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Iowa Mortgage Lending Resources

Licensing Requirements

The SAFE Act requires Iowa licensed mortgage loan originators to meet minimum licensing standards. The minimum requirements to be a licensed mortgage loan originator in Iowa are:
  1. Complete 20 hours of NMLS-approved prelicense education. The education must include a minimum of:
    • three hours of federal mortgage law;
    • three hours of ethics;
    • two hours related to the nontraditional mortgage market place.
  2. Pass the national component of the SAFE MLO Test and the Iowa component of the SAFE MLO Test.
  3. Submit fingerprints to the NMLS for a criminal background check.
  4. Authorize a credit report within the NMLS.
  5. Register and obtain a Unique Identifier with the NMLS.
For information on Iowa licensing requirements, visit the Iowa Division of Banking website or the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System website.