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

Montana requires mortgage loan originators to apply for a state license, unless the Montana Mortgage Act exempts them. An applicant completes at least twenty hours of approved education and passes an exam with a score of at least seventy-five percent. Licenses renew by December thirty-first each year.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
At least twenty hours of approved education coursesThe statute sets minimum hours on three topics, and ethics is one.
Verified. mca.legmt.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$110 for the NMLS National Test. This is not the course priceNMLS lists the fee in its test specifications table.
NMLS Resource Center · SAFE MLO Test overview (opens website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Passing score
An exam score of at least seventy-five percent is required to passThe statute applies this to the qualified written exam.
Verified. mca.legmt.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
All licenses renew by December thirty-first each yearThe deadline is the same for every licensee under the part.
Verified. mca.legmt.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check whether you need the license. The department requires mortgage loan originators to apply for state licensure on applications the NMLS approves. The part does not apply to some people, among them a government employee who acts as a loan originator only as part of that job.

  2. Step 2. Pick an approved course. Use the NMLS course provider list. Prelicensing courses that meet Montana's hour requirements and that the NMLS approved for any other state must be accepted.

  3. Step 3. Take at least twenty hours. The statute says they include at a minimum three hours on federal law and regulations, three on ethics and two on lending standards for the nontraditional mortgage product marketplace.

  4. Step 4. Pass the exam. The statute says an individual has not passed unless the score is at least seventy-five percent.

Before you pay

Before you pay, check that the NMLS has approved the course for prelicensing education.

Questions

Could Montana ask for more than twenty hours?

Yes. The department may require by rule that applicants complete extra hours of training specific to Montana residential mortgage statutes and rules.

How many times can I retake the exam?

An individual may retake the test three consecutive times, each at least thirty days after the previous one. After failing a third consecutive test, the individual waits at least six months.

Do I retake the exam after a long gap without a license?

A licensed originator who fails to maintain a valid license for five years retakes the test. Time as a registered mortgage loan originator does not count toward those years.

What continuing education comes with renewal?

Originators submit evidence of at least eight hours of continuing education when they renew. The hours must include set minimums on federal law, ethics and nontraditional lending.

How long is the test?

NMLS lists 120 questions, with 115 scored, and 190 minutes to finish. The five unscored pre-test questions have no effect on your pass or fail result.

What to do next

Start with the Montana statute on prelicensing education. Then pick a course the NMLS approves.

mca.legmt.gov

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