Is there an exam required to complete NMLS continuing education?
Yes. NMLS-approved continuing education courses include a final exam you must pass before the provider reports completion. The provider must report your completion and it must post to your NMLS record before you can renew, and most completions post within 7 calendar days. Some courses also require identity verification, such as BioSig-ID, while taking the course.
No test is required for continuing education. Alabama MLOs must complete 8 hours of NMLS-approved education each year, made up of 3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage lending, and 1 elective hour, with no repeat of the same course in successive years. The SAFE test applies to initial licensure, and an MLO must retake it only after letting a license lapse for 5 years or longer.
Sources: NMLS: Alabama state-specific PE and CE requirements for MLOs; Alabama Banking Dept: SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act text (PDF) — Code of Ala. Title 5, Chapter 26.
No. Continuing education in Arkansas is measured in completed course hours, not by an exam. A licensed loan officer must complete at least 8 hours of NMLS-approved education each year (3 hours federal law, 2 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional lending, and 1 hour elective) before filing the renewal application, and in any event by December 31.
Sources: 23 CAR 301: Rules of the Fair Mortgage Lending Act (Arkansas Securities Department); NMLS: Arkansas state-specific PE and CE requirements for MLOs.
No. Continuing education in Connecticut means completing 8 hours of NMLS-approved coursework each year, not passing a test. The hours are 3 of federal law, 2 of ethics, 2 of nontraditional mortgage lending, and 1 of Connecticut law, finished by December 31. You cannot apply to renew your license if you have not completed CE.
Sources: NMLS: Connecticut state-specific PE and CE requirements for MLOs.
No. Idaho continuing education is 8 hours of NMLS-approved coursework each year, with no exam attached. The annual requirement breaks down as 3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage lending, and 1 hour of Idaho-specific education. The SAFE MLO Test is a one-time requirement for initial licensure, not for annual CE.
Sources: NMLS: Idaho state-specific PE and CE requirements for MLOs.
No. Maine's continuing education requires completing 8 hours of NMLS-approved courses each year, with no separate test; the SAFE test is a prelicensing requirement only. The annual 8 hours consist of 3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, 2 hours of nontraditional mortgage lending, and 1 hour of electives, and must be completed by December 31. You may not take the same course in the same year or in successive years.
Sources: CFPB Regulation H, 12 CFR §1008.107: Minimum annual license renewal requirements; 12 U.S.C. §5104: State license and registration application and issuance (federal SAFE Act).
No. You meet Mississippi's continuing education requirement by completing at least 8 hours of NMLS-approved education each year: 3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 1 elective hour. Your course provider reports the completion into NMLS, which can take as long as 7 days, so you should finish well before the December 31 deadline.
Sources: Mississippi SB 2508 (2025), as sent to Governor: S.A.F.E. Mortgage Act amendments (full text of 81-18-9, -11, -14, -15, etc.); NMLS: Mississippi state-specific PE and CE requirements for MLOs.
No separate exam is required for continuing education; Nebraska meets the requirement through completed NMLS-approved coursework. Every state-licensed MLO completes 8 hours each year: 3 hours federal law, 2 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional mortgage products, and 1 elective hour. Nebraska adds no state-specific CE, and the annual deadline is December 31.
Sources: Nebraska Revised Statute § 45-733 (corroborated by 12 CFR § 1008.107 and the NMLS state-specific education requirements page for Nebraska).
No separate exam is required for continuing education. New Hampshire mortgage loan originators renew by completing 8 hours of NMLS-approved CE each year, made up of 3 hours federal law, 2 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional lending, and 1 hour elective, by December 31.
Sources: NMLS: New Hampshire State PE and CE Requirements for MLOs; NMLS — New Hampshire State PE and CE Requirements for MLOs.
No. New York continuing education consists of completing 11 hours of NMLS-approved courses by December 31 each year, with no exam attached to the continuing education requirement. The SAFE MLO test is a pre-licensing requirement, not a continuing education one. Course providers may take up to seven days to report completions into NMLS, so waiting until the last minute can delay renewal.
Sources: NMLS: New York State-Specific PE and CE Requirements for MLOs.
No. Rhode Island continuing education is coursework only: 8 hours of NMLS-approved education each year, made up of 3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional lending, and 1 hour of Rhode Island-specific instruction. The SAFE test is an initial licensing requirement and is not part of renewal; renewal instead involves a criminal background check and a credit report authorization.
Sources: NMLS: Rhode Island state-specific PE and CE requirements for MLOs.
No. Vermont meets its continuing education requirement through coursework: 8 hours of NMLS-approved education each year, with at least 3 hours of federal law, 2 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 1 elective hour. The 75% written test applies to initial licensure, not to continuing education.
Sources: 8 V.S.A. 2204c: Continuing education for mortgage loan originators; 8 V.S.A. 2204a: MLO prelicensing and relicensing education requirement.