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Functional Specifications for All NMLS Approved Courses (version 17)
This document is effective January 1, 2026. All courses submitted for approval on or after January 1, 2026 must be in compliance with these requirements unless other dates are specified.
Section 1: General Requirements for All Course Formats
The following section is applicable to ALL course formats, classroom course, classroom equivalent course (webinar), Online Instructor-led (OIL), and Online Self-Study (OSS).
1.7 Instructor Skills and Qualifications
Course providers are to ensure and be prepared to provide evidence that instructors are qualified and meet legal requirements to instruct NMLS approved courses. Instructors must be knowledgeable in the course subject matter as a result of either relevant academic and / or professional experience.
1.7.2 Instructor Qualifications
Instructors must demonstrate through recent and verifiable experience, credentials and/or other means that s/he is a subject matter expert in one or more areas of mortgage loan origination laws and practices including, but not limited to:

Functional Specifications for All NMLS Approved Courses (version 17)
This document is effective January 1, 2026. All courses submitted for approval on or after January 1, 2026 must be in compliance with these requirements unless other dates are specified.
- Executive Overview
  This document outlines specific design and technical requirements associated with having a course approved by NMLS.
- Section 1: General Requirements for All Course Formats
  The following section is applicable to ALL course formats, classroom course, classroom equivalent course (webinar), Online Instructor-led (OIL), and Online Self-Study (OSS).
  - 1.1 SAFE Act Education Requirements
    The Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act) requires that state-licensed mortgage loan originators (MLOs) complete pre-licensure and annual continuing education.
  - 1.2 NMLS Course Approval
    In situations where States, through the passage of their own SAFE Act legislation, have mandated that state-licensed MLOs complete additional hours of pre-licensure and/or continuing education that exceed the federal requirement; or in situations where states have mandated that a certain number of the 12 hours of electives associated with meeting the pre-licensure requirement or the 1 hour of elective associated with fulfilling the annual continuing education requirement, NMLS will, if the state so desires, approve these courses in cooperation with the respective state agency.
  - 1.3 Course Categories and Delivery Formats
    When submitting a course for NMLS approval, course providers are required to identify which course category of the SAFE Act requirement the course is intended to satisfy, and the format in which the course will be delivered.
  - 1.4 Course Naming
    To ensure course names properly reflect the intended need to meet SAFE Act education requirements and to ensure MLOs are properly informed, the following course naming convention has been developed.
  - 1.5 Time Requirements
    Every course is to be designed appropriately for adult learners such that it contains sufficient content and/or activities to meet the minimum time requirement of 50 seat minutes for each clock hour the course is approved. Course design must ensure that the minimum time required by the SAFE Act is received for the specific course topics.
  - 1.6 Course Materials
  - 1.7 Instructor Skills and Qualifications
    Course providers are to ensure and be prepared to provide evidence that instructors are qualified and meet legal requirements to instruct NMLS approved courses. Instructors must be knowledgeable in the course subject matter as a result of either relevant academic and / or professional experience.
    - 1.7.1 Instructor Skills
      Instructors are to possess the following skills and qualifications:
    - 1.7.2 Instructor Qualifications
      Instructors must demonstrate through recent and verifiable experience, credentials and/or other means that s/he is a subject matter expert in one or more areas of mortgage loan origination laws and practices including, but not limited to:
    - 1.7.3 Instructor Eligibility
      Per the education/funcSpec/maps/topics/nmlsFS_courseInstructorEligibilityPolicy.html, the individual teaching an NMLS-approved course is required to be an independent contractor or an employee of the organization NMLS has approved to be a course provider.
  - 1.8 Course Facilitators
    Providers delivering a course to a large audience are required to employ facilitators to assist with student checking in, attendance verification, and to handle other administrative activities. Facilitators may also be employed to assist with answering of questions, passing information, and/or performing other duties that will ensure optimal course delivery and instructor-to-student interaction.
  - 1.9 Course Content Organization
    Course content is to be organized and delivered in a linear fashion to present information in a logical and engaging manner.
  - 1.10 Interaction
    Courses are to be designed and delivered to ensure that activities facilitate as much interaction as possible and that this interaction is appropriate for the course format and adult learners.
  - 1.11 Measuring Student Satisfaction
    Course providers must have a means by which to measure student satisfaction. Course providers need to be prepared to demonstrate that end-of-course evaluations/surveys are being completed and that substantive feedback is being incorporated in the course material.
  - 1.12 Evidence of Course Completion
    In accordance with Criteria education/funcSpec/maps/topics/nmlsFS_approvedCourseProvider.html#nmlsFS_approvedCourseProvider__li_dr1_bft_c2c of education/funcSpec/maps/topics/nmlsFS_approvedCourseProvider.html, the provider must have a means to measure/verify that a student has attended the course, along with a means to measure that a student has completed the course prior to issuing a course completion certificate.
  - 1.13 Requirement for End-of-Course Assessment
    All courses require an end of course learning assessment. The end of course assessment is only to be made available after all other course completion requirements have been met.
  - 1.14 Requirement for Issuance of Course Completion Certificate
    Every student, at the end of every course, is required to be issued a course completion certificate. At a minimum, the course completion certificate must include:
  - 1.15 Requirement for Issuance and Retention of Rules of Conduct for Students
    Course providers are required to display and have students agree to the Rules of Conduct for Students (ROCS) V4.
  - 1.16 Statement Regarding Approval of Courses for Use on Hand-Held Electronic Devices
    NMLS approves online courses for consumption on desktop and laptop computers. NMLS has not established technical requirements for and has not approved courses for use on small hand-held electronic devices such as the iPad, iPhone, tablets, phablets, smart phones, etc.
  - 1.17 NMLS Approved Course Data and Document Retention Policy
    Per Section 3(F) of the Standards of Conduct for Approved Course Providers, as a condition for achieving and maintaining NMLS approval status, Course Provider must have in place processes for the retention of data and documents associated with the delivery of NMLS approved courses for a period of five years.
  - 1.18 NMLS Approved Topics List
    The purpose of education/funcSpec/maps/topics/approvedCourseTopics/approvedCourseTopicList.html is to identify the pre-licensure (PE) and continuing education (CE) topics NMLS has determined will satisfy the education requirements of the SAFE Act.
- Section 2: Specific Requirements for Classroom Courses
  Prior to reviewing the requirements for the specific course format, please ensure that all requirements are met as listed in education/funcSpec/maps/topics/nmlsFS_genReqs.html.
- Section 3: Specific Requirements for Classroom Equivalent (Webinar) Courses
  Prior to reviewing the requirements for the specific course format, please ensure that all requirements are met as listed in education/funcSpec/maps/topics/nmlsFS_genReqs.html.
- Section 4: Specific Requirements for Online Instructor-Led (OIL) Courses
  The online instructor led format is reserved for prelicensure education with the exception of prelicensure state-specific courses that are ten (10) hours or less which must be offered in the online self-study (OSS) format.
- Section 5: Specific Requirements for Online Self-Study (OSS) Courses
  The online self-study format is reserved for CE courses and PE state-specific courses that are ten (10) hours or less in length.

1.7.2 Instructor Qualifications

Instructors must demonstrate through recent and verifiable experience, credentials and/or other means that s/he is a subject matter expert in one or more areas of mortgage loan origination laws and practices including, but not limited to:

Federal law and regulations;
State laws and regulations (for one or more state and/or agencies); and
General mortgage origination knowledge and practices.

Detailed requirements for instructors from various segments of the mortgage industry are as follows:

(a) Industry Professional: It is expected that instructors will have a least five (5) years of professional experience in the industry in a position (or positions) that bears directly on mortgage loan origination practices including but not limited to origination, underwriting, secondary marketing, operations compliance, quality control, and/or other comparable positions.
(b) Federal/State Regulator: It is expected that regulatory instructors (state or federal) must have at least three (3) years of responsible experience in a regulatory position (or positions) including the conduct or supervision of mortgage company examinations (brokers and/or lenders), consumer complaint investigation and resolution, or mortgage legal affairs.
(c) Associated Mortgage GSE Professional: It is expected that instructors formerly or currently associated with Mortgage GSE’s have a minimum of three (3) years of responsible experience in a position that is comparable to either the industry professional or regulator position described above.
(d) Experience as an Instructor: It is expected that those who are teaching courses will have had experience teaching adult learners and will be in possession of the skills as listed above.

It is preferred but not required that the instructor have a BA / BS degree from a regionally accredited institution and/or equivalent experience and credentials.

Instructors must also meet the minimum requirements for a criminal background check that are included in the SAFE Act (See Section 1505(b)(1-3)).

Contact the NMLS Call Center with any questions: 1-855-665-7123
Monday - Friday from 9:00AM to 9:00PM ET
Available from all U.S. States and Territories.