Where can I take a course to get a mortgage broker license?

Pre-licensing courses come from providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). NMLS itself does not offer courses; federal law bars it from providing education so the course-approval process stays independent. Search the NMLS education catalog for approved 20-hour pre-licensing courses, and check your state's requirements first, because many states add state-specific hours on top of the federal 20.

The required course is the 20-hour NMLS-approved prelicensure course, offered online or in the classroom by any NMLS-approved education provider. Alabama requires 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 hours of electives. The state does not require any Alabama-specific law content.

Alaska requires 20 hours of Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) approved pre-licensure education and adds no state-specific law hours, so any NMLS-approved provider's standard national course satisfies the requirement. The 20 hours break down as 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 elective hours.

You can take Arizona's loan originator pre-licensing courses from any provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS); approved courses are searchable through the NMLS education catalog. Arizona requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, including 4 hours of Arizona state law counted within that total. Formats and schedules vary by provider, including online self-paced options.

Arkansas mortgage education runs through providers approved by NMLS, the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System. The Arkansas Securities Department keeps no separate state course catalog and refers applicants to NMLS for approved providers. The 20 hours of prelicensing education required for loan officer licensure may be taken in a classroom, online, or in another NMLS-approved format.

In California you can take the required 20 hours of pre-licensing education from any provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), either online or in person. Both the Department of Real Estate (DRE) endorsement track and the DFPI license track accept only NMLS-approved courses, and providers anywhere in the United States qualify.

You can complete Colorado's required education through any provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS). Any school providing pre-licensing education to Colorado students must also be approved by the Colorado Private Occupational School Board. The required coursework is 20 hours, including 2 hours of Colorado state-specific content, which may be taken as a standalone course.

Connecticut prelicensing education must be NMLS-approved, so you can take your course with any approved provider on the NMLS list. Connecticut requires 21 hours total: the 20-hour SAFE comprehensive course (3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional lending, plus electives) and 1 hour of Connecticut law.

Delaware does not require a specific school. Prelicensing courses must be approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), and you can find approved providers through the NMLS course catalog. The requirement is 20 hours, including 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, and 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and Delaware accepts education approved for any other state.

In DC, a mortgage broker is a company license, and no pre-license course or exam is required for it. The 20 hours of pre-licensing education and the SAFE MLO test apply to individual mortgage loan originators. If you plan to originate loans, take the 20 hours of NMLS-approved education, including 3 hours of DC law, from an NMLS-approved provider; many offer the coursework online.

Florida does not require a course for the entity-level mortgage broker license itself. The education requirement attaches to the individual loan originator license: 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, including 2 hours of Florida law and rules. You can find approved courses through the NMLS education catalog, and the principal loan originator your broker entity designates must already hold that individual license.

A Georgia Mortgage Broker/Processor company license does not require a specific course. Education requirements apply to the individual mortgage loan originator (MLO) license, which requires 20 hours of pre-licensure education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS), listed in the NMLS catalog. Georgia adds no state-specific hours to the standard 20-hour course.

Hawaii requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS), and courses may be offered in a classroom, online, or by any other means NMLS approves. The 20 hours must include 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of Hawaii state law and rules, 3 hours of ethics, and 2 hours on the nontraditional mortgage product marketplace. Any NMLS-approved course accepted in another state also counts toward Hawaii's requirement.

Idaho requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, including 2 hours of Idaho law, before you can apply for a mortgage loan originator license. You can find approved courses by searching the NMLS catalog of approved education providers. The 2 Idaho hours may be satisfied with either a comprehensive Idaho course or a state-specific elective course.

Indiana requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), taken online or in person. On the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) track, courses do not have to be specific to Indiana; on the Secretary of State (loan broker) track, the 20 hours must include 2 hours of Indiana content. NMLS-approved course providers are listed in the NMLS course catalog.

In Iowa, the course requirement applies to the individual mortgage loan originator license, not the company-level mortgage broker license. You must complete 20 hours of prelicensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS), and Iowa accepts NMLS-approved education approved for any state as credit toward its requirement (Iowa Code 535D.7(5)).

Kansas requires 20 hours of prelicensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) and the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC). You can find approved 20-hour SAFE courses through the NMLS course catalog or the state's approved-education list. The course must include 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 hours of electives.

Louisiana requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, made up of 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 elective hours, with no Louisiana-specific hours added. You can find approved course providers in the NMLS Master Course Catalog, which the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions links from its residential mortgage lending page. Courses are available in online self-paced, audio, instructor-led, and live webinar formats.

Maine requires prelicensing courses to be reviewed and approved by NMLS, including the course provider, so you must choose your course from NMLS's approved-education offerings. Courses may be delivered in a classroom, online, or by any other means NMLS approves, and an employer or its affiliate may also provide an approved course. Maine requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education and adds no Maine-specific hours.

Maryland no longer approves prelicensing education providers itself; the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) reviews and approves all courses and providers. You can complete the required 20 hours in a classroom, online, or by any other means NMLS approves. Search the NMLS course directory for approved providers, since NMLS must show your education compliance before you can apply.

You take the required coursework through any provider on NMLS's approved course list rather than through a single state school. To qualify for licensing in Massachusetts, you must complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-license education, including 3 hours of Massachusetts content. A separate entity-level mortgage broker license does not require coursework; instead it requires 3 years of qualifying full-time experience.

Minnesota does not require a state-specific broker course. To act as a mortgage loan originator you must complete 20 hours of Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)-approved prelicensing education, including 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, and 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products. Courses may be classroom, online, or another NMLS-approved format, and employer-provided courses are permitted. Education completed under another state's NMLS-approved requirements counts toward Minnesota's requirement.

A mortgage broker license in Mississippi is a company license, and the application requirements on the state's checklist cover background checks, an organizational chart, a business plan, and policies and procedures rather than coursework. Education applies to the individual mortgage loan originator license, which requires 20 hours of prelicensing education from an NMLS-approved provider. You can find approved providers on NMLS's education pages.

In Montana, you take mortgage education from providers approved through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The core requirement is the 20 hours of prelicensing education for the mortgage loan originator (MLO) license: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional lending, 2 hours of Montana-specific law, and elective coursework for the rest. Running a broker entity also requires the Montana Mortgage Broker License, and the company must designate a manager who holds an MLO license with at least 3 years of experience.

You take pre-licensing courses from any NMLS-approved provider, since the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance relies on NMLS approval of both providers and courses. Nebraska requires 22 hours of pre-licensing education, including 2 hours of Nebraska-specific law, completed before you submit your application. Courses may be classroom, online, or another NMLS-approved format, and education completed for any other state counts toward the requirement.

Nevada pre-licensing education must come from providers approved by NMLS. You complete 30 hours total: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours of nontraditional mortgage lending, 18 hours of electives, and 4 hours of Nevada law, which may be satisfied by either a Nevada comprehensive course or a state-specific elective. You can find and enroll in approved courses through the NMLS course catalog, and approved providers deliver the coursework online.

New Hampshire requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, including 2 hours of New Hampshire law, before you submit your MU4 application. You take these courses with providers approved by NMLS; the NMLS course catalog lists every approved provider and course.

New Jersey requires 20 hours of pre-licensure education from any provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), including 4 hours of New Jersey law. You can take the coursework through any school on the NMLS-approved education list. Note that individuals who originate loans hold the Mortgage Loan Originator license; the Residential Mortgage Broker license belongs to the business entity.

You can take New Mexico pre-licensing courses through any NMLS-approved education provider listed in the NMLS course catalog. The state requires 20 hours of pre-licensure education, including 3 hours of New Mexico law content, before you submit your mortgage loan originator application.

Pre-licensing education for New York comes from providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The required course is 20 hours, including 3 hours of New York law and regulations. If you have less than four years of experience as an MLO, you must take the course in a live classroom, a fully interactive video or audio conference, or a comprehension-gated online format rather than a passive online course.

Pre-licensing courses must come from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), and you can search the approved-course catalog on the NMLS website. North Carolina requires 24 hours: 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional mortgage products, 12 hours of electives, and 4 hours of North Carolina statutes and rules. A mortgage broker company's qualifying individual must meet these requirements, and a broker with no branch offices must have a qualifying individual who also holds a mortgage loan originator license.

To get licensed in North Dakota, you must complete at least 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education, which includes 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, and 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products. You can take the courses through any provider on the NMLS approved-education list; North Dakota adds no state-specific hours beyond the national 20.

You take pre-licensure education through providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). Ohio requires at least 24 hours of NMLS-approved coursework before you apply, including 4 hours of Ohio-specific law. The approved-education list in NMLS shows the courses that satisfy this requirement.

The mortgage broker license in Oklahoma is a company-level license, and the state lists no education or testing pre-requisites for it. Coursework requirements apply instead to the individual mortgage loan originator (MLO) license: at least 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, including 1 hour of Oklahoma content, taken through any provider on the NMLS-approved course list.

Pre-licensing courses come from providers approved by NMLS, which you can find on the state's approved-education list through the NMLS State Resource Center. South Carolina requires 20 hours, including 3 hours of South Carolina-specific law. Choose the track that matches your employer: SC-BFI courses for lender employees and SC-DCA courses for broker employees, because the two agencies grant separate state-specific credit.

In Tennessee, you take the required pre-licensing education from any NMLS-approved provider. The state requires 20 hours of instruction, including 2 hours of Tennessee-specific law that count within the 20-hour total. The Tennessee hours can be satisfied through a Tennessee comprehensive course or a state-specific elective. Approved providers commonly offer the 20-hour course in online and live webinar formats.

The 20-hour national prelicensing course comes from providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), and the Utah-specific course must come from a Utah-approved mortgage pre-licensing school. The education provider banks your completed hours into your NMLS record, so you should verify the hours posted there before applying. Many approved providers offer the coursework in online formats.

Washington licenses individuals as Mortgage Loan Originators (MLOs); the Mortgage Broker license is a company credential. For the individual MLO license, you must complete 22 hours of pre-licensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The NMLS Resource Center lists all approved providers and courses, which are offered online and in classroom, and course cost varies by provider.

Wisconsin requires the standard 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education (3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional mortgage products, plus electives) and adds no state-specific course, so any NMLS-approved provider can supply the coursework. A Mortgage Broker License in Wisconsin is a company license issued by the Department of Financial Institutions; the individual credential is the Mortgage Loan Originator License.

You take the required education through providers approved by NMLS; Wyoming requires 20 hours of pre-licensure education. The hours break down as 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 elective hours. Approved course catalogs are searchable through the NMLS website, and courses are commonly offered in online self-paced, video, and webinar formats.