United States
Hong KongContinuing education requirements
Eight hours a year for a state-licensed originator: 3 hours federal law, 2 hours ethics, 2 hours non-traditional mortgage lending and 1 hour of electives. The same course cannot be taken in successive years.
The license needs feeding every year. Eight hours, in a fixed split, from an NMLS-approved provider.
The split
| Subject | Hours |
|---|---|
| Federal law and regulations | 3 |
| Ethics, including fraud, consumer protection and fair lending | 2 |
| Non-traditional mortgage lending | 2 |
| Electives | 1 |
Seven of the eight hours are fixed by regulation, at 12 CFR 1008.107(b). Only the last one is free.
Some states require additional hours of their own on top. Check yours.
The successive-years rule
You may not take the same approved course in two successive years.
The intent is obvious: continuing education is meant to keep you current, and repeating an identical course does not. Providers refresh content annually.
Completing continuing education after the year in which it was due may satisfy the earlier year's requirement, but it then cannot be used for the current year. The hours count once, for one year.
How this differs from pre-licensure
Pre-licensure education is 20 hours, taken once, before licensure. Continuing education is 8 hours, taken every year, to keep the license.
Both come from NMLS-approved providers and neither substitutes for the other. Questions occasionally offer 20 hours as an annual figure, which is the trap.
Registered originators
An originator at a depository institution has no federal continuing education requirement at all. Their employer may impose training of its own, but the SAFE Act does not.
That asymmetry is examinable, and it follows from the same logic as the testing exemption.
Common questions
How many continuing education hours do MLOs need?
8 hours a year: 3 federal law, 2 ethics, 2 non-traditional mortgage lending and 1 elective.
Can I take the same CE course two years running?
No. The successive-years rule prohibits repeating the same approved course in consecutive years.
What is the difference between pre-licensure and continuing education?
Pre-licensure is 20 hours taken once before licensure. Continuing education is 8 hours taken every year to maintain it.
Do registered originators need continuing education?
Not federally. Their employer may require training, but the SAFE Act does not.
What if I complete CE late?
Late hours may satisfy the year they were due, but cannot then also count towards the current year.