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What do I need for a Maryland mortgage loan originator license?

In Maryland, unless an exemption applies, an individual may not engage in the business of a mortgage loan originator without a valid license. To qualify for an initial license, an applicant must complete at least 20 hours of prelicensing education and pass a qualified written test with a score of at least 75 percent.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
At least 20 hours of prelicensing education for an initial licenseThe statute names three topics that the hours include.
Verified. mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$110 for the SAFE MLO Test, as NMLS lists it. This is not the course priceWe haven't confirmed a course price from a source.
NMLS Resource Center · SAFE MLO Test overview (opens external website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Online accepted
Yes. A classroom, online, or any other means that NMLS approvesThe statute says this about prelicensing education in general.
Verified. mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Passing score
A qualified written test is passed with a score of at least 75 percentThe statute sets this for the test an initial license requires.
Verified. mgaleg.maryland.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check whether you need the license. Unless an exemption applies, an individual may not engage in the business of a mortgage loan originator without a valid license issued under the Maryland Financial Institutions Article. An individual who offers or negotiates the terms of a mortgage loan with or for an immediate family member is exempt, among others. A licensed attorney who negotiates a client's loan as an ancillary matter is exempt too, unless a lender, broker or originator, or an agent of one, pays the attorney.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course that the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, called NMLS on this page, has approved. NMLS reviews and approves every prelicensing course, and that review includes the course provider. If you completed NMLS-approved prelicensing education in another state, the Commissioner accepts it as credit toward Maryland's requirement, except education specific to that other state.

  3. Step 3. Take at least 20 hours to qualify for an initial license. The statute lets prelicensing education be offered in a classroom, online, or by any other means that NMLS approves.

  4. Step 4. Pass a qualified written test. NMLS develops it, and a test provider that NMLS approves gives it. An applicant may take a test three times, each at least 30 days after the preceding test. After failing three tests, the applicant waits at least 6 months before taking the test again.

Before you pay

Before you pay, check that NMLS has approved both the course and its provider, and that the course covers the 3 hours on Maryland law and the 2 hours on Maryland finder's fee law.

Questions

What must the 20 hours include?

The state regulation says the 20 hours include at least these subjects: 3 hours on federal law and regulations, 3 on ethics, including fraud, consumer protection, and fair lending, and 2 on lending standards and loan terms for nontraditional mortgage products. It also lists 3 hours on Maryland law, 2 hours on Maryland finder's fee law, and 7 elective hours on mortgage origination.

Can I hold the license without an employer?

Yes, but it stays in nonactive status. A license lets its holder act as a mortgage loan originator only when working for a mortgage lender or a person exempt from licensing as a mortgage lender. A license issued to someone with no such employer stays nonactive until the licensee tells the Commissioner of a new employer. The licensee must also notify the Commissioner in advance, pay a license amendment fee, and amend NMLS to show the new employer.

What if my license lapsed?

A licensee who fails to renew and maintain a valid license for 5 years or longer must retake the test and pass it before obtaining a new license. Time spent as a registered mortgage loan originator is not counted toward those 5 years.

What does the test cover?

A test counts as a qualified written test only if it adequately measures knowledge and comprehension in appropriate subject areas, including ethics. It also covers federal and State law and regulations relating to mortgage origination, and those relating to fraud, consumer protection, the nontraditional mortgage product marketplace and fair lending. NMLS lists 120 questions, with 115 scored. The five unscored pre-test questions have no effect on your pass or fail result.

What to do next

Start with the Maryland Code on who must hold a license. Then pick a course that NMLS has approved.

mgaleg.maryland.gov

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