12 CFR §1008.105
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
For an individual to be eligible for a loan originator license required under § 1008.103(a) and (d), a state must require and find, at a minimum, that an individual:
- (a)Has never had a loan originator license revoked in any governmental jurisdiction, except that a formally vacated revocation shall not be deemed a revocation;
- (b)
- (c)Has demonstrated financial responsibility, character, and general fitness, such as to command the confidence of the community and to warrant a determination that the loan originator will operate honestly, fairly, and efficiently, under reasonable standards established by the individual state.
- (d)Completed at least 20 hours of pre-licensing education that has been reviewed and approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. The pre-licensing education completed by the individual must include at least:
- (e)
- (1)Achieved a test score of not less than 75 percent correct answers on a written test developed by the NMLSR in accordance with 12 U.S.C. 5105(d).
- (2)To satisfy the requirement under paragraph (e)(1) of this section, an individual may take a test three consecutive times, with each retest occurring at least 30 days after the preceding test. If an individual fails three consecutive tests, the individual must wait at least 6 months before taking the test again.
- (3)If a formerly state-licensed loan originator fails to maintain a valid license for 5 years or longer, not taking into account any time during which such individual is a registered loan originator, the individual must retake the test and achieve a test score of not less than 75 percent correct answers.
- (f)Be covered by either a net worth or surety bond requirement, or pays into a state fund, as required by the state loan originator supervisory authority.
- (g)Has submitted to the NMLSR fingerprints for submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to any government agency for a state and national criminal history background check; and
- (h)Has submitted to the NMLSR personal history and experience, which must include authorization for the NMLSR to obtain: