What a Texas mortgage loan officer license costs
The number a course provider advertises is one line of this bill. Before you originate a single loan in Texas 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 Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending or Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner 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 |
| Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License application fee Paid to Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending. | $125 |
| Texas Recovery Fund fee Charged with the application on top of the $125 licensing fee, and paid into the state recovery fund rather than to the Department. | $20 |
| Texas OCCC Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License application fee Paid to Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. | $225 |
| Fees total (Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License) | $341 |
| Fees total (Texas OCCC Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License) | $421 |
Course tuition
Texas courses in our comparison run from $79 to $649. That has to cover all 23 required hours , and where a package includes the state-specific hours the comparison table says so.
Cheapest realistic total
Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License: $420 using the cheapest listed course
Texas OCCC Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License: $500 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 Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending or Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner charges to renew, and the cost of your continuing education hours.