How to get a Texas mortgage loan officer (MLO) license
NMLS education, the SAFE test, fees and sponsorship in the order you'll do them — from the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML) and NMLS.
Step by step
- Create your individual NMLS account — you get an NMLS ID that follows you for your whole career.
- Complete 23 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education — the 20-hour SAFE core plus 3 more hours, 3 of them on Texas law.
- Pass the SAFE MLO test with the Uniform State Test — 120 (115 scored) questions, 190 minutes, $110, passing score 75.
- Authorize a credit report and FBI background check through NMLS ($15 + about $36.25; fingerprints at a vendor site).
- File the MU4 application in NMLS for the Mortgage Loan Originator License and pay the Texas fee ($145) plus the $35 NMLS processing fee.
- Get sponsored by a licensed mortgage company — the license only becomes active once an employer sponsors it. Renew every year (Nov 1–Dec 31) with 8 hours of CE.
Pre-licensing & exam prep courses
- The CE Shop — self-paced 20-hour SAFE course plus state courses for every state, with exam-prep packages
- OnCourse Learning — online MLO packages with state hours and SAFE test prep included
- RealEstateU — low-cost self-paced 20-hour course with state hours for every state
- Aceable Mortgage — mobile-friendly 20-hour national course (state add-ons in about ten states)
Pick an NMLS-approved course that includes the Texas hours. Some links may be affiliate links.
Texas MLO license requirements
| License | Mortgage Loan Originator License |
| Regulator | Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML) |
| Pre-licensing education | 23 hours (the 20-hour SAFE core plus 3 more hours, 3 of them on Texas law) |
| Exam | SAFE MLO test with UST · 120 (115 scored) questions · 190 min · $110 |
| Texas license fee | $145 |
| Other state fees | The $145 license fee collected through NMLS includes a $20 recovery fund fee (no separate application fee). Sponsorship fee $25. Late renewals (reinstatement Jan 1–Feb 28) cost 150% of the base license fee. SML says FY2027 fees are unchanged. |
| NMLS fees | $35 processing · $15 credit report · ~$36.25 FBI check |
| Individual bond | None — the sponsoring company is bonded |
| Sponsorship | Must be sponsored by a licensed mortgage company before the license becomes active; without sponsorship the license can be issued as Approved-Inactive (cannot originate) (7 Tex. Admin. Code § 55.107) |
| Annual CE | 8 hours |
| Processing time | Varies; often 2–6 weeks once the file is complete |
Texas has two MLO regulators. SML licenses most residential MLOs (employees of mortgage companies and bankers under Fin. Code ch. 156/157). The Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) licenses MLOs at its own licensees (mainly secondary and home-equity lenders), with 20 h PE and no Texas hours. SML requires 23 hours of PE: the 20-hour SAFE core plus 3 hours of Texas SML law (a 23-hour TX-SML comprehensive course, or a 20-hour course plus a 3-hour TX-SML elective). Other states' state-law hours do not count toward the 12 elective hours (7 TAC § 55.108). PE must be completed within the 3 years before you apply. Test: SAFE MLO Test with UST. Approval standards (Fin. Code § 180.055 and § 157.012): no prior MLO license revocation; no felony in the 7 years before applying, and never one involving fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering (deferred adjudication and probation count as convictions under § 157.0131); financial responsibility judged on the overall credit picture, not the score alone; US citizen or lawfully admitted alien. Independent-contractor (1099) processors and underwriters and CUSO employees also need this license. Military members, veterans and military spouses get expedited review. CE is the standard 8 hours with no Texas-specific hour, and must be posted in NMLS before you can renew. The renewal window is Nov 1–Dec 31. A license not renewed expires Jan 1 and can only be reinstated (Jan 1–Feb 28, 150% fee). Temporary authority to operate is available (NMLS checklist: eligible) for MLOs moving from another state license or from a federally registered (bank) MLO position, up to 120 days while the application is pending. Employees of banks, credit unions and their federally regulated subsidiaries register federally in NMLS instead of getting this license.
Sources: NMLS Checklist Compiler data: Mortgage Loan Originator License (new application), fees and PE hours · NMLS Checklist Compiler data: Mortgage Loan Originator License (new application), agency requirements · NMLS State-Specific Education Requirements (PE and CE): Texas · Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML) · NMLS MLO Testing Handbook: test specifications. Checked 2026-10.
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MLO pre-licensing hours across the US
Other Texas licenses
Life & Health insurance license · Property & Casualty insurance license · Adjuster insurance license · All Texas insurance licenses · How to become a notary in Texas
Questions
How long does it take to get an MLO license in Texas?
Most people finish the 23 hours of education in 1–2 weeks, sit the SAFE MLO test a week or two later, then wait for the background check and Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML) review. Plan on 4–8 weeks in total.
How much does a Texas mortgage loan originator license cost?
About $341 in test, NMLS, background and Texas fees, plus $300–600 for the pre-licensing course.
Do I need a college degree to be a loan officer in Texas?
No. You need the NMLS education, a passing SAFE MLO test score, a clean background and credit review, and a licensed company to sponsor you.
Do bank loan officers need a Texas license?
No — loan officers employed by federally insured banks and credit unions register with NMLS instead of getting a state license. Non-bank lenders and brokers need the state MLO license.