What it takes to get a mortgage loan officer license in Virginia
Virginia Mortgage Loan Originator License Requirements
Issued by Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions, State Corporation Commission
Total Course Hours
20 hrs
National & Elective
20 hrs
Virginia-Specific
None
License Fee
$150
All 20 hours are the national SAFE Act topics and electives. Virginia designates none of them to state law.
Virginia designates none of the 20 hours to state law, so the federal SAFE course is the whole pre-licensing requirement here. That is not true in most states, and a course bought for Virginia will not necessarily satisfy a neighboring one.
Virginia requires a bond for every originator license. An originator employed by, or exclusive agent of, a licensed lender or broker is covered by a bond that employer files for all of its originators; anyone who is not files an individual bond.
Requirements verified 2026-08-11 against the official source.
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Provider profiles
How to become a mortgage loan officer in Virginia
Originating mortgage loans in Virginia takes 20 hours of pre-licensing education from a provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System, usually written NMLS. Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions, State Corporation Commission issues the license and calls it the Virginia Mortgage Loan Originator License.
Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions, State Corporation Commission charges $150 to apply for the Virginia 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 Virginia, 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.
Virginia mortgage license FAQ
How many hours of coursework do I need to become a loan officer in Virginia? ▾
20 hours, none of which Virginia designates to state law. The course has to come from an NMLS-approved provider.
What exam do I have to pass in Virginia? ▾
The SAFE Act national test carrying uniform state content. Every state and territory has adopted it, so there is no separate Virginia exam behind it. You need 75 percent to pass.
What does the license itself cost in Virginia? ▾
$150 to Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions, State Corporation Commission, 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 Virginia? ▾
Yes. Virginia requires a bond for every originator license. An originator employed by, or exclusive agent of, a licensed lender or broker is covered by a bond that employer files for all of its originators; anyone who is not files an individual bond.
What does a Virginia mortgage license cost in total?
Course tuition is only part of it. See the full stack of state and NMLS fees.