United States
Hong KongFelony convictions and licensing
A felony in the seven years before application bars licensure. A felony involving fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering bars it permanently, with no time limit and no rehabilitation period.
Worth checking before you spend on a course and a test, because one of these bars never lifts.
The two bars
| Conviction | Effect |
|---|---|
| Any felony in the 7 years before application | Barred for that period |
| A felony involving fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering | Barred permanently, whenever it occurred |
Both are at 12 CFR 1008.105(d)(1)(ii). The second is the one candidates misread.
A fraud-related felony from decades ago still bars licensure. There is no waiting period that cures it and no evidence of rehabilitation that overrides it. Knowing this before you buy a course is worth the phone call it takes to establish.
What is not covered
Misdemeanors are not an automatic bar. Nor are arrests without conviction. Nor are felonies outside the seven-year window that do not involve those four categories.
Not automatic does not mean irrelevant. The state still assesses character and fitness, and it will want the circumstances.
Expungement
Disclose it anyway. Rules on expunged and sealed records vary and the licensing question is usually drawn broadly.
Non-disclosure is treated far more seriously than most underlying conduct, because it goes to honesty rather than to history.
If you are unsure
Contact the state regulator before enrolling. They are used to the question, the answer is free, and it is better than discovering the position after paying for twenty hours of education and a test.
Common questions
Can a felon get an MLO license?
Sometimes. A felony in the seven years before application bars licensure, and a fraud-related felony bars it permanently.
Which felonies bar licensure permanently?
Those involving fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering, whenever they occurred.
Do misdemeanors disqualify you?
Not automatically, though character and fitness are still assessed.
Should I disclose an expunged conviction?
Yes. The licensing question is usually drawn broadly and non-disclosure is treated more seriously than the underlying matter.
How can I check before spending money?
Contact the state regulator. It is a question they answer routinely and it costs nothing.