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North Dakota does not allow one person to act as both the real estate agent and the mortgage loan originator on the same transaction. Owning or working in both types of businesses is not prohibited, so you may hold both credentials, but you cannot serve in both roles on a single deal.

Yes. North Dakota company licenses, called money broker licenses, are filed online through NMLS, and the state does not require a physical presence for this license. The money broker application carries a $400 initial fee and a $400 annual license fee, plus a $50 annual fee for each branch location.

Yes. A company that makes or brokers mortgage loans in North Dakota needs a money broker license, and the application is filed through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). The state does not require a physical presence for this license. The company pays a $400 application fee and a $400 annual license fee, plus $50 per branch location.

You need an MLO license to work as a loan processor only if you work as an independent contractor. Under North Dakota Century Code 13-10-03.3, an independent-contractor loan processor or underwriter must obtain and maintain a mortgage loan originator license. Employee processors and underwriters who perform clerical or support duties under supervision are not considered MLOs, so they do not need the license.

Yes. Mortgage licensing is handled state by state, and North Dakota requires an MLO license for anyone originating loans secured by a dwelling located in the state. NMLS maintains a record for each state where the MLO is active. A licensed MLO seeking licensure in another state may qualify for Temporary Authority, which permits originating loans while completing that state's education and testing requirements.

North Dakota does not require a license for every loan processor. A processor who works as an employee performing clerical or support duties under supervision is not a mortgage loan originator under ND Century Code 13-10-02(5). However, an independent-contractor loan processor or underwriter must obtain and maintain a mortgage loan originator license under section 13-10-03.3.

In North Dakota, loan processors do not need a certification or license when they work as employees performing clerical or support duties under supervision, because state law does not treat that role as a mortgage loan originator. The rule changes for independent-contractor processors: an independent-contractor loan processor or underwriter must obtain and maintain a mortgage loan originator license under ND Century Code 13-10-03.3.

You do not need perfect credit, but you must show financial responsibility. North Dakota's standard (North Dakota Century Code 13-10-05) weighs current outstanding judgments (except those from medical expenses only), outstanding tax or government liens, foreclosures within the past 3 years, and a pattern of seriously delinquent accounts within the past 3 years. You must authorize an independent credit report with your application, and North Dakota requires a written explanation with supporting documents for any derogatory credit accounts.

For NMLS system questions, call the NMLS Call Center at (855) 665-7123. For North Dakota licensing questions, contact the Department of Financial Institutions at 1200 Memorial Highway, Bismarck, ND 58504, call 701-328-9933, or email dfi@nd.gov.

If you want to work as a loan officer at a bank or credit union in North Dakota, you register with the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) rather than applying for a state MLO license, because registered MLOs at depository institutions are exempt from North Dakota licensure. NMLS provides a separate federal Registration Guide for this process. If you later move to a state-licensed mortgage company, Temporary Authority may let you originate loans while completing the state's education and testing requirements.