Where can I take online MLO pre-license courses?

Pre-licensing education is available only through NMLS-approved course providers. Federal law bars NMLS itself from offering pre-licensing courses, to keep the course-approval process independent, so you search approved providers and courses through the NMLS course catalog, enroll directly with the provider, and your completed hours post to your NMLS record.

You can take the required course from any NMLS-approved education provider, and every Alaska applicant takes the same 20-hour national course: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours of non-traditional lending, and 12 hours of electives. Alaska adds no state-specific law hours, so any NMLS-approved 20-hour SAFE comprehensive course meets the requirement. Course costs vary by provider.

You take pre-license courses from providers approved through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS); the Arkansas Securities Department refers applicants to NMLS for approved course providers and maintains no separate state catalog. Courses may be delivered in a classroom, online, or by other NMLS-approved means, and employer- or affiliate-provided NMLS-approved courses are permitted.

Pre-license courses are available from any NMLS-approved provider. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) states the 20-hour requirement can be completed from any approved provider in any area of the United States, and education already completed for another state's MLO license does not need to be repeated. Real estate license continuing education cannot be used to satisfy the requirement.

Pre-license courses are offered by NMLS-approved education providers. Any school that provides MLO pre-licensing education to Colorado students must also be approved by the Colorado Private Occupational School Board, so you can confirm a school's standing through the NMLS course catalog and Colorado's approved-education list before enrolling.

You take pre-license courses through education providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS); courses are commonly offered online, self-paced or by live webinar. Delaware requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicensing education and accepts courses approved for any other state. Delaware adds no state-specific hours, so any NMLS-approved 20-hour SAFE course satisfies the requirement.

DC pre-license courses are widely available online from NMLS-approved education providers. The required 20 hours include 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; the 3 DC-law hours are within the 20-hour total and may be satisfied by either a DC comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course. Only NMLS-approved courses count toward the requirement.

You can take the required 20 hours of pre-licensing education online through any Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS)-approved provider. The 20 hours must include 2 hours covering Florida law and rules, and many providers deliver the full package, including the Florida-specific hours, in a self-paced online format.

You can take the required courses from any NMLS-approved education provider; the NMLS Resource Center lists providers and guides under Professional Standards. Georgia requires 20 hours of pre-licensure education (3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 hours of electives) and has no state-specific course requirement.

Hawaii accepts pre-licensing education delivered in a classroom, online, or by any other means approved by NMLS, so the 20 required hours can be completed online. The course must be NMLS-approved, and a pre-licensing course approved by NMLS for any state counts toward Hawaii's requirement. A course provided by an employer or its affiliate is also permitted.

You take Illinois MLO pre-license courses through NMLS-approved education providers, listed in the NMLS course catalog. Illinois requires the standard 20-hour national package: 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 hours of electives. Illinois adds no state-specific hours to this requirement.

You take the required 20 hours of pre-licensing education through NMLS-approved providers, either online or in person. On the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) track, courses do not need to cover Indiana law; education approved for any state satisfies the requirement. The Secretary of State (loan broker) track requires 2 hours of Indiana law within the 20-hour total.

Iowa accepts prelicensing education approved by NMLS for any state, so any online 20-hour course from an NMLS-approved education provider satisfies Iowa's requirement. Approved courses are listed in the NMLS education catalog. Iowa adds no state-specific hours beyond the national 20-hour course.

All pre-license courses for Louisiana must be approved by NMLS, and you can find approved providers through the NMLS Master Course Catalog, which lists courses by state and format, including online self-paced options. Louisiana adds no state-specific hours, so the standard 20-hour SAFE course is all you need.

Maine pre-license courses must be approved by NMLS, which reviews and approves both the course content and the provider. Maine law lets you complete the required 20 hours in a classroom, online, or by any other delivery method NMLS approves. Approved providers appear on the NMLS approved-education list, and courses provided by an employer or affiliate are acceptable if NMLS approves them.

You can take Maryland's required pre-license courses online or in a classroom from any provider approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS); Maryland stopped approving courses and providers itself in 2010. The NMLS approved-education list shows providers offering the required 20 hours, which includes 5 hours of Maryland-specific law (3 hours of Maryland mortgage law and 2 hours of Maryland finder's fee law).

Pre-license courses can be taken online from any NMLS-approved provider listed on the NMLS course catalog. Massachusetts requires 20 hours total: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, 9 hours of electives, and 3 hours on Massachusetts law. The 3 state-specific hours may be met with either a Massachusetts comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course.

Minnesota accepts any pre-license course approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), delivered online or in a classroom, and the NMLS course catalog lists approved providers. The required course is the standard 20 hours: 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 elective hours. Minnesota adds no state-specific hours beyond the national course.

You can take Mississippi pre-license courses online from providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The required 20 hours may be completed in a classroom, online, or through another NMLS-approved format. The 4 hours of Mississippi S.A.F.E. Mortgage Act education can be satisfied by a comprehensive Mississippi course or a state-specific elective course.

Missouri permits prelicensing education to be completed online, in a classroom, or by another NMLS-approved delivery method, through any NMLS-approved provider; employer-provided courses are also allowed. The course must cover 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage products, and 12 hours of electives. You can confirm a provider's approval status through NMLS.

Through any NMLS-approved education provider, many of which offer the 20-hour Montana course online in a self-paced format. Montana accepts NMLS-approved prelicensing education completed for any other state toward its requirement, as long as the 2 hours of Montana-specific content are included. The NMLS education catalog lists approved providers and courses.

Online pre-license courses come from providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), and you enroll through the NMLS website. Nevada requires 30 hours, made up of 3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage lending, 18 hours of electives, and 4 hours of Nevada law, which you can satisfy with either a Nevada comprehensive course or a state-specific elective.

New Hampshire accepts pre-licensure education only from NMLS-approved providers, and many approved providers offer the required 20 hours, including the 2 hours of New Hampshire law, in online formats such as self-paced, video, and webinar courses. Prices vary by provider and format.

Pre-license courses must come from providers approved by NMLS, the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, which publishes the approved course list. New York requires 20 hours including 3 hours of New York law. If you have less than four years of MLO experience, New York restricts you to a live classroom, fully interactive video or audio conference, or comprehension-gated format rather than a passive online course.

You take pre-licensing courses through education providers approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS), which lists approved courses on its site. North Carolina requires 24 hours: 3 hours federal statutes and regulations, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional mortgage lending, 12 hours of electives, and 4 hours of North Carolina statutes and rules. The 4-hour state requirement can be met with an NC comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course.

You take pre-license courses through NMLS-approved education providers, which Ohio requires before you submit your application. Ohio requires at least 24 hours of coursework, including 4 hours of Ohio-specific law. Course formats and costs vary by provider, and course credit expires 5 years after you earn it, so plan your application timing accordingly.

Oklahoma requires 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensure education, which includes 1 hour of Oklahoma state-specific law, and you can take the coursework through any NMLS-approved provider that offers it online. The state hour counts within the 20 total hours, not in addition to them. Only courses from NMLS-approved providers satisfy the requirement.

You can take Oregon pre-license courses online through any provider on the NMLS approved-course list. The 20-hour requirement includes 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on nontraditional mortgage lending, and 4 hours of Oregon law, and the Oregon hours can be met with a comprehensive course or a state-specific elective.

You can take the courses online through any provider approved by NMLS, which lists approved courses and formats in its catalog. Pennsylvania requires at least 20 hours of pre-licensing education, including 3 hours of Pennsylvania-specific law that you can satisfy with either a comprehensive Pennsylvania course or a state-specific elective. The provider reports your completed hours directly to your NMLS record.

You take MLO pre-license courses from NMLS-approved education providers, most of which offer the required 20 hours online. Your coursework must include 3 hours of South Carolina-specific law, and you must choose the version that matches your employer's regulator: SC-BFI content if you will work for a licensed lender or servicer, or SC-DCA content if you will work for a mortgage broker.

You take pre-license courses online through providers on the NMLS approved-education list. For the Texas SML license, the 23-hour requirement, 20 national hours plus 3 hours of Texas law, can be met with a single comprehensive course or a 20-hour course plus a 3-hour Texas elective. The education must be completed within the 3 years before you apply.

Online, as long as the provider is approved. Vermont accepts prelicensing education delivered in a classroom, online, or by other NMLS-approved means, and the required 20 hours, including 2 hours of Vermont law, must come from courses and providers that the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) has reviewed and approved. A course may also be provided by your employer or an affiliated entity.

Pre-licensing courses are offered online and in classroom format by NMLS-approved providers, and the NMLS Resource Center lists the approved providers and courses. Washington requires 22 hours of pre-licensing education, including 4 hours of Washington law, which can be met by either a Washington comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course. Course costs vary by provider.

West Virginia permits prelicensing education to be delivered in the classroom, online, or by any other NMLS-approved means, so the 24 required hours can be completed online through any NMLS-approved provider. Courses provided by an applicant's employer or an affiliated entity also qualify. The 4 hours of West Virginia law content may be satisfied by either a comprehensive course or a state-specific elective course.

Wisconsin requires the standard 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-license education, and many approved providers deliver the course fully online. Wisconsin adds no state-specific coursework, so any NMLS-approved 20-hour course satisfies the requirement. Packages from major providers typically cost a few hundred dollars, and exam prep is often bundled or sold separately. Approved courses appear in the NMLS education catalog.

You can take the required 20 hours of Wyoming pre-licensure education online through any provider on the NMLS approved-education list. The hours break down as 3 hours of federal law, 3 hours of ethics, 2 hours on non-traditional mortgage lending, and 12 hours of electives. Wyoming adds no state-specific hours beyond this national baseline.