What it takes to get a mortgage loan officer license in Michigan
Michigan Mortgage Loan Originator License Requirements
Issued by Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
Total Course Hours
20 hrs
National & Elective
18 hrs
Michigan-Specific
2 hrs
License Fee
$225
Of the 20 hours, 2 must cover Michigan law and rules and the other 18 are the national SAFE Act topics and electives.
20 hours in total, 2 of them on Michigan law. Those 2 come out of the 20 rather than being added to it, so the total is the same as a state with no requirement at all, but a generic national course still will not satisfy it.
Requirements verified 2026-08-11 against the official source.
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How to become a mortgage loan officer in Michigan
Originating mortgage loans in Michigan takes 20 hours of pre-licensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, usually written NMLS. Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services issues the license and calls it the Michigan Mortgage Loan Originator License.
The number to slow down on is the 2. Michigan requires 2 of those 20 hours to cover its own mortgage law, and they come out of the 20 rather than being added on top of them. So the total matches a state that asks for nothing of its own, which is exactly what catches people out: a generic 20-hour national course looks like the whole requirement and leaves you 2 hours short of a Michigan license.
Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services charges $225 to apply for the Michigan 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 Michigan, priced from $79 to $639. Read the coverage column before the price column: a package that skips the 2 Michigan hours is cheaper and does not get you licensed.
Michigan mortgage license FAQ
How many hours of coursework do I need to become a loan officer in Michigan? ▾
20 hours in total, of which 2 must cover Michigan law and rules and the remaining 18 are the national SAFE topics and electives. Note that the 2 Michigan hours come out of the 20 rather than being added to it, so a generic 20-hour SAFE course will not cover them. Every hour has to come from an NMLS-approved course provider.
What exam do I have to pass in Michigan? ▾
The SAFE Act national test carrying uniform state content. Every state and territory has adopted it, so there is no separate Michigan exam behind it. You need 75 percent to pass.
What does the license itself cost in Michigan? ▾
$225 to Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, 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 Michigan? ▾
We have not confirmed this against Michigan's own rules yet, so check with Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services before you budget for one. Under the federal SAFE Act an originator has to be covered by a bond, but in most states an employee is covered by their employer's.
What does a Michigan mortgage license cost in total?
Course tuition is only part of it. See the full stack of state and NMLS fees.