What an Ohio mortgage loan officer license costs
The number a course provider advertises is one line of this bill. Before you originate a single loan in Ohio you also owe the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, usually written NMLS, for processing your application, a background check, a credit report and the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act test for mortgage loan originators, and you owe Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions for the license itself. Those fees are owed whichever course you pick, so comparing tuition alone understates what getting licensed costs. Everything below is a one-time cost per person unless it says otherwise.
Fees you pay whichever course you choose
| NMLS initial set-up fee Charged when you first file the individual MU4 form. | $35 |
| SAFE MLO test fee One national test. Every state has adopted it, so there is no second state exam to pay for. | $110 |
| Criminal background check Add a $10 card packet fee if you submit fingerprints on a print card rather than by Livescan. | $36 |
| Credit report Charged at new application unless NMLS already holds a report less than 30 days old. | $15 |
| Ohio Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License application fee Paid to Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions. | $200 |
| Fees total | $396 |
Course tuition
Ohio courses in our comparison run from $89 to $659. That has to cover all 24 required hours , and where a package includes the state-specific hours the comparison table says so.
Cheapest realistic total
$485 using the cheapest listed course
What it costs every year after that
The license is renewed annually. Budget $35 for the NMLS annual processing fee, whatever Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions charges to renew, and the cost of your continuing education hours.