Skip to content
State Cert Guide

Independent guide, not a government agency. We earn commissions on some links.

What do I need for a Rhode Island mortgage loan originator license?

In Rhode Island, unless an exemption applies, an individual may not engage in the business of a mortgage loan originator for any dwelling there without first getting a license. The pre-licensing requirement is at least twenty hours of approved education, three of them on Rhode Island law. The individual must also pass a qualified written test, scoring at least seventy-five percent correct answers.

By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Report a mistake

The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
At least twenty hours of approved education, three of them on Rhode Island lawThe law splits the hours by topic, listed in the questions below.
Verified. webserver.rilegislature.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 pre-licensing 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.
Verified. webserver.rilegislature.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 for any dwelling in Rhode Island without first obtaining a license and maintaining it annually.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry approves, called the registry on this page. The statute has the registry review and approve pre-licensing courses and their providers. Education it approved for any state counts toward the Rhode Island requirement.

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

  4. Step 4. Pass a qualified written test. After failing three consecutive tests, an individual waits at least six months before taking the test 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, two on lending standards for the nontraditional mortgage product marketplace, and three on Rhode Island law and regulations.

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 Rhode Island license before?

A person previously licensed who applies again must prove all continuing education for the year the license was last held. One who failed to keep a valid license for three years or longer must retake the test. Time spent as a registered mortgage loan originator is not counted in those three years.

What to do next

Start with the Rhode Island law on pre-licensing education. Then pick a course the registry approves.

webserver.rilegislature.gov

Sources we read