license in New Jersey costs $1,200 in state application fees plus a $120 NMLS processing fee for the company filing, and all fees are nonrefundable. The applicant must also obtain a $150,000 surety bond covering the first $50,000,000 of closed loan volume, and a Qualified Individual application is required at $500 plus NMLS processing. Each branch office adds $1,000 in state fees.

A New Mexico mortgage loan company pays a $500 application fee, a $500 license fee, and a $500 supervisory fee, plus a $100 NMLS fee for the main office. The company must also maintain an initial surety bond of $50,000, which rises to $100,000 or $150,000 as annual New Mexico origination volume grows. All fees are non-refundable and are paid through NMLS by debit or credit card.

New York does not issue a separate "lender" license; companies that fund their own mortgage loans need a mortgage banker license, which costs $3,000 for the original license under Banking Law 591.2. Each branch license adds $500, and a change of control costs $3,000. Companies that only place loans with others pay a $1,500 mortgage broker registration fee instead.

A mortgage lender company license in North Carolina carries a $1,250 application fee under the state fee schedule revised October 1, 2025. The lender must also post a surety bond starting at $150,000, adjusted annually by loan origination volume. The Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) collects additional processing fees, such as credit report and background check charges, and fees are not prorated or refundable.

A North Dakota mortgage broker needs the state's money broker company license, and the state fees are $400 for the initial application, $400 for the annual license, and $50 per branch location each year. The company must also show $25,000 in net worth and file a $50,000 electronic surety bond in NMLS. Companies also pay NMLS processing fees, and a physical presence in North Dakota is not required.

A Pennsylvania mortgage lender company license costs $1,500 for the principal place of business, plus $1,500 for each branch location, under 7 Pa.C.S. § 6132(a). These are the state application fees. NMLS processing fees and required background checks for control persons are charged separately from the state fees.

The NMLS company processing fee for a new mortgage lender license is $120, and a lender must post a $50,000 surety bond in Rhode Island. Fees collected through NMLS are not refundable. Rhode Island's state application fee amounts are published on the NMLS License Requirements and Fees Chart.

The initial mortgage lender license fee may not exceed $1,000, and the director of the Division of Banking sets the actual fee by rule. A mortgage lender must also maintain a surety bond in an amount reflecting the total dollar amount of loans originated, but not less than $25,000. The director may set additional NMLS-related fees by rule, not to exceed $500.

The NMLS processing fee for a company mortgage license application (Form MU1) is $120. Tennessee also requires the lender to post a surety bond: $200,000 at issuance and in the following year, then tiered by prior-year Tennessee residential loan volume ($100,000 under $10 million, $200,000 at $10 million to under $50 million, $300,000 at $50 million or more). A company that is solely a loan servicer must maintain a $200,000 bond as a condition of renewal.

A Mortgage Company license from the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending costs $325 for a new application and $275 to renew, per the fee schedule effective November 1, 2024 and unchanged through FY2027. NMLS adds a $120 company filing fee. Mortgage Banker and Mortgage Servicer registrations each cost $325 to register and $275 to renew. All fees are paid through NMLS and are not refundable or transferable.

Costs are paid through NMLS and include a $35 MU4 initial set-up fee, a $35 annual processing fee, $110 for the SAFE MLO national test, $36.25 for the criminal background check, and $15 for the credit report. State licensing fees vary by agency and are separate from NMLS processing fees. Fees are nonrefundable, non-changeable, and non-transferable, whether the application is granted or denied.

The initial lender application costs $2,100: a $1,000 license fee, a $1,000 investigation fee, and the $100 NMLS processing fee. Additional corporate licenses cost $1,100, and branch licenses cost $1,030. The applicant must also hold liquid assets of at least $25,000 per license and a surety bond of at least $50,000, with both amounts rising for commercial lending or higher origination volume.

A Virginia mortgage lender license requires a non-refundable application fee and a continuously maintained surety bond of at least $25,000, an amount the Commissioner may require in a greater sum based on the company's origination volume. The company must also show a minimum level of funds available for the business, a requirement that broker-only companies do not face.

A Washington Consumer Loan Company license, the state's mortgage lender license, costs $1,162.21 for the main office filing, plus a credit report and criminal background check authorization for each control person. The company must also post a $30,000 electronic surety bond issued through NMLS before filing, though the bond premium varies by surety provider.

A West Virginia mortgage lender license costs a $1,250 license fee, plus the actual cost of fingerprint processing and any Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) processing fees. The applicant must also show tangible net worth of at least $250,000 and file an electronic surety bond through NMLS, ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 depending on annual originations. Every lender then pays $5 for each residential mortgage loan originated in a calendar year.