What it takes to get a mortgage loan officer license in Alabama
Alabama Mortgage Loan Originator License Requirements
Total Course Hours
20 hrs
National & Elective
20 hrs
Alabama-Specific
None
License Fee
$75
All 20 hours are the national SAFE Act topics and electives. Alabama designates none of them to state law.
Alabama designates no state-specific hours. The federal 20-hour SAFE course is the entire pre-licensing requirement here, which is not true everywhere.
Alabama sets no fixed bond amount in statute. The penal sum is set by the Banking Department based on the dollar volume of loans originated, and an originator who is an employee or exclusive agent of a licensed mortgage broker or Consumer Credit Act licensee is covered by that employer's bond rather than buying their own.
Requirements verified 2026-08-10 against the official source.
Some links below are paid placements: we may earn a commission if you enroll through one. It does not change what you pay, which providers are listed, or the prices recorded here. How this works.
Showing 4 of 4 courses
Provider profiles
How to become a mortgage loan officer in Alabama
Originating mortgage loans in Alabama takes 20 hours of pre-licensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, usually written NMLS. Alabama State Banking Department, Bureau of Loans issues the license and calls it the Alabama Mortgage Loan Originator License.
Alabama State Banking Department, Bureau of Loans charges $75 to apply for the Alabama Mortgage Loan Originator License. NMLS charges its own processing fees on top of that and those are the same in every jurisdiction, so the license costs more than the state's own figure suggests. The cost breakdown adds up the whole stack.
4 providers in this comparison sell pre-licensing courses for Alabama, priced from $249 to $599. The lowest price on a provider's site is sometimes an add-on rather than a full pre-licensing course, so the table marks which packages cover the national hours.
Alabama mortgage license FAQ
How many hours of coursework do I need to become a loan officer in Alabama? ▾
20 hours, none of which Alabama designates to state law. The course has to come from an NMLS-approved provider.
What exam do I have to pass in Alabama? ▾
The SAFE Act national test carrying uniform state content. Every state and territory has adopted it, so there is no separate Alabama exam behind it. You need 75 percent to pass.
What does the license itself cost in Alabama? ▾
$75 to Alabama State Banking Department, Bureau of Loans, plus the fees NMLS charges to process the application. Course tuition is separate and varies by provider. The cost breakdown page has the full stack.
Do I need a surety bond in Alabama? ▾
Yes. Alabama sets no fixed bond amount in statute. The penal sum is set by the Banking Department based on the dollar volume of loans originated, and an originator who is an employee or exclusive agent of a licensed mortgage broker or Consumer Credit Act licensee is covered by that employer's bond rather than buying their own.
What does an Alabama mortgage license cost in total?
Course tuition is only part of it. See the full stack of state and NMLS fees.