Pennsylvania Mortgage License Renewal: Requirements and CE Hours

Renewing a Pennsylvania mortgage loan originator license means finishing 8 hours of continuing education, then submitting your renewal through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System between November 1 and December 31. The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities is the licensing authority, and it adds one requirement to the federal minimum: 1 of your 8 hours must cover Pennsylvania law. We help originators across the state through this every fall, and the ones who have a clean January are the ones who finish CE before Thanksgiving.

When are the Pennsylvania MLO license renewal deadlines?

Every state-licensed MLO renews annually. The dates are the same each year.

• November 1: the NMLS renewal window opens and you can submit your request
• Early December: the practical deadline for finishing CE, because providers need time to bank your credit in NMLS before you can attest
• December 31: the renewal deadline; your license expires if the request is not complete
• January 1 through the end of February: the NMLS reinstatement period, which Pennsylvania participates in, with a late fee and no origination until approved

Do you owe CE in your first year?

Not if you completed your 20-hour pre-licensing education in the same calendar year you were licensed. Your first 8-hour CE requirement begins the following year. After that, it is every year without exception. If you were licensed this year, our guide to Pennsylvania MLO licensingPre License How To Become A Mortgage Loan Officer In Pennsylvania Resources explains how the pre-licensing year connects to your first renewal.

How many CE hours does Pennsylvania require?

Eight hours, every calendar year, from an NMLS-approved provider. The federal SAFE Act sets 7 of those hours, and Pennsylvania sets the eighth.

• 3 hours: federal law and regulations
• 2 hours: ethics, including fraud, consumer protection, and fair lending
• 2 hours: nontraditional mortgage lending
• 1 hour: Pennsylvania-specific law, satisfied by an NMLS-approved Pennsylvania elective

What does the Pennsylvania hour cover?

The state elective reviews the Mortgage Licensing Act, the Department of Banking and Securities' statements of policy, and Pennsylvania consumer protection statutes that apply to origination. It is short, it is state-specific, and it is the hour most often missing from an out-of-state originator's transcript. A generic 8-hour national course without a Pennsylvania elective does not satisfy the requirement.

What counts toward Pennsylvania CE?

Only courses approved by NMLS and reported by the provider to your NMLS record. Three rules decide whether your hours count.

• The successive-years rule. You cannot take the same course two years in a row. Providers publish new course IDs each year, so pick the current year's version.
• Same-year credit. CE completed in a given calendar year counts only toward that year's renewal. Hours you finish in January do not roll back to the previous year.
• Late CE is different. If you missed a prior year's CE, NMLS requires a late CE course for that year, in addition to the current year's 8 hours. Check your NMLS education record before enrolling.

Do federally registered originators need this?

No. Originators registered through a bank or credit union under the federal registry do not have a state CE requirement. This guide is for state-licensed MLOs sponsored by a Pennsylvania-licensed mortgage company.

How do you complete CE and renew through NMLS?

1. Check your NMLS education record. Confirm whether you owe current-year CE, late CE, or both.
2. Complete 8 hours with an NMLS-approved provider, including the 1-hour Pennsylvania elective. Aceable Mortgage's Pennsylvania CE package covers all four buckets.
3. Confirm your credit banked. Providers report to NMLS after completion; do not start your renewal until the hours show on your record.
4. Log in to NMLS after November 1 and review your record for deficiencies or license items that would block renewal.
5. Update anything that changed. Employment, addresses, and disclosure questions must be current on your Form MU4.
6. Submit your renewal request and attestation, then pay the Pennsylvania renewal fee and the NMLS processing fee.
7. Confirm your sponsor's request. Your license renews only if your sponsoring company also renews and keeps your relationship active.

The NMLS Resource Center publishes a complete guide to renewing individual licensesKnowledge Products Nmls Pubs UgIndState Licensing Individual Topics LicInd_mu4_renewrenewingIndividualLicensesOrRegistrations.html Mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org. Our step-by-step NMLS renewal guideContinuing Education Nmls Annual Renewal Guide Resources walks the portal screen by screen.

What does renewal cost?

Two fees: the Pennsylvania state renewal fee, set by the Department of Banking and Securities, and the NMLS individual processing fee. Both are paid through NMLS and neither is refundable. Reinstatement adds a state late fee. Current amounts are on the NMLS renewal fee chart, which is updated each fall.

What happens if you miss the December 31 deadline?

Your license status changes and you lose the ability to originate on January 1. Pennsylvania participates in the NMLS reinstatement period, so you can still submit a renewal request between January 1 and the end of February by completing any missing CE, paying the renewal fee, and paying a reinstatement fee. The Department reviews and approves the request; you cannot take applications until it does.