MLO License Requirements by State: Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia

The federal SAFE Act sets the floor for every state: 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, a passing score on the SAFE MLO Test, a background and credit check, and 8 hours of continuing education a year. States add their own hours, fees and rules on top. This page covers the five states with the most state-licensed MLOs. Every figure is from the state's own entries in NMLS, checked 11 Oct 2026.

The five largest states for MLO licenses

Side by side

Florida

• Regulator: the Office of Financial Regulation, Division of Consumer Finance. License: Mortgage Loan Originator License.
• The 2 Florida-law hours count inside the 20; CE is 8 hours including 1 hour of Florida law.
• Test: Florida law requires a written test developed by the registry (s. 494.00312(2)(c), Florida Statutes), which is the SAFE MLO Test.
• The checklist puts the approximate application cost at US$305.25: US$195 state fee, US$35 NMLS, US$15 credit report, US$36.25 FBI check and about US$24 for a state Live Scan.

Texas

• Regulator: the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML). License: Mortgage Loan Originator License.
• Texas is the one state here that adds hours on top of the 20: you need 23 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education, completed within the 3 years before you apply.
• You need a passing result on the National Test with Uniform State Content.
• The US$145 state fee includes a US$20 Recovery Fund fee; the law allows a recovery fund fee or a surety bond (Texas Finance Code 180.055).
• A much smaller group of MLOs is licensed by the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) instead. Most candidates apply to SML.

California

• California has two regulators. The Department of Real Estate (DRE) issues an MLO License Endorsement to a California real estate licensee. The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) issues the Mortgage Loan Originator License under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act (Financial Code 50140-50146). Your employer's license decides which one you need.
• DFPI: 20 hours including 2 hours of California content; 8 hours of CE including 1 hour of DFPI law.
• DRE: 20 hours and 8 hours of CE, with no state-specific hours. Your real estate license must stay current.
• Some older DRE documents describe a separate California test component. That has been replaced by the single National Test with UST.

Arizona

• Regulator: the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). License: Loan Originator License.
• 4 of the 20 pre-licensing hours must cover Arizona law; CE is 8 hours including 1 hour of Arizona law.
• A US$100 recovery fee applies unless your sponsoring employer holds a loan originator surety bond of at least US$200,000 (A.R.S. 6-991.03).
• The license fee is pro-rated by the month you apply. Confirm the current amount with DIFI before you pay.

Georgia

• Regulator: the Department of Banking and Finance (DBF). License: Mortgage Loan Originator License.
• 20 hours of pre-licensing education with no state hours, and a passing result on the National Test with Uniform State Content.
• CE is 8 hours including 1 hour of Georgia law, and Georgia's CE deadline is October 31, two months before most states.
• You must be a W-2 employee of one licensed company; Georgia does not allow MLOs as 1099 contractors. You are covered by your sponsor's surety bond.
• Georgia's renewal period runs November 1 to December 1, earlier than the usual December 31.

Every other state

NMLS publishes each state's checklist in its Licensing Checklists, Requirements, and Fees compiler, and the state-specific education chart in the MLO Testing Handbook. Look up your state there before you enroll in a course, because state hours have to be in the course you take.

Whatever your state, the test is the same. Check your readiness with the free 20-question practice test, and see what the license costs in MLO license cost.