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State Cert Guide

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What do I need for a North Dakota mortgage loan originator license?

Unless an exemption applies, you need a North Dakota license to work as a mortgage loan originator for homes in the state. You must take at least twenty hours of approved education. You must also pass a written test with at least seventy-five percent of answers right. The commissioner must also make other findings first, such as that you never had an originator license revoked.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
At least twenty hours of approved educationThe law sets minimum hours on three topics, listed in the questions below.
Verified. ndlegis.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 website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Online accepted
Yes. A classroom, online, or any other means the registry approvesThe statute says this about prelicensing education in general.
Same source and date as above
Passing score
A passing score is not less than seventy-five percent correct answersThe statute sets this for a qualified written test.
Same source and date as above

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 for any dwelling in North Dakota without first obtaining a license and maintaining it annually.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry approves. The statute has this registry review and approve prelicensing courses and their providers. Courses it approved for any state count toward the North Dakota requirement.

  3. Step 3. Take at least twenty hours. The statute lets prelicensing courses be offered in a classroom, online, or by any other means the registry approves.

  4. Step 4. Pass a qualified written test. The registry develops it, and a test provider the registry approves gives it. After failing three consecutive tests, an individual waits at least six months before taking it again.

Before you pay

Before you pay, check that the registry has approved both the course and its provider.

Questions

What must the twenty hours include?

At least three hours of federal law and regulations, three of ethics, and two on lending standards for the nontraditional mortgage product marketplace. NMLS lists the rest as 12 hours of electives.

Who is exempt from the license?

The statute lists several exemptions. Among them is an individual who offers or negotiates a residential mortgage loan with or on behalf of an immediate family member.

What does the test cover?

A test counts as a qualified written test only if it measures knowledge in subject areas including ethics, and federal and state law and regulation on mortgage origination. NMLS lists 120 questions, with 115 scored. The five unscored pre-test questions have no effect on your pass or fail result.

What if I held a North Dakota license before?

A person previously licensed who applies again must prove all continuing education requirements for the year the license was last held. One who failed to keep a valid license for five years or longer must retake the test.

Can a felony keep me from getting the license?

It can. The commissioner can't issue it if, in the seven years before you apply, you were convicted of a felony, pled guilty, no contest or to lesser charges, or are charged and awaiting trial. A felony involving fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering counts at any time. A pardoned conviction doesn't count.

What to do next

Start with Chapter 13-10 of the North Dakota Century Code. Then pick a course the registry approves.

ndlegis.gov

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