NMLS Processing Fees

NMLS Processing Fees, including fees associated with testing, education credit banking, and criminal background and credit checks, are established and reviewed annually by the State Regulatory Registry LLC Board of Managers, which provides governance for NMLS. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors operates NMLS on behalf of participating state agencies.

The basic NMLS Processing Fees for company, branch, and mortgage loan originator licensing were initially established when NMLS launched in January 2008.

Payments submitted through NMLS can be made using Visa®, Mastercard®, or ACH (Automated Clearing House). Effective October 21, 2013, all credit card transactions will have a 2.5 percent service fee added to the charge. This fee will appear on a separate line on your credit card statement.​

Transactions paid by ACH are not subject to any additional service fees. For more information on credit card and ACH payment methods, see NMLS Payment Options.​

NMLS Processing Fees for state licensing and federal registration are listed below.​

NMLS Processing Fees for State Licensure

  1. Initial Setup Fee− This fee is incurred each time a company (Form MU1), branch (Form MU3), or mortgage loan originator (Form MU4) uses the NMLS to apply for a new or transition a current license in a participating state. The Initial Set-up Fee is a "per agency / per license" fee.
  2. Annual Processing Fee− This fee is incurred each year during the annual renewal period when a company, branch, or mortgage loan originator (MLO) submits a renewal request in a participating state. This fee is a “per agency / per license” fee.
  3. MLO Change of Sponsorship Fee​− This fee is incurred each time a company requests to sponsor a MLO's​ license. This fee is a “per agency / per license” fee.
Table 1. NMLS Processing Fees for State Licensure
Entity Initial Set-up Fee* Annual Processing Fee MLO Change of Sponsorship Fee
Company (Form MU1 Filing) $120 $120 $35
Branch (Form MU3 Filing) $25 $25 n/a
Individual (Form MU4 Filing) $35 $35 n/a

NMLS Processing Fees for Federal Registration

  1. Initial Setup Fee − This fee is incurred when an institution (Form MU1R) or MLO (Form MU4R) initial registration is made in NMLS.
  2. Annual Processing Fee − This fee is incurred each year during the annual renewal period.
  3. MLO Change of Employment Fee − This fee is incurred each time an institution requests to have a registered MLO associated with their institution.
  4. Two-Factor Subscription Fee − In order to satisfy federal requirements for online government services, NMLS uses a two-factor authentication system (Verisign security token) for all institution users who have access to more than one MLO’s personal identifying information. The annual subscription fee is charged to each institution user to cover the cost of this service. It is a "per user / per year" fee.
Table 2. NMLS Processing Fees for Federal Registration
Entity Initial Set-up Fee Annual Processing Fee MLO Change of Employment Fee Two-Factor Subscription Fee
Institution(Form MU1R Filing) $120 $120 n/a $55 / user
Individual (Form MU4R Filing)

$35 if registration occurs between January and June.

$65 if registration occurs between July and December.

$35 if registration occurs between January and June.

($0 if registration occurs between July and December of same year.)

 $35 n/a

Merger and Acquisition Fees for Registration

There are two fees for processing mergers and acquisitions in NMLS.

Table 3. Merger and Acquisition Fees
Item Fee
M&A Batch Upload base processing fee: $750

Standard fee paid by acquiring institution (MU1R) at initiation of MLO transfer
MLO transfer fee for each record successfully processed: $10 per MLO

Fee for each MLO to be transferred from acquired institution, paid by acquiring institution

Professional Standards Fees

Table 4. Professional Standards Fees
Item Fee
Criminal Background Check Livescan - $36.25 or

Print Card Capture - $36.25, plus Card Packet Fee - $10

Charged at each new application for licensing or new request for registration. Single charge regardless of how many licenses are applied for in a single filing.
Testing ​National Component - $110
Credit Report $15

Charged at each new application for licensure if NMLS does not contain a credit report that is less than 30 days old. Single charge regardless of how many licenses are applied for in a single filing.

Education Provider Fees

The following fees are charged to organizations who apply for and maintain designation as an “NMLS Approved Educational Provider.”

Table 5. Education Provider Fees
Item Fee
Provider Application Fee $400
Provider Renewal Fee $400
Course Approval Fee $300 plus $20 per credit hour
Course Renewal Fee $200 plus $20 per credit hour
Credit Banking Fee $1.50 per credit hour banked

For details see Course Providers.

Uniform Authorized Agent Reporting Processing Fee

  • Per Active Agent Fee: Twenty-five cents ($0.25) per active agent assessed on an annual basis during the license renewal period (November 1st).
  • Active agent number based on the number of agents in the system on August 16th of each year (day after the second quarter UAAR update deadline).
  • No licensee will pay an annual processing fee on the first 100 active agents. If a licensee has 100 agents or less, they pay no fee.
  • Annual processing fee capped at $25,000 per licensee per year.

Additional Information on NMLS Processing Fees

How are NMLS Processing Fees structured?
NMLS Processing Fees have been generally structured on a “per license, per state” basis, such that companies or individuals holding more licenses pay more in fees than those that hold fewer licenses. Additionally, mortgage loan originator NMLS Processing Fees are generally structured on an activity basis such that MLOs who move between employers or change licenses pay more in fees than those that do not move between employers or changes licenses.
What are the NMLS Processing Fees used for?

The NMLS Processing Fees are used to pay for the operations and development of NMLS. The operations of NMLS include maintaining and developing all system functionality, providing for system availability, retaining all records and ensuring system data security, operating the NMLS Call Center, and updating and developing the NMLS Resource Center. Additionally, many of the capabilities available through NMLS are mandated under the federal SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 such as the testing and education enrollment and the ability to obtain criminal background checks and credit reports.

Since its launch on January 2, 2008, NMLS has added a significant amount of functionality designed to enhance NMLS’ effectiveness as a supervisory tool for state agencies as well as streamline the compliance process for licensees. This functionality has included the electronic uploading of financial statements and other documents, the unified criminal background check and credit check process, electronic credit banking of education requirements, the SAFE MLO Test with Uniform State Content, and the Streamlined License Renewal process. Additionally, NMLS Consumer Access, a fully searchable website that allows the public to verify the credentials of mortgage professionals, is provided free of charge.

NMLS is continually being enhanced to improve its effectiveness as a supervisory tool as well as to provide licensees with a uniform compliance process.