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California Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) CE requirements

Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator — license renewal requirements, sourced from the official board.

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8CE hours every 1 yearVerify with board

Renewal: Annual CE must be completed by December 31 each year.

More on this license

Required categories

Federal law & regulations
3h
Ethics (fraud, consumer protection, fair lending)
2h
Non-traditional mortgage lending
2h
California mortgage law (DFPI licensees)
1h

Details

Reporting
Course providers bank CE credits to NMLS within 7 days of completion.

Federal SAFE Act baseline via NMLS: 8 hours of NMLS-approved CE per calendar year (3 hrs federal law & regulations, 2 hrs ethics covering fraud/consumer protection/fair lending, 2 hrs non-traditional mortgage lending, 1 hr elective), required beginning the year licensed (unless pre-licensure education was completed the same year). CE must be completed before renewing -- NMLS prohibits renewal applications without completed CE. Course providers bank credits to NMLS within 7 days of completion. NMLS annual renewal window: November 1 through December 31. California has two MLO regulators. Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) licensees must include 1 hour of California mortgage law within the 8 hours. Department of Real Estate (CA-DRE) licensees take the flat 8-hour NMLS course with no state-specific hour.

Official source: NMLS

⚠️Board rules change. Verify every figure against the official source before relying on it.

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Other professions in California

Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) in other states