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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).
1.5 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.
1.5.6 Responsibility to Ensure Seat Time
seat time is defined as the time that a student is in the course and engaged with the instructor, other students, course content, and activities. One hour is defined as 50 clock minutes.

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.
    - 1.5.1 Specified Start and End Time
      Classroom, classroom equivalent, and online instructor-led courses must have a specified start and end date and time.
    - 1.5.2 Course Scheduling
      Course end dates must be scheduled such that a student will complete the course in a reasonable amount of time.
    - 1.5.3 Meeting Minimum Course Hour Requirements
      Courses will only be approved if the course meets the minimum number of hours associated with the SAFE Act requirement and contains enough content to support that number of hours. Accordingly, a course may only be registered under one category.
    - 1.5.4 Mandatory Breaks
      Course start and end time must take into consideration time for breaks. Breaks do not count as part of the time required for instruction. No instruction is to extend for longer than four hours without a break.
    - 1.5.5 Maximum Course Session
      No course session is to extend for longer than 12 hours within a single day (24-hour period).
    - 1.5.6 Responsibility to Ensure Seat Time
      seat time is defined as the time that a student is in the course and engaged with the instructor, other students, course content, and activities. One hour is defined as 50 clock minutes.
  - 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.
  - 1.8 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.

1.5.6 Responsibility to Ensure Seat Time

seat time is defined as the time that a student is in the course and engaged with the instructor, other students, course content, and activities. One hour is defined as 50 clock minutes.

Important: Course providers are responsible for designing and delivering instruction that ensures the student meets the time requirements for which the course is approved.

Providers delivering instruction are to have in place and enforce policies that prohibit students from engaging in outside activities while they are completing the course.

Providers are to design and deliver courses that require the student to be continuously engaged with sufficient content and activities to meet the approved number of hours.

Note: Online Self-Study (OSS) courses are to be configured such that they prevent seat time from accruing due to inactivity, and/or by “challenging” or “gaming” any aspect of the course. This includes but is not limited to rapid button clicking, space bar holding, or any other means that will create a period of time-accruing inactivity which allows the student to spend less than the required seat time for which the course was approved.

Note: Online Instructor-led (OIL) courses are required to be designed and delivered such that the instructor leads the course with all students through instructor-to-student/student-to-student interaction. This interactivity is required to be continual and obvious throughout the entire course.

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.