Arizona Education Note:

Every Arizona-licensed MLO is required to complete 7 hours of NMLS approved education

and 1 state specific hour of AZ education annually beginning in the year they are

licensed (unless PE was completed in the same year).

Arizona Requirements for NMLS Continuing Education

As a mortgage loan originator, you are required to keep up-to-date on the latest laws and regulations which will help you offer consumer protection for your clients. The National Mortgage Licensing System, or NMLS, requires that you complete continuing education each year. The NMLS generally requires at least eight hours of NMLS approved education. Some states may require more or fewer credit hours for state specific laws and regulations.

What does the Arizona continuing education requirement cover?

Typically, the continuing education requirement will cover items like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, fair lending issues, and other laws and regulations that pertain to all mortgage loan originators.

1. All Arizona-licensed mortgage loan originators must complete 7 hours of NMLS approved education and 1 state specific hour annually beginning in the year they are licensed (unless PE was completed in the same year).
2. All courses must be taken through an NMLS-approved education provider and reported to the NMLS system as soon as possible after completion.
3. The course must cover topics relevant to mortgage origination activities such as Federal laws, ethics, non-traditional mortgage products, fraud prevention and detection, and more.
4. The content of these courses must meet or exceed state requirements for MLO continuing education and include all information specified by the NMLS Uniform State Content Test outline and other applicable state guidelines.
5. Any courses taken prior to license renewal will not count toward this requirement; only those completed during the current licensing cycle will count towards the annual 8-hour CE requirement.
6. Each licensed MLO is responsible for ensuring that he or she has met all requirements for continuing education on a timely basis as required by Arizona law and regulation including keeping records of all course completions for at least 4 years after taking a course.

We recommend completing your continuing education as early as possible, as it may take a few business days to process your license renewal through the NMLS.

Each state also will have different renewal fees and requirements when submitting your renewal through the NMLS. Submitting early will ensure that you get your license on time to originate loans in the new year.

What is the NMLS license renewal deadline in Arizona?

In the state of Arizona, the National Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) license renewal deadline is December 31st of each year. All licensees must have successfully completed seven hours of NMLS-approved continuing education and one hour of state specific education prior to their license renewal date in order to maintain their active status.

At least three hours of these eight must be related to Federal Law and Regulations, two hours must be related to Ethics, two hours must be related to Non-traditional Mortgage Lending, and the remaining hour can cover a variety of topics.

The SMART Deadline to complete continuing education is Friday, December 8th. This is an important date for the license renewal process and to ensure on-time renewal.

Who can provide NMLS-approved continuing education courses in Arizona?

There are several providers of NMLS-approved continuing education courses in Arizona. These include Mortgage Educators, anyone on the National Association of Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) approved course providers, state-licensed schools, and independent instructors.

The NMLS-approved providers offer various continuing education courses to meet the requirements for obtaining or renewing a mortgage loan originator (MLO) license in Arizona.

What is covered in the courses?

The SAFE Act requires Loan Officers with a state license to complete continuing education. The NMLS requires you must take eight total hours of electives:

• Three hours of federal law and regulations
• Two hours of ethics
• Two hours of training on lending standards for non-traditional mortgage lending
• One hour of state-specific education

Learning about topics like nontraditional mortgage products will help you become a better mortgage loan officer and helps keep some of the ethics that will protect consumers in the mortgage industry. Understanding these laws and regulations through elective content and the hours on ethics can also help you better understand consumer protection issues to make sure your clients are protected during the loan process.

What are the state-specific requirements for Arizona?

Many states require additional hours to be completed. We recommend looking at the NMLS State-Specific Education Requirements Chart to see what is required for your education hours.

Many states require at least an additional hour of electives, Arizona mortgage loan originators are required to do one hour of state-specific education in addition to seven hours of NMLS SAFE education.

If you're looking at other states or territories, consult the NMLS State-Specific Education Requirements Chart to find out what you may also be required to complete for your annual requirement for State-Specific CE Hours.

Do I need to take CE if I got my license in the last year?

Yes, after you receive your initial mortgage license, to renew for any following years and to continue to help consumers with mortgage loans, a condition for mortgage license renewal is to complete Continuing Education.

Arizona mortgage loan originators, mortgage brokers, and loan officers must all complete Continuing Education.

Where can I access my Education Record?

As a mortgage professional, you can access your education through the National Mortgage Licensing System. The NMLS keeps track of all mortgage course completions which can tell you if you have completed any prior classes in past years, and how many hour courses may be remaining in the current calendar year.

Make sure to take courses within the same year of purchase during your NMLS reinstatement period.

What are the benefits of taking CE?

Continuing Education is required for all mortgage lenders in the mortgage industry. Continuing education will help you obtain further mortgage expertise so you can help improve your mortgage business.

Required topics include: nontraditional mortgage lending, ethics, and federal laws and educations. Learning about topics like nontraditional mortgage lending can help you improve as a loan officer.

Do I have to take in-person classes, or can I do training videos through an online self-study course?

You can do either in-person classes or online courses to complete your MLO continuing education. Mortgage Educators offers online courses for your education class so your mortgage education can be done at your convenience.

The convenience for mortgage professionals to complete the requirements for mortgage loan originator license renewal is available so you can continue to help your clients and put them first while completing your education.

Do I have to take a new exam each year?

Federal regulations do NOT require you to complete a new national license exam. All you need to complete are your continuing education and state specific additional hours. Make sure to complete those within the specific time frames for your renewal year to avoid having your license lapse.

How does the content differ from my pre-licensure education?

When you do your pre-licensure education, you are required to take NMLS courses to learn about many of the federal mortgage-related laws that are required of state-licensed MLOs. Much of your continuing Education builds on what you learned during your pre-licensure education by providing you with crucial updates to the laws and regulations you must follow as a mortgage lender.

Does my Arizona continuing education cover other state requirements?

If you are licensed in any other states or territories (ex. District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, West Virginia), they may have different requirements for continuing education. Make sure to look at the NMLS State-Specific Education Requirements Chart to see what is required for your education hours and if those states require state-specific courses as part of the license renewal requirements.

Do all loan officers have to complete this education?

Yes, all loan officers must complete all credit hour continuing education courses. If you hold mortgage licenses in multiple states, there may be additional mortgage education requirements. Mortgage Educators offers online self-study courses for all states that you may be licensed in so you can take care of your additional education requirements in one easy location with our expert instructors.