How to Look Up an NMLS Number and Check License Status

To look up an NMLS number, go to nmlsconsumeraccess.org and type the mortgage professional’s name, their company’s name, or the NMLS ID itself into the search box. The lookup is free, the database refreshes every business night, and federal law requires this information to be available to consumers at no charge.¹ The record you pull up will show whether the person is currently allowed to originate your loan, who they work for, and whether regulators have taken action against them.²

Find the NMLS ID Before You Search

You shouldn’t have to ask for the number. Federal regulations require loan originators to print their name, their company’s name, and both NMLS IDs on the key documents you receive during a mortgage transaction:

The credit application
The Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure
The promissory note or loan contract
The mortgage or deed of trust

These rules come from the Truth in Lending Act’s implementing regulation and cover any consumer credit transaction secured by a home.³ Most states go further and require the NMLS ID on business cards, websites, advertising, and solicitation materials.⁴ If someone offering you a mortgage cannot produce an NMLS ID, that alone is a reason to stop and verify independently.

The ID is permanent. It stays with the same person, company, or branch office even if they change employers or move to another state, so a number you saved from an earlier interaction will still work.⁴

Searching by ID vs. Searching by Name

Entering the NMLS ID directly is the fastest and cleanest route. One number, one record, no ambiguity.

Searching by name works when you don’t have the ID, but common names bring back multiple hits. Use the state, employer, and license type columns shown in the results to narrow it down. Once you’re on the right record, cross-check the employment history against the company the professional says they represent. If the record shows them at one firm and their business card shows another, get an explanation before you sign anything.

Read the License Status Carefully

The status line tells you whether this person can legally originate your loan right now. Four labels do most of the work:

Approved (Active). The regulator has reviewed the application and issued the license. The professional is authorized to originate loans in that state.⁵
Approved-Inactive. The license exists, but the person isn’t currently sponsored by an employer or has told a regulator they won’t be doing business for a period. They are prohibited from originating loans until a company sponsors them and the regulator approves that sponsorship.⁶
Suspended. A regulator has temporarily halted the license. No originations while suspended.⁵
Revoked. The license has been permanently taken away. Under the SAFE Act, a revoked mortgage originator cannot obtain or keep a license in any state.⁵

Approved-Inactive is the one that catches people. The professional may be perfectly qualified with a clean history, but without an active employer sponsorship in the system they cannot take your application. If you see that label, ask them to confirm sponsorship before you go further.

Check Regulatory Actions and Employment

Status alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Two more sections on each record matter.

The regulatory actions section lists administrative or enforcement actions taken by state regulators against the person or company, with the regulator’s name, the type of action, the date, and any linked documents.⁷ The most serious types are cease-and-desist orders and prohibition orders barring participation in the affairs of any financial institution. A pattern of actions across multiple states is about as clear a warning as this database gives you.

The employment history section lists the companies the individual has worked for over the past 10 years and whether each was in financial services.⁷ Frequent moves aren’t automatically a problem, but the current employer on file should match the company on the business card in front of you.

A Note on Bank and Credit Union Employees

Loan originators at banks and credit unions are federally registered rather than state-licensed, and their NMLS records are thinner. They submit FBI fingerprint background checks and disclose employment and any criminal or civil findings, but they aren’t required to complete the pre-licensing education or pass the national exam that state-licensed originators do.⁸ Their disciplinary disclosures are self-reported and reflect what the person attested to in their most recent filing, so an empty disciplinary section on a federally registered record carries less assurance than an empty one on a state-licensed record where regulators post actions directly.⁷

What to Do If the Record Looks Wrong or Is Missing

If your search returns no record for someone claiming to be a licensed originator, or you find a revoked license, an active suspension, or a run of enforcement actions, you have two places to report it.

For mortgage-related complaints, use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or (855) 411-2372. You describe the problem, attach up to 50 pages of supporting documents, and identify the company; the CFPB forwards the complaint and requests a response.⁹ You generally cannot submit a second complaint about the same issue, so include everything relevant the first time.

For unlicensed activity or violations of state mortgage law, contact your state’s financial regulatory agency. State regulators are the ones with authority to suspend or revoke a license, issue cease-and-desist orders, or refer cases for criminal prosecution. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors, which administers NMLS, keeps a directory of every state banking and financial regulator at csbs.org.

1
eCFR. 12 CFR Part 1008 – SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act – State Compliance and Bureau Registration System (Regulation H)
2
NMLS Consumer Access. Consumer Access
3
eCFR. 12 CFR 1026.36 – Prohibited Acts or Practices and Certain Requirements for Credit Secured by a Dwelling
4
Nationwide Multistate Licensing System. Required Use of NMLS ID
5
Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS). License Status Definitions
6
Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry. Approved – Inactive
7
Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS). Information About NMLS Consumer Access
8
eCFR. Part 1007 – SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act – Federal Registration of Residential Mortgage Loan Originators (Regulation G)
9
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint