What it takes to get a mortgage loan officer license in Texas
Texas has 2 separate agencies that license loan originators. Most people need the Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License, shown first below. The other one covers a narrower kind of lending, and the coursework is not always the same. Check which agency licenses your employer before you buy a course.
Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License
Most people need this oneTotal Course Hours
23 hrs
National & Elective
20 hrs
Texas-Specific
3 hrs
License Fee
$125
Of the 23 hours, 3 must cover Texas law and rules and the other 20 are the national SAFE Act topics and electives. That is 3 more than the federal minimum of 20.
The general route and the one nearly every Texas loan officer takes. Texas is one of the states that genuinely adds hours: 23 in total, the federal 20 plus 3 on Texas law.
Texas funds a recovery account through a per-application fee charged alongside the license fee.
Requirements verified 2026-08-11 against the official source.
Texas OCCC Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License
Narrower routeTotal Course Hours
20 hrs
National & Elective
20 hrs
Texas-Specific
None
License Fee
$225
All 20 hours are the national SAFE Act topics and electives. Texas designates none of them to state law.
Only reaches secondary-lien and home-equity lending, and anyone already licensed by the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending is exempt from it. It designates no Texas-specific hours, so its total stays at the federal 20 rather than the 23 the SML route requires.
Requirements verified 2026-08-11 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 5 of 5 courses
Provider profiles
How to become a mortgage loan officer in Texas
Texas licenses loan originators through 2 separate agencies, and the licenses they issue are not interchangeable. The one most people entering the industry need is the Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License, issued by Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending. It takes 23 hours of pre-licensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, usually written NMLS, 3 of them covering Texas law.
The Texas OCCC Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License from Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner reaches a narrower kind of lending and carries its own coursework: 20 hours, none of them state-specific. Which license you need follows from the lending your employer actually does, not from which course costs less, so settle that before you buy anything.
Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending charges $125 to apply for the Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License, plus $20 for texas recovery fund fee. Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner charges $225 to apply for the Texas OCCC Residential 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.
5 providers in this comparison sell pre-licensing courses for Texas, priced from $79 to $649. Read the coverage column before the price column: a package that skips the 3 Texas hours is cheaper and does not get you licensed.
Texas mortgage license FAQ
How many hours of coursework do I need to become a loan officer in Texas? ▾
It depends which agency licenses you, and most people need the Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License. Texas Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License: 23 hours, 3 of them covering Texas law. Texas OCCC Residential Mortgage Loan Originator License: 20 hours, none of them state-specific. Every hour has to come from an NMLS-approved course provider.
What exam do I have to pass in Texas? ▾
The SAFE Act national test carrying uniform state content. Every state and territory has adopted it, so there is no separate Texas exam behind it. You need 75 percent to pass.
What does the license itself cost in Texas? ▾
$125 to Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, $225 to Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, 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 Texas? ▾
No. In Texas the bond obligation sits with the company sponsoring you, not with you personally.
What does a Texas mortgage license cost in total?
Course tuition is only part of it. See the full stack of state and NMLS fees.